The special terrain of Taroko Gorge was created when the original Permian limestone was transformed into marble by the late-stage mountain-forming process of orogeny and the accompanying metamorphism. After a long period of tectonic movements and metamorphism, marble and other rocks formed complex geologicalfolds, and these folds and faults resulted in the repeated emgergence of marble in the Taroko area.  

Taroko Gorge has been pushed upward constantly because of continuous collisions between the Philippine Sea Plate and theEurasianPlate. The region also undergoes continuous undercut erosion by the Liwu River, but the dense lithology of marble  prevents the gorge walls from collapsing. The steep, narrow, and almost vertical U-shaped gorge was formed by the Liwu River flowing through the marble region in Taroko National Park. 

There are great differences in the elevation range  of Taroko National Park, ranging widely from less than 50 meters above sea level to 3,742 meters above the sea at Nanhu Mountain to the north. The climate, terrain, and plant distribution are quite complex as well, going from ground level to mixed broadleaf and coniferous forests, alpine grasslands, and the Nanhu glacial cirque, which is similar to the alpine tundra. Since the ecological zones are very different and there are few man-made damages, virgin forests or native vegetation in the national park still maintain their original appearances. A large number of animals from a wide range of species have made the park their habitat too.

Although the base plate of high mountains in the area is connectedtoeachother, each peak touches theskyindependently. From a biological perspective, they represent many “mountain islands” that have the effect of isolating reproducttion, and each biological island is rich in differentenvironmentalfactors that manipulate the natural selection pressure on evolution and promote the function of speciation, thereby screening successively the region’s unique species and biota (ecology) from the very start.

Accordingto research, there are atleast34mammalspecies (including 6 that are endemic), 144 bird species (including all 14 endemic species that are in Taiwan), 15 amphibianspecies (3 endemic), 32reptilespecies, 18 freshwater fishspecies, 251butterflyspecies, 18 shellfish species, 13 freshwater shrimpspecies, and6crabspecies (of which the Platyeriocheir formosamitten crab is endemic to eastern Taiwan) in Taroko National Park.

Two salamander species of the Cryptobranchoidea, a family of amphibianswith a long tailthat has survived the ice ages and are foundin mountainous areas 2,000metersabovesealevel, have lived in the Taroko area since thousandsofyearsago. The Xueshan grass lizard (Takydromus hsuehshanensis), which enjoys sun bathing on stones, is the most famous endemicspeciesinthearea and the only one of its kind thatis distributed at such ahigh altitude.

Moreover, the Taiwan weasel (Mustela nivalis formosana), Taiwan field mouse (Apodemus semotus), and Oldfield white-bellied rat (Niviventer culturatus) are also endemic to Taiwan and found in Taroko. White-bellied rats are large in size and beautiful with a milky white belly. 

Walkingfrom low grasslands into a bushy arrow bambooforest, the forest scent can be slowly inhaled and the endemic Formosan rock monkeys are often seen jumping among trees in groups. In additon to mammals, three species of common pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) — the Mikado pheasant (Syrmaticus mikado), Swinhoe's pheasant (Lophura swinhoii), and ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) — have been spotted at thebottomofthe Taroko forest.  The Mikado pheasant and Swinhoe's pheasant are endemic species. Since the vegetation in this area is well-preserved with 85% of forests in the hinterland being natural, the area has become the best living environment for wild animals.

Preliminary research shows that thereare1,224 species of vascularplantsin154families in Taroko National Park, and 132 among them areendangered species. Sincethe altitude in the national park varies fromsealevelto a 3,742-meter-tall mountain,thereare complex climatezones and many types of vegetation in Taiwan can befoundhere.

Alpine tundra ecosystem:

The alpine tundra ecosystem is found in mountains higher than 3,500meters above sea level. This area is covered by bare rocks with no soil accumulation on them because the terrain is severely weathered. There are about four months of snow and ice per year  and constant strong winds, giving rise to extremely low temperatures.

In addition to plants often seen on high mountains, including Juniperus Sqyanata Lamb.var. morrisonicola (Hayata),Angelica morrisonicola, and Rhododendron lapponicum, there are 40 rare plant species in Nanhu glacial cirque. The Epilobium nankotaizanense is considered the most beautiful variety in the area.

Coniferousforestecosystem:

Also known as a cloud forest, the coniferous forest ecosystem is distributed in mountains at 2,000 to 3,500 meters above sea level where it is very wet and enshrouded by fog throughout the year. The dominant tree species are the Taiwan fir (Abies kawakamii),Taiwanhemlock (Tsuga chinensis), and Taiwan red pine (Pinus taiwanensis). The abundance of lichens (Usnea) such asU. barbata and Taxillus chinensis is a further indication of the region’s wetness

Mixed broadleaf and coniferousforestecosystem:

This ecosystem is distributed in mountains at an elevation of 1,000 to 2,000 meters in the national park, and schist and marble are the main types of rock here. There are a wide varietyoftrees and the main conifer species are Taiwan redcypress (Chamaecyparis formosensis Mats.),Taiwancypress (Chamaecyparis taiwanensis Mas. et Suzuki), Taiwan cedar (Taiwania cryptomerioides), China-fir (Cunninghamia), and Chinese white pine (Pinus armandii).  The major broad-leaved tree species here are Mori oak (Chclobalanopsis morii), Nanban Tanoak (Pasania hancei Benth.), Red Nanmu (Machilus thunbergii), Morrison sweet-leaf (Symplocos morrisonicola), and wheel tree (Trochodendron aralioides), the latter of which is a living fossil from the ice ages. The ecosystem here is one of the important habitats for wildlife in Taiwan.

Broadleaf forest ecosystem:

This ecosystem, which is rainy in summer, is distributed in areas less than 1,500 meters above sea level. Common plants are the ring-cupped oak (Quercus glauca), large-leaved Nanmu (Machilus kusanoi Hay.), and Hauili fig tree (Ficus septic Burm.F.var.septica Moraceae). Below these trees grow Taiwan sweet-leaf (Symplocos modesta), species from the Dadoxylon andSymplocos families, and Taiwan Diplofatsis (Fatsia polycarpa Hayata). The most common ground-covering plants are Dryopteris formosana, Pyrrosia sheareri and Selaginella doederleinii Hieron. In addition to breeding a rich plant community through evolution, there are such hardy rock plants as Taroko oak (Quercus tarokoensis) and Taiwan giant reed (Arundo formosana Hack.) in the Taroko Gorge area.

Taroko National Park is comparable with Grand Canyon National Park, which is listed as a UNESCOWorldHeritage Site. The 1,500-meter-deep gorge in the Grand Canyon is cut and eroded by theColoradoRiver. It has a spectacular landscape with an altitude difference ranging from sealevelto2,500meters above the sea. The unique geological landscape has created a diversity of climates and habitats, including terrain ranging from mountain todesert and fairly abundant animal and plant resources.

The terrain of TarokoNationalPark is more diverse, because it was developed when the continental plate was crumpled and uplifted. In addition to grand canyons, there are morethan100 streams and waterfallsinthepark. Sincetheelevationofthepark variesfromsealevelto3,742meters above the sea,the changes in climateandterrain have created rich animal and plant resources and such natural formations as mountains, cliffs, streams, and waterfalls.

ThebiggestdifferencebetweenTaroko Gorge and Grand Canyon is the U-shapedTaroko marblegorge resulting from the uplift of the Earth’s crust, erosion by the Liwu River, and effects of long-term weathering. The narrow and steep gorge of morethan1,000metersdeep is nearly vertical, and as long as the uplift of the Earth’s crust and erosion by the river continue, both sides of the world’s largest marble gorge will continue to grow steeper and the valley will become even deeper.

Theearliestarcheological data on the LiwuRiver valley was a report on cultural relics and human bones discovered in the process of panning at the estuary gold mine at the end of the Japanesecolonial period. In 1965, Japanese scholar Naoichi Kokubu used the survey data recorded by ethnologist Toichi Mabuchi in the 1930s to document the cultural relics found at the archaeological site in Chongde, Badagang, Branaw, Shanli, andWaheier. He further pointed out thatpeople living in the Liwu River valley, whousedpottery with carved patterns, wererelatedtothoselivinginYilanandTaiwan’s northerncoastal areas.

After World War II, Taiwan archeologists began to focus onthe area in the 1980swhen environmental impact assessments and surveys related to the establishment of Taroko National Park wereconducted. In1986, archeologistChenChung-yu began the Taroko National Park cultural and historical site survey and discovered new archaeological sites at Fushi, Shidagang, Pulohwan, and Shibao. After1988, a survey by Liu Yi-chang indicated that the cultural connotations of archaeological sites in the Liwu River valley implied close relations to the Shihsanhang culture that existed between Yilan and Taiwan’s northern coast.He categorized the cultural connotation as the “Shihsanhang culture of Pulohwan type.”

Between2007and2009,TarokoNationalParkcommissionedLiutoconduct a series of archeological surveys on the LiwuRiver valley to determine the region’s prehistory. The surveys compileddocuments related togoldproductionintheLiwuRiver valley since the17thcentury, and conducted field research and archaeological excavations on the sites in the whole Liwu River valley. Liu’s research showed that the Pulohwan-type people had been steadily active in the Liwu River valley between 1,400 and 300 years ago, but this group of people, who had panned gold and conducted maritime trade, completely withdrew from Taroko Gorge after the Truku tribe climbed over the east ridge of Mount Chilai’s northern peak and migrated eastward to the Liwu River valley around 300 years ago.

Archeological data showed that humanactivitiesinTaroko Gorgehadgonethroughdramaticchanges about 300 years ago. The Truku-Tarowanpeople, whooriginallylived in an area to the west of theCentralMountainRange (now Jingguan Village of Renai TownshipinNantouCounty), crossed the Central Mountain Range to look for new hunting grounds and farmland along the Liwu River.

They eventually settled down and established long-term settlements for the tribe on terraces previously  used by the Pulohwan-type people of the Shihsanhang culture. This new group of people who migrated eastward gradually developed a lifestyle, language, and culture different from those of their ancestral home in the west. They called themselves “Truku,” which is generallyknownas “Taroko”by the outside world.

In the Trukuculture, facialtattoosare highly significantandimportantcultural symbols. Facial tattoos served as an identification of the clan andsystemto which a person belongs, a sign of adulthood, a verification of a woman’s chastity, a repellent of evil spirits, and recognition of an individual’s braveryand ability. Such tattoos also played a key role in attraction and marriage, seen as aesthetically pleasing, held the  power to reachthespiritual worldoftheirancestors, and offered identification in the underworld.

Menandwomenmust undergo the ritual of facialtattooing between the ages of 15 to 20yearsold. Menhad to practice headhunting to receive tattoos on their foreheadandchin, while womenhad to master weaving and be eligible for marriage before receiving their tattoos. It was difficult for menandwomen without facialtattoostofind a suitable spouse.

The tradition evolved with the passage of time. Eventually, men were qualified to have facial tattoos by just participating in headhunting,touching an enemy’s corpse with their fingers,orbringingbackthehead hunted bytheir elder brothers without personally performing the headhunting act. The Trukutribesmenpaidgreatrespectto the spiritsoftheirancestors, and believed that the goal of their lives was to followtheritualsandcustoms passed down bytheirancestors. Whether it was based on aesthetics orancestralworship,everyTruku youth had to obey the facial-tattooing rulespasseddownbytheirancestors in order to receive protection and blessings from ancestral  spirits.

InJanuary1875,theQing Dynasty changed the policy of banning entry to mountainous areas, and sent Chinese official ShenBao-zhento plan the development of eastern Taiwanand pacify theaboriginal people.

In light of Taiwan’surgent need for trade  and immigrants,Shenplanned three routes that could connect northern,central,andsouthern Taiwan with eastern Taiwan. Among them, the Zhixue North Road, the predecessorofSuhuaHighway connecting SuaoandHualien, was dangeroustotravel on. In1886,theQing Dynasty established the pacification and reclamation office in Hualien. Under the supervision of the Fujian Administration Bureau, the office administered the regionoutsideTaroko Gorge.

In1895,Japanese forces occupiedTaiwan and instigated the sad history of a new wave of ethnic relocation and transfer of power in the Liwu River valley. In1910, the then Governor-General of Taiwan Sakuma Samata made thesecond“five-yearplan of managing theaboriginals.” With the support of Emperor Meiji,theJapanese National Diet agreed to provide an amplebudget and the use of armed forces tosuppresstheaboriginal tribes by confiscatingtheirhuntingriflesandextending Japan’s colonial powerto Taiwan’s mountainousareas.

After forcing the Atayal villages in thenorth to surrender, the Office of the Governor-General of Taiwan began exploringandmeasuring the LiwuRiver in1913 in preparation for the complete conquest of theTruku tribe.

InMay1914, Governor-General  Samata launched a military campaign to conquer theTruku tribe by mobilizing allarmedforces and policemen acrosstheisland and adopting the tactics of east-west pincer attack to outflank theaboriginalsfrom all sides. TheJapanese siege deployedmachineguns,cannons, fighters, and naval ships and attacked the aboriginals for twomonthsandthirteendays. Although theTruku tribesmen stuck to their natural stronghold and launched ambushes, they eventually lost to Japan’s superior gunsandcannons. However, the brave and resolute Truku tribe still fought back with rocks till the end of the fierce war even when their ammunition was gone and reinforcement was in nowhere in sight.

OnAugust10,1914,theJapanese police and military forces heldan allegiance ceremony for the Truku tribesmen at Xilaoukafuni to symbolize the end of conflict.

In1927,Taroko Gorgewas selectedbyTaiwanese,Korean,andJapanesereaders as oneoftheeight most iconic scenic spots of Taiwan. It came in at second place after Cape Eluanbi in Pingtung. To promote local development and prosperity,the private sector lobbied for the establishment of TarokoNationalPark. With the Eastern Taiwan Tourist Spots Promotion Association’s vigorous advocacy and Karenko Prefecture’s active petition, Taroko Gorge was selected with the second highest number of votes as a national park candidate in 1935, the year when the Hehuan Cross-Ridge Trail was completed.

In1937,TarokoNationalParkwasestablished with the inclusion ofTaroko Gorge,SanzhanRiver valleys, and the MuguaRiver valley. With a total area of 272,590hectares, it became the largest national park in Taiwan and Japan atthetime. After the Second Sino-Japanese War and the retrocession of Taiwan, the Department of Civil Affairs under the Ministry of the Interior set up the National Park Act Formulating Team in 1972. The act was promulgated and implemented in June of the same year, and Taroko National Park was chosen as the first planned national park in post-colonial Taiwan. 

The Tourism Resources Development Plan launched in 1982 by theExecutiveYuan instructed the ConstructionandPlanningAgency under the Ministry of the Interior to survey and plan the establishment of TarokoNational Park. In 1984, the plan was approved and it was made official that Taroko National Park would cover the Liwu River marble gorge, QingshuiCliff, QingshuiMountain,NanhuMountain,Hehuan Mountain peaks, andChilai Mountain peaks, which would give the park a total coverage of 92,000hectares. The Taroko National Park Headquarters was set up in 1986, marking the birth of the first national park in post-colonial Taiwan.

Criterion VII

The marble bedrock of Taroko Gorge is more than 1,000 meters thick and stretches for more than 10 kilometers. The generation of limestone and the formation of marble in the area reflect Taiwan’s oldest geological age. Moreover, constant collision between the Philippine Sea Plate and the Eurasian Plate has continuously uplifted the earth’s crust and the Liwu River has eroded the area for long years, resulting in terrains including spectacular cliffs, river terraces, open estuary alluvial fans, and canyons, which meet the seventh selection criterion for World Heritage Site.

Criterion IX

The U-shaped limestone canyon ofTaroko Gorge is thelargest marble gorge intheworld with a depth of morethan1,000meters. Constant cutting and erosion by the Liwu River, together with the weathering of marble and uplift movements resulting from continuous crustal movements, have created the majestic landscape of Taroko Gorge, whose biodiversity and uniqueness meets theninth selection criterionfor World Heritage Sites.

Criterion X

Great elevation changes in the area have resulted in complex climate zones and vegetation. The barrier of high mountains has caused reproductive isolation, which led to the breeding of unique and rare plants. Also, unspoiled native vegetation and forests in the area have allowed large numbers of animals and plants from many species to live there and develop interdependent relations, all of which meetthetenth selection criterionfor its inclusion on the World Heritage Site list.

The following information is quoted fromtheJuly2002issue of Taiwan Panoramamagazine(“A Geological Paradise: Taroko Gorge” written by Chang Chin-ju and translated by Phil Newell)

Taroko Gorge is  most qualified to be listed as a world asset out of all of Taiwan’s natural assets. Even before UNESCO established its "World Heritage Center" (WHC), the World Conservation Union attempted to have Taroko Gorge included in a worldwide list of natural protected areas. The fact that many geographers, geologists, and conservationists from around the world come to Taroko every year is even greater testimony to Taroko's status as a world asset.

‘Hyperactive Terrain’

Six million years ago, the Philippine Sea Plate, which had already long been moving in the Pacific, smashed at an angle into the largest tectonic plate in the world, the Eurasian. Taiwan, located on the southeast edge of the Eurasian Plate, was consequently pushed up through the surface of the sea. Even today, Taiwan is rising at a rate of five to ten centimeters a year, making it the most "upwardly mobile" plate in the world, exceeding even Japan or the west coast of North America.

"In other countries mountain-forming activity is mainly in the later stages, and it is impossible to see it in earlier stages. Since Taroko is a living example of the early history of geological evolution, it is useful for comparison with areas in the later stages of mountain-forming, so we can explore the relationships between the earlier and later stages and explain the evolutionary processes of geological history," says Tsao Shuh-jong, section chief of the Division of Original Geology in the Central Geological Survey.

From an international perspective, Taroko Gorge has experienced the most recent orogeny in the world history of geology, which meets the natural criterion for a World Heritage Site as an outstanding example “representing major stages of earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features.”

Geological ‘centenarian’

Taroko is like a personification of Taiwan's geological history, carrying on her body the scars of a turbulent past. Geologists have even discovered 200-million-year-old fossils in Taroko. It turns out that since ancient times rivers on the Eurasian continent have been dumping silt into the ocean, slowly creating the land bulge we now know as Taiwan. In the course of Taroko's upward movement, intensive mountain-forming activity was churning up the soil underneath the surface. Sedimentary layers beneath the surface were continually pushed upward, compressed, and twisted by tectonic activity, and then were folded back under the surface. The high temperatures and pressure associated with such tectonic activity tempered the sedimentary rock into metamorphic rock.

The world-famous marble from Taiwan's Hualien County, which is where Taroko Gorge is located, is a local natural asset that took geological forces 200 million years to sculpt. The metamorphic rock, of which people in Hualien are duly proud, is now being resculpted by artists who are turning it into cultural assets.

Wildlife and Biodiversity

Thanks to mountain-forming activity, the 120,000-hectare park is dominated by rising and falling peaks, with nearly one-sixth of the surface area at an altitude of 3000 meters or more. The area includes no less than 27 of Taiwan's 100 highest summits.

Taroko is even more important as a habitat nurturing biodiversity.From the point of view of the area's biological significance, the separate ecological zones resulted in the evolution of many unique species and rich biological variety. It accounts for a large proportion of alpine vegetation species in Taiwanand half of all the mammal species in Taiwan. The park is home to 144 species of birds, 32 species of reptiles, 18 species of freshwater fish, and 28 species of butterflies. In terms of biodiversity, Taroko is home to many unique and rare species.

Conclusion

The unique and rich natural and cultural heritage in Taroko National Park makes it a potential candidate for becoming a World Heritage Site. However, while preparing for the park to be included on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list, there are several goals that have to be achieved. In particular, the first step is to evaluate its value more seriously. Applying for world heritage status should not be a wishful thought, the country has to state clearly the “outstanding universal value” of its potential world heritage sites for the World Heritage Committee to evaluate.

The outstanding universal value has to be commonly supported from three aspects: first, a World Heritage Site must meet at least one of the 10 selection criteria. Secondly, a natural heritage site must pass the “integrity examination,” meaning that there is an appropriate area to present the phenomena and effects of its heritage and it has not been subjected to manmade destruction or improper development; and a cultural heritage must pass the “authenticity examination,” which means the preservation of the form and design, material and substance, utilization and function, tradition and technique, location and background, and spirit and feeling. Thirdly, the heritage must be under effective protection and management.

Key elements of effective protection and management include proper legislation, sound management and financial plans, effective administration, manpower allocation, and full support and participation of local communities and other important stakeholders, so as to ensure that heritage protection and management can be carried out effectively.

Therefore, evaluating Taroko National Park using the UNESCO World Heritage selection criteria will help further upgrade the  management quality of protecting the national park’s landscape and resources, while strengthening the natural and cultural heritage conservation in Taroko Gorge to lay a solid foundation for its World Heritage Site application.