Taiwan reopens national park after earthquake

An area inside Taroko National Park

Taroko National Park said it had partially reopened to visitors from April 12 after several days of repairs and restoration of tourist attractions. The 7.4-magnitude earthquake on the morning of April 3 caused significant damage to the park's infrastructure, including roads, trekking trails, and many tourist service stations. The management board then announced a temporary closure until April 7, which will continue until April 12.

The areas of the park that will be opened include: the Huehuan Mountain area, including the trails on the Hehuan main peak, Ziaoqilai and the northwest peak of Hehuan, Xiaofengkou, and Dayuling, which will open from April 12. The Qilai Mountain area, excluding the Qilai East Ridge area, and the trails to the main peaks of the Nanhu Mountain, Pingfeng Mountain, and Shun Mountain areas will reopen from April 16.

The Hehuan Mountain Rhododendron Festival begins on April 13. The Taiwan Highway Administration will impose maximum restrictions on vehicles carrying large numbers of people to the festival. Due to the continued aftershocks and the risk of falling rocks, visitors are advised to approach the park via Provincial Road 14A for safety. The park also advises visitors to avoid entering damaged areas.

Taroko National Park is considered the "jewel of Taiwan tourism". Established in 1986, covering an area of ​​92,000 hectares, Taroko runs 36 kilometers from north to south and 42 kilometers from east to west, located at the junction of three counties: Hualien, Taichung and Nantou. When the earthquake struck, more than 50 people were trapped and missing in the park.

According to Taiwanese media updates as of April 11, the island’s government is still searching for four missing people in the national park. In 2023, the park welcomed nearly 3.5 million visitors.

TH (according to VnExpress)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/dai-loan-mo-lai-vuon-quoc-gia-sau-dong-dat-378896.html