Taroko Gorge: Taiwan’s not-so-finely-kept secret

No trip to Taiwan is ever complete without a visit to the famous Taroko Gorge. Many travelers who have seen the sheer beauty of this place regret that the only way they can take such beauty with them is through photos, which do not even do the real thing justice.

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When I first beheld Taroko Gorge, I was dumbfounded, amazed that I can be awed by such existence in nature. This blog is a poor rewording of “wow,” and breathlessness. My powers of description are weak when it comes to Taroko Gorge.

Most travelers approach Taroko Gorge from the Hualien side, which I did as well. I actually had no idea how long the drive took, as the view immediately drove all thoughts of length and distance from my mind, but according to my guide, the gorge is just 30 minutes away from Hualien. Once you see the towering marble cliffs, some more than 984.3 feet (300 meters), shooting up the landscape, you’ll know you’ve arrived.

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While there are a lot of places to stop and look at, two of the most impressive in the gorge are the Swallow’s Grotto and the Tunnel of Nine Turns. At the Swallow’s Grotto, I saw yellow-and-orange marble cliff faces covered in small holes. The guide told me that those are nesting grounds for Pacific swallows and house swifts, hence the name. The Tunnel of Nine Turns is the most magnificent part of the gorge. Here, the multicolored marble cliffs are perilously close to each other, resulting in twisting turns and amazing scenery. A walk through the tunnel takes about 30 minutes and is a good way to experience the gorge.

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As I left, I had a lingering sense of awe and wonder at how nature could have created such beauty—and vowed that I’d come back in the near future.

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The amazing Big Buddha of Baguashan

One of the many reasons I like to travel around Asia is that many of its cities juxtapose modern technological advances with ancient spiritual and cultural traditions. Such is the skyline of Changhua City, where modern skyscrapers and high-rise residential condominiums are shadowed by a towering black structure of giant Buddha—the Big Buddha of Baguashan.

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At around 30 meters high, the Big Buddha is an immense monument—so large that I can actually walk around inside it. The inside of the monument is divided into multiple levels, with each holding human-sized statues depicting the life story of the Buddha. The Big Buddha is seated on top of a giant stone lotus flower. According to legend, the year right after the monument was completed, a torrential rain swept Taiwan—the strongest it had experienced in years. The rain was believed by locals to have been sent by the gods to provide enough water for the enormous stone lotus flower.

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The front of the Big Buddha is guarded by two giant stone lions perched on balls of stone. This semi-circular walkway provides a good vantage point for those who want to see the Changhua City skyline in its entirety. I really found this place beautiful and serene. I wanted to spend the whole day here just basking in the sun and feeling the wind in my face, while contemplating life. Sadly, life had other plans.

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If I had to go back to Taiwan, I’d definitely come back to this place and maybe even have a quiet picnic.

I am an ardent traveler who fell in love with the world at an early age. Visit this Louis Habash Twitter page to see where I’ve been, and where I want to go.