Coastal view from a wooden platform looking at cliffs and blue ocean waters.

Explore

Upper Gorge (Tianxiang Area)

Tianxiang Village is the main rest stop deep inside Taroko National Park. It serves as a base for exploring the upper trails and temples.

Photo: tour listing on Viator

Located higher up Provincial Highway 8, this area provides food, restrooms, and access to key trails. You must plan your drive carefully due to time-restricted traffic access from the 2024 earthquake repairs.

Highway 8 usually operates with 5 daily release windows. Check the daily schedule at the visitor center before driving up.

Tourists walking on a narrow pathway carved into the rocky walls of Taroko Gorge.

Tianxiang Village

1 hourCash for eateries

This is the primary recreational village set deep into the mountains. It is the best place to find small eateries for a hot lunch or use the main restrooms. Plan your highway exit around the traffic control windows.

Turquoise river flowing through narrow, steep marble cliffs in Taroko Gorge.

Eternal Spring Shrine (Changchun Shrine)

1 hourRockfall hazards

This memorial shrine sits directly over a natural spring that cascades like a waterfall. Parts of the trail immediately behind the shrine may be closed due to frequent rockfalls. Check local signs before walking behind the main structure.

A scenic waterfall cascading down rocky terrain near Eternal Spring Shrine in Taroko.

Baiyang Waterfall Trail

2 hoursFlashlight needed

This two-hour hike passes through several dark pedestrian tunnels. It leads to large waterfalls and the famous Water Curtain Cave. Bring a flashlight and a raincoat to navigate the wet final cave.

A massive piece of white marble sitting in a fast-flowing turquoise river.

Xiangde Temple

45 minutesPagoda views

Cross the footbridge in Tianxiang to reach this mountaintop Buddhist temple. Climb the pagoda steps for a clear bird's-eye view of the entire Tianxiang river valley. The visit takes about 45 minutes.