Orientation: which Xiulin you are visiting
"Xiulin" is an ambiguous name. There is a town called Xiulin in Jingxing County, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China, and there is Xiulin Township in Hualien County, Taiwan. The practical travel information below applies to Xiulin Township in Hualien County, the gateway to Taroko National Park and the place most visitors mean when they plan a trip here. If your destination is the Hebei town, the guidance on gorge buses, trail permits and Taroko logistics will not apply.
How visitors get around
Xiulin is a rural mountain township strung along a gorge, not a city with an urban transit grid. There is no metro, tram or local rail network within the township, and no airport of its own. Visitors move around by public bus along the Central Cross-Island Highway, by scooter, or on foot on the trails. The nearest rail access is at Xincheng, and the main gateway city is Hualien, from which buses run into the gorge.
Buses: the backbone of gorge travel
Bus 302 connects Hualien with Tianxiang, running through the gorge. Buses 302 and 1133 are the services visitors rely on, and they fill up quickly in the morning — if you miss one at Xincheng, expect a long wait. Common departures used by visitors are the 7:00 or 8:00 services toward Tianxiang. The last return bus leaves mid-afternoon, so plan your day around it or risk being stranded.
Buses stop close to Xiangde Temple, the Buddhist monastery with the large golden statue, on the way toward Tianxiang.
- Taiwan Tourist Shuttle "Taroko" day pass: NT$250. Only worthwhile if you will take four or more rides in a day.
- Pay-as-you-go with EasyCard: a typical day (park headquarters, Yanzikou, Shakadang and back) costs under NT$200, so most visitors are cheaper paying per ride.
- Cash: stalls and the Shakadang food stalls are cash only, so carry cash even if you tap an EasyCard for the bus.
Taxis, ride-hailing and scooters
Scooter rental is available in Xincheng. Bring your own helmet or buy one, as rental shops charge extra. The gorge road gets slick after rain, so ride with caution.
Walking and trails
Walking is how you experience the gorge, but trail access is changeable and needs checking. After the April 2024 earthquake, the Shakadang and Baiyang trails closed for months, and some sections still open and close unpredictably — check the park website on the morning of your hike.
- Zhuilu Old Trail: now requires permits through the official Taiwan parks portal. Weekend 6am entry slots book out weeks ahead.
- Lushui Trail: has a post-earthquake reroute. The new path is steeper than the old one, and the trailhead sign still shows the old timings — allow more than an hour.
- Eternal Spring Shrine: the steps behind it lead up to Changuang Temple for a better overlook with few visitors.
Weather differs sharply between the coast at Qixingtan and Tianxiang in the gorge, so don't cancel a hike based on conditions at Xincheng.
Road closures and planning around them
The Central Cross-Island Highway section through Taroko closes frequently in summer and fall because of typhoons, and closures can last days and strand visitors at Tianxiang. Check the Directorate-General of Highways (公路總局) site before committing to staying in the gorge.
Getting in: airport and rail connections
For airport transfers, confirm arrangements locally rather than relying on guidance here.
Practical tips for moving around
- Cash: the 7-Eleven ATM in Tianxiang is inside the store. The ATM near Zhongzheng is the only reliable one in the center; the post office ATM runs out on weekends.
- Eating hours: most sit-down restaurants close their kitchens by 1:30pm and reopen at 5pm, so time your bus rides and hikes around meals.
- Night market: on Zhongshan Road, Friday and Saturday only, with a varying lineup. Permanent eateries near the train station operate daily.
- Park headquarters: the visitor center at 291 Fushih Village is open daily, roughly 8:30am–4:30pm (one guide cites an 8:00am start for maps and trail checks).