Central Mountain Range · Taiwan
Southern Cross-Island Highway
台20Yujing to Guanshan
Taiwan’s most dramatic trans-mountain route: Highway 20 climbs from the Tainan plains through Yushan National Park to the 2,722 m Yakou pass, then down the Laonong gorge to Taitung.
Heading east from Yujing, Highway 20 climbs past the Baolai hot springs and up the Laonong Valley. The most scenic section runs from Taoyuan through Meishan to the Tianchi alpine lake and the Yakou tunnel at 2,722 m, with views toward Mount Jade, before descending through aboriginal communities and Wulu Gorge to meet Highway 9 at Guanshan. The central mountain section currently opens only on limited days and hours.
Scenery
Best seasons
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Southern Cross-Island Highway on the map104.2 mi · point to point
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Character
Corners
busiest around mile 68Elevation
approximateunder 4%4–8%over 8%65.4 – 2,742.7 mFrom the road
Points of interest1 stop
- Jiaxian BridgeViewpoint13 mi in
Hazards
- Restricted opening hours on the central section
- Typhoon damage risk
- High-altitude fog and ice in winter
- Limited mobile signal
- Landslide risk on steeper sections
Sources
“The highway passes through the famous Yushan National Park, offering sights of the country's highest peak, Mount Jade, with Yakou situated 2,722 metres above sea level.”
Verified route: mapped from real road geometry and fact-checked by a human editor. How roads get checked
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