Taiwan’s Taroko National Park closed indefinitely following earthquake

Taipei
CNN
—

Taroko National Park in eastern Taiwan, a popular destination for domestic and international tourists, will close until further notice after the island was hit by its strongest earthquake last week since 25 years.

“All levels of trails and facilities within the jurisdiction of Taroko National Park have been damaged. To ensure the safety of visitors, the park will continue to close all trails and service stations to park visitors beginning today and suspend services,” the park said in a statement.

“During the closure period, the park will continue to carry out road and trail repairs and assess park safety. The reopening time after closing will be announced separately,” the park said.

The statement added that access permits to protected ecological areas in Yushan, Taroko and Shei-Pa national parks are now scuttled and visitors will have to reapply after recovering from the earthquake.

All 32 trails in the park are closed, the park’s website says.

The 920 square kilometers (9,990 sq ft) area was declared a Taiwan national park in 1986.

Known for its rugged terrain, steep cliffs and majestic views, many parts of Taroko Gorge have suffered significant damage – including the Nine Bends Tunnel and the Shakadang Trail – caused by rockfalls and landslides at following the 7.4 magnitude earthquake.

In an interview with Taiwan’s official Central News Agency, Taroko National Park headquarters deputy director Lin Chung-shan said the Mount Hehuan area, which lies partly within of the park, was relatively less affected and would gradually reopen.

Taroko National Park attracted 3.45 million visitors in 2023, according to statistics provided by the Hualien Tourism Department.