Batongguan Trail Introduction
The Batongguan Ancient Trail originally starts in Zhushan Township, Nantou County (Linqipu) and passes through Lugu Township and Xinyi Township, crossing Batongguan and Xiuguluan Mountain, ending in Yuli Township, Hualien County (Pushige), with a total length of approximately 152 kilometers. Established in 1875, it is one of three roads built during the Qing Dynasty that transverse the east and west parts of Taiwan, and it is currently the only one still in existence, thus classified as a national historic site. The currently usable section is about 20 kilometers from Dongpu Hot Springs to Batongguan Grassland. The area open for public exploration along the Batongguan Ancient Trail is in the Dongpu region; therefore, when visiting the Batongguan Ancient Trail, visitors can also tour Yushan National Park, Father and Son Cliffs, Dongpu Hot Springs, Otome Waterfall, Yunlong Waterfall, Rainbow Waterfall, Lover's Valley, and more. Yushan National Park is the largest national park in Taiwan and features a typical subtropical alpine geology, with terrain primarily consisting of high mountains and river valleys, creating precious resource treasures and ecological environments. The Dongpu Cliffs, also known as Father and Son Cliffs, are located in the trail section of the Batongguan Ancient Trail, above the Dongguang area. Due to its unique and perilous geological features and continuous rockfalls, even if two people (a father and son) walk here together, they cannot rely on each other, hence the evocative name "Father Does Not Know Son."
