Traveling past Jinheng Bridge, cliffs on both sides of the gorge steepen and draw closer to each other. At the 176.9k point on the Central Cross-Island Highway, the rock becomes one completely vertical, marble cliff about 1200 m wide and 1100 m tall. The Zhuilu Cliffs stand opposite the highway below, while above the highway are the Fuji Cliffs. With merely 20-plus m between them, these majestic cliffs are the masterpiece of the Liwu River, cutting through Mt. Sanjiaozhui.
Geology and Geography
Zhuilu Cliff and Fuji Cliff are both composed of marble. As the land keeps rising, the powerful downcutting and erosion by Liwu River through the southeastern ridge of Mt. Sanjiaozhui, left crumble-resistant marble mostly intact and creating the precipitous cliffs.
[Zhuilu Old Road]
Zhuilu Old Road is located 300m to 400m above Zhuilu Cliff. There is a small path which was the only path available before the construction of Central Cross-Island Highway. The trail begins at Swallow Grotto East Trailhead and ends at Heliu Cimu Bridge with a distance of 10.3 km but the Zhuilu Old Road is only open to 3.1 km (from the Swallow Grotto east trailhead to the cliff (Duanyai) outpost. Visitors have to take the same route back. A Park Entry Permit for this trail is required one day to two months prior to your requested date.
The flat and smooth section of the trail located at an elevation of 750m is the quint essential feature, allowing hikers to overlook a magnificent view of the gorge. Currently, the full length of the trail is not open to the public due to partial road collapse.