You know saying, “Hard work pays off?” Well that's the case with the Zhuilu Old Trail (錐麓古道). The 10 km hike is a bit of a vertical workout, but your effort will be rewarded tenfold: this trail offers the most breathtaking bird's-eye views in the whole Taroko Gorge. Imagine yourself looking down from the top of Taipei 101, but the scenery below is the magnificent marble walled canyon of Taroko and the Liwu River that carved it. Those insect like things moving about at the bottom? Oh yeah, those are people who wished they could enjoy the views afforded from up here. Originally, this trail was part of a longer cross-island mountain pass built by indigenous groups in the area. In fact, you can still find remnants of their settlements and market outposts along the path. Later, the Japanese recruited tribe members to further develop the trail to serve two purposes during colonial times: 1) to provide the Japanese military an outpost to subdue native settlements in the Taroko region, and 2) to utilize as a trekking location for Japanese tourists. Be amazed by the 500 meter long Zhuilu Cliff that is one of the greatest adrenaline rushes you'll ever experience! To top it all off, you may just be lucky enough to spot some monkeys spying on you from the surrounding jungle.