On April 3rd 2024, a magnitude-7.2 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan. The buildings it damaged and the landslides it triggered killed at least 18 people. The disaster left deep scars across Taiwan’s scenic east coast, and in the memories of those who live there. TaiwanPlus reporter Reece Ayers visited Hualien several times in the 12 months after the quake to discover how Taiwan's worst tremor in decades is still impacting communities across the county.
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00:00on april 3rd 2024 a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck eastern taiwan the buildings it damaged
00:14and the landslides it triggered killing at least 18 people and leaving deep scars across taiwan's
00:22scenic east coast and in the memories of those who live here it's been one year since that
00:29devastating earthquake and i've come back to hua lian to find out how its impact is still being
00:34felt by communities across this beautiful county 69 year old ju sha lan has spent much of her life
00:43hiking up and down these mountains along taiwan's east coast but a year ago she was forced to see
00:55her ancestral home from a new angle after being airlifted to safety when the earthquake struck
01:00hua lian county
01:01members of the mostly mountain dwelling truku indigenous group numbering some 30 000 ju and
01:17her family used to earn a living guiding tourists around their village but everything changed
01:22after the quake
01:23a year later and ju is still working as a street cleaner but as government sponsored temp work
01:45it's not a permanent solution ju is far from the only member of her community uprooted by the quake
01:52people from indigenous villages across the county came down from their rural mountain homes to more
01:58urban areas like this old street to find work so they can continue earning an income to support their
02:03families before the quake uming loking worked at a hotel inside toroco national park where many of
02:12the most devastating landslides took place after its closure uming with some other young members of his
02:18indigenous community decided to open a cafe outside the park to continue their mission of keeping the
02:24the culture of the truku people alive
02:26the culture of the truku people alive
02:31business owner garao has been a representative for his community for years before the quake he was
02:37working with the local government to build new access paths to his people's remote villages but he says
02:41that since the disaster indigenous communities are feeling left behind
02:48the people who are in the community who are working with local government to help nurse san ge it was
02:54the civil state of the country in seeking to help san ge he has been a representative for his
02:56community for years before the quake he was working with the local government to build new access paths to
03:01communities are feeling left behind.
03:03It's very difficult to make sure that there are a lot of people who don't have to.
03:07For example, the people who don't have to ask for information,
03:12there are some information that they need to send out.
03:16It's very difficult to send out that information.
03:18I don't think that this small part is being put in the back.
03:23The government's sponsored temp work that has been supporting Ju
03:26and many other indigenous people across Hualien
03:29is set to end within months,
03:31with no news yet of extensions.
03:33In the face of financial uncertainties,
03:36and after being forced out of their homes,
03:38this community has come to rely on each other
03:41to make it through one of the worst natural disasters in living memory.
03:47It wasn't just indigenous communities impacted by the quake.
03:51Hualien's economy relies heavily on tourism,
03:54and in the immediate aftermath of the quake,
03:57businesses felt the financial pressure immediately.
04:01A stone's throw from destruction.
04:06This mountainside business, located north of Hualien city,
04:10is lucky to still be here,
04:12after the huge magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck Taiwan on April 3rd.
04:17There was a wall from the wall,
04:20and there was a wall from the wall from the wall.
04:23This was a wall from the wall from the wall and the wall.
04:26Because it fell down here and fell down.
04:29Now we're afraid of the wall from the wall to the wall.
04:31and let it fall down.
04:35Do you have anyone here?
04:37Yes, there was someone here.
04:38We were very afraid that the land of the后山 will fall down.
04:41So I would like to invite the people to go to the other side.
04:48Meters away, the main building of the Da Jili Tribal House
04:52still standing, somehow relatively unscathed.
04:58This place was just a platform.
05:00Then the后山 was a wall.
05:03There were some rocks that were on the other side.
05:07I was very lucky.
05:09There were only some rocks that were broken,
05:11and some artists were not good.
05:16But now that the worst of the quakes and aftershocks
05:18seem to have subsided, this business faces another problem.
05:23Usually bustling with customers,
05:24this restaurant and indigenous activity centre is completely deserted.
05:29They've barely had any custom since the quake.
05:33And that's because tourists are now too scared to visit.
05:36We've been able to get a lot of calls,
05:38and we're going to get to the end of the day.
05:40And we're going to get to the end of the day.
05:42We're going to get to the end of the day.
05:44And we're going to get to the end of the day.
05:46It's been almost a year since my last visit to the Dajili Tribal House,
05:50and I've come back to find out how the owners have fared in the time since.
05:54Dajili Tribal House has been starved of income since a deadly 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck here.
06:00A traditional Truku welcome for visitors to this indigenous activity centre and restaurant in eastern Taiwan.
06:07But right now, visitors are few and far between.
06:15Despite being near some of the country's top tourist attractions,
06:18Dajili Tribal House has been starved of income since a deadly 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck here a year ago.
06:25It devastated lives and businesses all along the coast.
06:29And this centre's proprietor, Su-King Kiyoshi,
06:32says there is still a ways to go before business returns to normal.
06:36It's a story repeated across Hualien, home to some of Taiwan's most stunning scenery.
06:54Strongly dependent on tourism, everyone here is feeling the pinch,
06:59from restaurants to cafes, hotels to market vendors.
07:03Dongdanmen night market is usually flooded with tourists.
07:07But now, many of the vendors here have shut up shop,
07:09and those that remain are surviving on a fraction of the income.
07:13This whole business is a lot less than $1,000.
07:16How much?
07:17It's about 50% percent.
07:21Now, many people don't want to go to Hualien.
07:24They say they don't want to go back, because the road is broken.
07:29And fears of blocked roads are not unfounded.
07:33Taiwan is prone to earthquakes and typhoons,
07:36and those have caused landslides in this area known for its geological marvels.
07:41Much of this national park remains inaccessible since last year's quake,
07:45and there are no signs of when it will reopen.
07:57Hualien's tourism bureau is keen to point out that there's more to Hualien than just Taroko Park.
08:03The central and local governments have tried stimulating visits through subsidized stays and benefit concerts,
08:09but with limited success.
08:12Figures from the bureau say the industry has only recovered by about 30 to 40 percent,
08:17but there's a concerted effort to try new methods to get people back.
08:22For example, in our後山, in our後山, in our後山,
08:26we're going to plant some traditional trees to grow up and grow up.
08:32We'll be able to do some new activities in the future.
08:37Now, we're also going to do a low-time travel travel.
08:40The low-time travel travel is to be able to go to our village or to Taito閣.
08:48Feeling like they have to fend for themselves, business owners like Kyosi are doing what they
08:52can to diversify. The loss of visitor confidence in the county leaving many here out of pocket
08:58and some running out of time.
09:03It's been a tough year for this picturesque county on Taiwan's east coast. In the immediate
09:09aftermath of the quake, death and destruction consumed much of life here. In the 12 months
09:15since people have found ways to overcome through mutual support and community projects.
09:21But with the indefinite closure of Turoko National Park, one of the county's biggest attractions,
09:27the future of indigenous communities and businesses here remains uncertain.
09:32Chris Ma, Jeffrey Chen and Rhys Ayers in Hualien for Taiwan Plus.