Batongguan Historical Trail Introduction
The Batongguan Historic Trail originally starts in Zhushan Township, Nantou County (Lin Qipu), passing through Lugu Township and Xinyi Township, crossing Batongguan and Xiuguluan Mountain, and ending in Yuli Township, Hualien County (Pushige). It is approximately 152 kilometers long and was built in 1875 during the Qing Dynasty in Taiwan. It is one of the three roads that traversed the east and west of Taiwan during that period, and it is the only one that remains today, which is why it has been designated as a national historic site. The currently usable section is about 20 kilometers from Dongpu Hot Springs to Batongguan Prairie. The area open for public exploration on the Batongguan Historic Trail is in the Dongpu region, allowing visitors to also enjoy attractions such as Yushan National Park, Father and Son Cliff, Dongpu Hot Springs, Maiden Waterfall, Yunlong Waterfall, Rainbow Waterfall, and Lover's Valley. Yushan National Park is the largest national park in Taiwan, characterized by subtropical alpine geological features, mainly consisting of mountains and river valleys, which create precious resource treasures and ecological environments. The Dongpu Cliff, also known as Father and Son Cliff, is located along the Batongguan Trail and is situated above the cliffs of Dongguang. Due to its unique and hazardous geological characteristics, with constant rockfalls, even when a father and son walk together in this area, they cannot look out for each other, thus earning the evocative name "Father Does Not Know His Son."
