TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Traffic controls will be implemented at Taroko Gorge during the Lunar New Year (LNY) so there could be long waits for car drivers on Provincial Highway 8’s Taroko section for three days during the Lunar New Year period.

Traffic controls will be carried out on Provincial Highway 8’s section from Xiulin Township’s Fushi Village (kilometer mark 185.4) to Tianxiang (kilometer mark 167.1). This will be from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., daily from Feb. 2-4, according to a press release from Taroko National Park Headquarters on Tuesday (Jan. 4).

Traffic controls will work on the principle that vehicles will be allowed to enter the section for 10 minutes every two hours. As an alternative to visiting by car, there will be free shuttle bus services during the LNY holiday.

The shuttle bus services include the blue line from the Taroko Visitor Center to Tianxiang (excluding Bulouwan), the red line from the visitor center to Bulouwan, and the green line from Bulouwan to Tianxiang.

Shuttle buses will stop at scenic attractions in the gorge area according to their routes. The attractions include Shakadang, Mountain-Moon Bridge at Bulouwan, Swallow Grotto, Tunnel of Nine Turns (Jiuqudong), Lushui, Tianxiang, and Changchun Shrine.

In addition to the shuttle bus services, visitors can opt to take Hualien Passenger Transport (花蓮客運), Taroko Bus (太魯閣客運) route 302, or Taiwan Tourist Shuttle’s Taroko Route (台灣好行-太魯閣線) buses to their destinations in the gorge area from Xincheng Train Station.

(Taroko National Park Headquarters photo)