Xiuguluan River

The Xiuguluan River begins from the Central Mountain Range. It runs north along the Huadong Rift Valley, and turns eastward at Ruisui Township in Hualien County. Then it cuts across the coastal mountains and finally flows into the Pacific Ocean at Dagangkou (Cepo’) Hamlet. It is the largest river in eastern Taiwan with a total length of about 104 km. Also, it is the only river in Taiwan that cuts through the coastal mountains. During the process of cutting through the coastal mountains, the Xiuguluan River also cuts many steep gorges, resulting in some quite developed meander and river terraces, such as Dewu River Terrace, Monkey Mountain, and Chimei River Terrace. This makes an excellent classroom for observing geology or topography.