Hualien (花莲）

Hualien (花莲）

Taiwan is a densely populated area. But the east coast, with its steep mountains, are thinly populated. Hualien is at the middle of the east coast. That makes it very special. Since Han people, and other outsiders, arrived very late to Hualien, it is the county with the highest percentage of aboriginal people, i.e., non Han people. It is the largest county in Taiwan. It is also the place with very heavy military presence. Military bases are everywhere. Supposedly, being in the middle of the east coast, it is the safest place from military strikes from China. But with the rapid development of China’s navy and Air Force, this assumption has become less and less valid.

What attracts tourists is its majesty. Taroko National Park, one of the largest national parks, is here. We booked a tour, to Taroko National Park. The driver and the tour guide is very friendly and knowledgeable. The name Taroko, he told us, came from Truku, a native tribe living in the area. Truku is a fierce hunting tribe. Girls who have learned how to weave will be tattooed around the mouth. Similar, boys who have killed a man and got a man’s head back will be tattooed around the mouth as well. Those who have been tattooed will be highly respected in the community. During the period of Japanese occupation, Japanese wanted to build hydroelectric dams in the area. But it took a long time to tame the independent head hunting tribe.

Taroko Park, as well as the rest of the east coast, is formed by collision of the Eurasian plate and Philippine Sea plate. The mountain is extremely steep, almost impassable. During 1950s, Taiwan’s government wanted to open up the connection between the west and the east by building a road through the mountains. More than two hundred people lost their lives before the road was built. Today, the paved road offers tourists easy access to the majestic views.

Two years ago, a giant earthquake struck the area. It happened before eight, in the early morning. About forty people died. If happened later, when the park is crowded with tourists, thousands could die from the collapsing mountains, said the guide. Many fresh looking giant boulders can be seen in the valley.

Today, most trails are still closed. The trails here are quite different from trails in other places. In most places, trails are lightly paved. Here, most trails are opened by the explosion of dynamite and chiseling. They were opened to build hydro dams and roads. Walking on these trails is to walk on the edge of cliffs, which is very dangerous and therefore very exciting. After the earthquake, the recovery of the main road is still ongoing. The opening up of the trails will be further into the future. But from the car parkings at trailheads, some people are already on the trails.

The tour guide was a professional army officer. He has retired for more than a decade and has worked as a tour guide since. His father was a soldier, withdrawn from the mainland in 1949. In today’s environment, he is an outsider (外省人）. He is not happy. He told us a lot of stories about the complex relations among various social groups at various times. It’s incredibly educational.

The guide also drove us to other beautiful spots. It was a great day.