Just 15km north of Hualien, inside Taroko National Park, lies Taroko Gorge (Tà ilÇ”gé), Taiwan’s top tourist destination. With its marbleÂ-ÂÂwalled canyons, lush vegetation and cliffs so outsized they block out the sky, Taroko Gorge puts the ‘Formosa’ in Ilha Formosa.
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There aren’t a lot of reasons for the short-term visitor to make a long stop in Taitung (TáidÅng) city itself. Taitung’s charms reveal themselves slowly as you get to know the locals, discover the treasures in the surrounding hills and coastline, and learn how to move with, not against, the rhythms of southern life. But [...]
Not many travel further south than Taitung, but there are a few interesting little stops where you can enjoy quiet hot springs, beach combing, camping and a fascinating banyan forest.
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The small town ofRueisui (Ruìsuì) in the East Rift Valley is used as a base for white-water rafting trips down the Hsiukuluan River.It’s also the site of the Rueisui (Juisui) Hot Springs, one of the oldest developed springs in Taiwan.
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On the west side of Hwy 9, very close to the Hualien Sugar Factory turnoff is the wetland area known as Mataian. It’s an ideal place for farming and fishing and the Ami people have lived here for generations. Recent efforts by the Taiwanese government to protect wetlands have seen the Mataian area turned into [...]
This very scenic 2km-long lake (LÇyú Tán), shaped somewhat like a carp lÇyú means‘carp’ in Chinese, sits in the foothills of the Central Mountain Range about 19kmsouthwest of Hualien. It’s the largest natural inland lake in Taiwan, and has a splendid backdrop of lush green hills. It’s also blessedly free of overdevelopment. There are pavilions [...]
Just south of Jinfong on Route 66 is yet another hot springs (Jīnluán Wēnquán) village. Here you have both wild and developed options to choose from, as well as an interesting little museum devoted to the local Ruiki and Paiwan tribes.
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Hualien (HuÄlián) is eastern Taiwan’s largest city and the capital of Hualien County. It doesn’t have many attractions of its own and most people can give it a miss or minimise their time here without worrying about whether they’re losing out. It’s best thought of as a base for visiting Taroko Gorge, Taiwan’s most famous [...]
The East Rift Valley is a long fertile strip of land between the Central Mountain and Coastal Mountain Ranges. It’s great farming country and highly scenic. There are plenty of hiking and biking routes – and even a white-water rafting venue – to keep the outdoor enthusiast happy, and numerous hot springs exist for those [...]
There are two routes to decide between when travelling south of Hualien: Hwys 9 and 11. Hwy 9 cuts through the verdant East Rift Valley (HuÄdÅng Zòng GÇ”), while Hwy 11 travels down the east coast, skirting some stunning coastal scenery. The coastal route allows you to visit small aboriginal villages, numerous beaches, the arts [...]