Yakou Pass over the Sea of Clouds

The Highest Pass on the South Cross-Island Highway

Yakou sits at 2,722 metres on the boundary between Taitung County and Kaohsiung, where the Daguanshan Tunnel bores through the main ridge of the Central Mountain Range. It is the loftiest road tunnel in all of Taiwan and a mandatory stop for travellers crossing the island's mountainous spine.

A Famous Sea of Clouds

Monsoon-borne moisture, lifted by the airflow and trapped by the terrain, frequently gathers into a spectacular sea of clouds around the 2,500-metre contour. The pass has become renowned for these billowing cloudscapes that drift between the peaks and conceal the valleys far below.

Rugged Alpine Scenery

The view sweeps across the Xiangyang collapsed cliffs, plunging gorges, towering ridges and verdant forests of ancient trees. Hiking trails and waterfalls thread through a landscape rich in rare high-mountain ecology.

Visiting the Yakou Viewpoint

Reopened after a long reconstruction, the highway again carries visitors to this remote roadside lookout. The pass offers a tranquil escape into thin alpine air, far from the bustle of the lowland cities.