Buluowan itself is a twin-level shelf of almost flat land high above the main valley where a Truku mountain village once stood. Two exhibition halls tell some of that village's dramatic history; there is a great little nature walk with English explanations, and on the upper level is an upper-market cabin hotel run by Truku and celebrating their culture. A breathtaking new suspension footbridge at Buluowan crosses the gorge, dizzyingly high above the river, for a dazzling new range of views.
Bulowan is accessed by 1.7km of hairpins starting at Km179. Many but not all Taroko buses detour here en route to and from Tianxiang.