Venture into deep mountain areas of Luchang

The road crosses the stream for a second time, winds its way along the steep, wooded bank on the opposite bank for a short distance, then crosses the water for a final time, rejoining the old road at the food of the impressive Stone Gate Gorge (石門峽谷).

The road up to the aboriginal settlement of Luchang (鹿場), deep in the mountains of the northwest Taiwan county of Miaoli, is a bit of an adventure to traverse, yet it’s much easier today than a decade ago, when the route (was unsurfaced) and suitable only for off-road vehicles and mountain permits were required to enter the area.

Getting there takes a little time and care, but the village and magnificent surroundings well repay a little careful driving. Stop the car just after crossing the stream for the third time, and the deep crevice of Stone Gate Gorge will be conspicuous far below on the left. Look very carefully for a flourish of trail-marking plastic ribbons beside the road a few hundred meters after crossing the bridge: these mark the beginning of a short, easy trail down into the gorge, which is crossed here by a suspension bridge flung across the cleft a dizzying height above the rushing water of the Da Dong Stream.

Vertigo sufferers will probably have trouble crossing this airy bridge, but at the other side a wide, well engineered path (the Shimen Historic Trail; 石門古道) passes Bi Lin Waterfall, hidden in a rocky chasm below, and disappears into the jungle beyond.

Follow Shimen Historic Trail for an hour or so, and it finally rejoins the Da Dong Stream at Luchang’s best-known and most impressive attraction, Shen Shien Valley (神仙谷). Shen Shien Valley (‘Valley of the Sacred Sprits’) is a traditional resting place for the souls of the local Saisiat tribe, and occurs at the point where the Luchang and Fongmei Streams dramatically unite, pouring over a waterfall 20 meters high into a gorge of bare rock.

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