Swallow Grotto

Swallow Grotto (Yanzikou) is one of the most dramatic sections of the main Taroko Gorge highway — a stretch where the road is cut through the base of marble cliffs so narrow that the canyon walls nearly touch overhead. The potholed caves in the cliff face above the road were carved by the ancient river when it ran at a higher level; the river has cut down steadily as the land has risen, leaving these smooth-worn cavities far above the current water level.

A short walking trail runs through this section, partly through tunnels blasted in the marble cliff. The sound of the river far below and the marble walls pressing close on both sides gives the strongest sense of the gorge's scale. Hard hats are provided and required along this section because rock falls do occur. The walk through is about 1 kilometre; cars are generally banned from this stretch, so it can only be accessed on foot or by taxi drop-off.

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A story
The swallows (actually Pacific swifts) that nested in the cliff faces at Yanzikou gave the gorge section its name, but the birds have become much less numerous as tourist traffic has increased. The caves and potholes in the marble walls above the road — carved by ancient river action when the gorge floor was at a higher level — remain, and are the most clearly visible example of how dramatically the Liwu River has cut down through the marble over millennia.