Gaoping River 1.69

The Gaoping River, also spelled Kaoping River, is a major river of southern Taiwan, flowing through Pingtung County and Kaohsiung City. It is the largest river in Taiwan by drainage area. The river is 171km long, draining a rugged area on the western side of the Central Mountain Range.CharacteristicsThe Gaoping River headwaters originate near Yushan in northern Kaohsiung’s Tauyuan District and a small part of southern Nantou County. The upper section of the river, known as the Laonong, flows through a series of rugged canyons, through Liouguei and Gaoshu, and is joined by the Zhuokou River. The Laonong emerges from the mountains at Meinong as a wide braided stream and after being joined by the Ailiao from the east, the Gaoping proper is formed, which flows about 50km south along the coastal plain, through Pingtung County, emptying into the Taiwan Strait in Linyuan District. The Qishan River and the Wuluo River flow into the lower section of the Gaoping from north and east, respectively.