Travel Blog: Taiwan Trip Dec 6-14 - Day 4 Taroko Gorge 太魯閣

Monday, December 28, 2009

Taiwan Trip Dec 6-14 - Day 4 Taroko Gorge 太魯閣

After lunch, visted Sakadang Trail 砂卡礑步道. It looks actually like the 明月窟 at 奮起湖 - nice rock formation. You will need to get down a flight of steps about 5 stories tall before you can reach this place. Beatiful scenery. But need to be beware of the rocks above the head for those that are tall. Of course, we did not take the full trail.

Sakadang Bridge with 50 lion statues on each side of the bridge

All 50 lions have different facial expression. Very interesting.

Zoom in to some lions.

Shot taken from the Sakadang bridge.

Shot taken while walking towards 長春祠 Eternal Spring Shrine

長春祠 Eternal Spring Shrine. This is to commemorates the 212 personnel (military veterans) who died during the construction of the Central Cross-Island Highway (1956~1960).

Zoom in to one of the pavilion. Spring water flowing down from under the pavilion

Eternal Spring Shrine Bridge across the gorge.

Another shot of the nearby gorge

燕子口 Swallow’s Grottos

Nice rock erosion - taken from 燕子口

Another view of the gorge

More shots of the gorge

Some more shots - can you see the side view of a face of a Red Indian?

九曲洞 Tunnel of Nine Turns. Need to wear helmets along this stretch - many falling rocks, both big and small may hit anyone anytime. Many areas were cordoned off.

This is the most magnificent part of Taroko Gorge, where the sheer cliffs face each other. During the exploration stage, it is the especially difficult and dangerous part to explore.When the wind comes from the broad river valley to the narrow valley it is forced upwards when it hits the cliff face

The trail is a must-see point and one should stop by and enjoy the spectacular scenery that has been formed by tens of thousands of years of river erosion. The number nine in Chinese implying "many" is heavily used in Chinese expression.

慈母橋Cihmu Bridge, which is an H-Shape hanging bridge with marble stone lions on each end and with marble lotus stones on two sides. The rock beneath the bridge look like a frog. The frog-like rock is composed of black layer of schist at the top and white marble at the bottom. A pavilion was built on this frog rock, becoming the crown on the frog. This was built by former President Chiang Jing-guo, in memory of his mother, during construction of the road. Can you see the frog?

慈母亭Cimu pavilion area is on the east side of the bridge, built by former president Chiang Kai-shek, in memory of his mother, Mrs. Wang. This is the frog's crown.