Parts of Taroko National Park in Hualien County have reopened one year after an earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale rattled eastern Taiwan.
Areas deemed stable are accessible for hiking and leisure, and planned concerts and environmental education activities aim to revitalize the region devastated by the deadly quake, the Ministry of the Interior said in a statement yesterday.
Last year’s April 3 earthquake off the coast of Hualien was the biggest quake Taiwan had experienced since 921 Earthquake in 1999, which had a magnitude of 7.3. It claimed 18 lives, injured more than 1,100 people and dealt a heavy blow to Hualien’s tourism industry, the pillar of the local economy.
Photo: Yu Tai-lang, Taipei Times
The opened areas include the Taroko Visitor Center and places west of the Sibao (西寶) community, such as the Luoshao (洛韶) community, Guanyuan (關原) Recreation Area and Siaofongkou (小風口) Recreation Area, the ministry said.
Restoration work has also been completed at the Taroko Terrace and the Tianxiang (天祥) Recreation Area, it added.
Meanwhile, repairs to the Dekalun Trail (得卡倫步道), the Dali-Datong Trail (大禮大同步道), Chongde (崇德) Recreation Area and Dacingshui (大清水) Recreation Area are almost completed, with reopenings expected in the first half of this year, the ministry said.
Last year, NT$3 billion (US$90.67 million) was allocated for reconstruction, but much work remains to be done, it added.
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