Trip - Taiwan - Day 3 - Taroko National Park

Good Morning Blog,

Time to travel again and to one of my favourite places listed in the itinerary. After breakfast, we loaded our luggage and I helped out to load.

then Mr Lin awarded me this as a token of appreciation for helping out, as he shared that many tourists will just stand and wait for the driver or even him to load the luggage for them, so when he witnessed someone who helps out, is encouraging.

A nice surprise gift in Taiwan.

As he shared, since we were traveling together, it is best to look out for one another than an individual.

Today we will be going Taroko National Park and along the way, Mr Lin shared with us some history about Taroko National Park.

Here are some historical and important photos of workers (I must say they are heroes) who sacrificed and risked their lives to carve/build a connected East-West tunnel through the mountains of Taiwan for transportation for food/weapons/trading during wartime. Total of 217 deaths and injuries, took 3 years 8 months 19 days to build 192. 78km tunnel. Salute them.

Arriving

Checked out one of the tunnels here

Look at another tunnel along the wrist of the mountain.

besides having a breathtaking stream along the tunnel, it is a stream of a lasting effort of those unnamed workers.

Many visitors and locals will visit this place for a good trekking.

It was so nice to come here

Thanks to mother for helping me to snap a picture for me

Thank you Mr Lin for helping too

Let's have a group picture together :)

Without this kind of tunnel at Taroko national park, traveling from East to West will require you to make a big round of Taiwan.

let's go down now!

Walking down now

Great to see the stream closer

Check out those smooth large pebbles.

We will be exploring up the stream

Mr Lin told us, taking pictures here is perfect

Time to experience the amazing work from the unnamed workers

Check out the layers and layers of Earth crust

Look at this wooden log under my feet. Those wooden logs are playing an important part during the building of the tunnel.

Mr Lin explained how the workers carved the way inwards. They had to carve based on how the rock formation flows and sometimes with dynamites too.

And best not to idle under this rock and there is a risk that the rock must crack/fall.

Lucky this place has lesser visitors. :3

I can slowly explore...

Checking on the chaftmanship

besides checking the rock and carving...

Did you notice the direction of the flow? there is a risk that if there is any earthquake, these part of the rock will slide off

Check out at the stream too

Look how beautiful and peaceful by watching and listening to the water stream

More of it

Time to focus on walking

Reflected and imagined the past

It will be perfect if someone can help to snap, haha

I can do it myself!

DONE! Hahah

Anywhere I can have my photographer set

When there is lesser visitor passing by

This scene reminds me one of the famous quote from Lao Zi. 谷神不死，是谓玄牝。玄牝之门，是谓天地根。(translate to: The valley spirit never dies; it is the woman, primal mother. Her gateway is the root of Heaven and Earth. It is llike a well barely seen, Use it; it will never fail.) Really inspiring.

How I wish I can soak in the stream

The smooth pebbles really reminded me of the true inspiring fact on how it was formed.

Testing out my Huawei 50x zoom... hmmm... still blurry

More dangerous zones here. Just imagine if there is a quake, this rock will react like a fluid.

Spot some interesting looking moss :) too bad, I can't have it back

Time to move on to the next destination of the park.

Eternal Spring Shrine 長春祠

I heard from Mr Lin, this mountain is trekkable. Oh man, I will like to try it.

To protect the place, we can only view from a distance.

It is interesting to walk within the mountains like your own corridor.

Usually this place will have water stream but now it is a bit dried.

Let's snap a pic for me.

Here are some writeups about this place.

Thanks to my cousin, V to help me to capture this.

Must include Landscape and Portrait of it. Haha!

Check out this tunnel. it is one of the first connected tunnel.

Can't access further

Amazing bridge which helps to connect one to another end.

I want to swim in one of the stream but not this dirty one

group photo, guys :)

Have a simple lunch and our next stop was not part of our itinerary though...

We came to a place where they were promoting royal honey jelly (link) and other stuff

I guess having to experience such a random itinerary is unavoidable in which people are trying to make a living.

I can imagine that 99.9% of the tourists won't even visit such places into their itinerary and trying to understand their products.

So we should learn to accept them and give one another a chance to exchange some knowledge on it. We won't need to be rude and gave a negative response to them. Just give a friendly acknowledgment and reject politely.

The next stop really made my day, where I got to experience beautiful scenery. (link)

Jeff