The ancient marble of the Taroko Gorge once plunged directly into the sea, which pounded out the spectacular escarpment found today on Mount Chingshui. The mountain towers to a height of 2,167 meters less than ten kilometers from the coast.
太魯閣上億高齡的大理石岩壁，接受海洋千萬年來的澎湃掏洗，雕刻出壁立千仞的清水斷崖，當年葡萄牙人經過台灣，從宜蘭外海龜山島附近遠望清水斷崖，不禁將「福爾摩沙」的禮讚獻給了台灣。