TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A photography exhibition revisits the beauty of Taroko National Park’s Shakadang Trail as the famed gorge landscape continues to recover from a devastating earthquake two years ago.
The April 3, 2024, earthquake impacted the park’s marble gorge terrain, while typhoon rains that followed further eroded the trail after sections collapsed. Once celebrated as a world-class scenic route, the trail remains closed due to damage and is unlikely to regain its former grandeur in the near term, according to CNA.
Taroko National Park Headquarters said it organized the exhibition to bring together shared memories and hopes for the recovery of the landscape. The exhibition will open Thursday at the visitor center’s exhibition hall.
The name “Shakadang” comes from the Indigenous Truku people’s word meaning “molar,” referring to tooth-shaped stones discovered by their ancestors in the area more than 300 years ago. The trail became accessible to the public only after a hydroelectric project carved a path through the cliffs, allowing visitors to experience the gorge’s marble folds and clear turquoise pools.
The exhibition features 100 photographs donated by photographer Yu Teng-liang (游登良), a former park employee who spent years walking the gorge and its streams. Even after retiring, Yu visited Shakadang almost daily, describing photography as a form of spiritual practice through which he sought to capture the life and expressions of the rocks.
Yu recalls his favorite moments as early morning walks along the trail, when he would occasionally encounter wildlife such as crab-eating mongooses and yellow-throated martens. Through his lens, Shakadang appears ever-changing — from golden reflections cast into the gorge at dawn to rain-softened rocks glowing with muted color, and the stark clarity of water and stone after typhoons wash the landscape clean.
Taroko National Park Director Liu Shou-li (劉守禮) said the trail’s blend of lush mountains, dramatic gorge scenery, flowing water and rich ecology once made it a must-visit destination for travelers from around the world. Though the trail remains closed due to earthquake damage, the photographs aim to preserve its beauty while offering hope for its eventual rebirth.
