Batongguan Old Trail Introduction
The Batongguan Historic Trail originally starts in Zhushan Township, Nantou County (Lin Qipu), passes through Lugu Township and Xinyi Township, crosses Batongguan and Xiuguluan Mountain, and ends in Yuli Township, Hualien County (Pushi Pavilion). The total length is about 152 kilometers and it was built in 1875. This trail is one of the three roads built during the Qing Dynasty that cross eastern and western Taiwan, and it is the only one still in existence, which is why it has been designated as a national historic site. Currently, the portion that is still usable stretches approximately 20 kilometers from Dongpu Hot Spring to Batongguan Grassland. The area of the Batongguan Historic Trail that is open for public exploration is in the Dongpu area, allowing visitors to also enjoy attractions such as Yushan National Park, Father and Son Cliffs, Dongpu Hot Spring, Maiden Falls, Yunlong Falls, Rainbow Falls, and Lover's Valley. Yushan National Park is the largest national park in Taiwan, characterized by subtropical alpine geology, primarily shaped by high mountains and river valleys, creating valuable resources and ecological environments. The Dongpu Cliff, also known as the Father and Son Cliffs, is located along the Batongguan Historic Trail, above the Dongguang area. Due to its unique and perilous geology with constant rockfalls, even if a father and son walk together here, they cannot assist each other, leading to the evocative name "Father does not know son."
