Batongguan Historic Trail Introduction
The Batongguan Ancient Road originally starts in ZhuShan Township, Nantou County (LinQiPu), passes through Lugu Township and Xinyi Township, crosses Batongguan and Xiuguluan Mountain, and ends in Yuli Township, Hualien County (Pushi Ge), with a total length of about 152 kilometers. It was established in the year 1875 and is one of the three roads built during the Qing Dynasty that traversed the east and west of Taiwan, and it is the only one that still remains today. Therefore, it has been designated as a national historic site. The currently accessible section is approximately 20 kilometers from Dongpu Hot Spring to Batongguan Prairie. The area of the Batongguan Ancient Road open for public visitation is the Dongpu area. Visitors to the Batongguan Ancient Road can also explore Taroko National Park, Father and Son Cliff, Dongpu Hot Spring, Maiden Waterfall, Yunlong Waterfall, Rainbow Waterfall, Lover's Valley, and more. Taroko National Park is the largest national park in Taiwan, characterized by subtropical alpine geology, with the terrain primarily consisting of high mountains and river valleys, which shapes the most precious resource treasures and ecological environments. The Father and Son Cliff, also known as the "Father Does Not Know the Son" Cliff, is located in the section of the Batongguan Ancient Road trail. It is a cliff above Dongguang and is known for its unique geological dangers and continuous falling rocks. Even if a father and son walk together in this area, they cannot keep an eye on each other, leading to the evocative name "Father Does Not Know the Son."
