Hualien [1] is a city in Taiwan situated near the spectacular Taroko Gorge.

Understand

Located on a strip of land between the Pacific Ocean and the Central Mountain Range, Hualien is considered one of the most pleasant cities in Taiwan. Many tourists visit the city to enjoy the scenery and fresh air and also to tour the famous Taroko Gorge, which is located a few miles north of the city.

The main tourist office for the Hualien area is located in front of Hualien Station (right side). Tel:823-0751

Get in

By train

• There are frequent trains from Taipei, and depending on the type of train, the journey can take between three and a half to four and a half hours. As the train follows the coast on part of the journey, for best views try to get a window seat on the left side of the train (from Taipei).

By plane

• Domestic airlines connect Hualien with all of Taiwan's major cities. It a thirty minute flight to Hualien from Taipei's Sungshan Airport.

Get around

• The city is quite manageable by foot, although scooters are available for rent several places around town for about $800 NTD a day.

See

• Beibin Seashore Park, Nanbin Seashore Park and Meilun Seashore Park, a scenic area of palm trees and landscaped greenary that runs the full length of the city's foreshore. It offers great views of Pacific Ocean, which are especially spectacular at sunrise.
• The Abode of Still Thoughts - this small Buddhist temple at the foot of Mount North Jialiwan is the orginal structure of the now world-famous Tzu-zhi Buddhist foundation. In keeping with the fundation's ideals, the temple is very simple, and vistors may enjoy to sit quietly at the Japanese style garden. Information on Tzu-chi's international activities is also available at the temple.
• Yenpin Prefectural Temple, near Zhongyang Road, sec 4, is the oldest temple in Hualien, being established in the Qing Dynasty.
• Pine Garden on Zhongmei Road (near the river) is a peaceful garden with 63 pine trees.
• Chishingtan north of Hualien City (follow the bike path from Nanbin Seashore Park). Excellent vistas of the ocean, excellent seafood, friendly people, and a special goat restaraunt specializing in goat milk coffee. There is excellent swimming here also, but be carefull of the tides and currents. Don't go out too far, but it is a pleasant beach atmosphere.

Do

• Hualien Ocean Park is Hualien's biggest man-made tourist attraction. As well as ferris wheel and cable car, the park contains eight zones that introduce different aspects of ocean and marine life. Kids, in particular, will have great time here but for adventuous travellers or people wanting a more viable experience, there are many places one can go that are much cheaper and provide a better experience of the 'real' Country of Taiwan. Open: Mon-Fri 9AM-5PM, Sat&Sun 8:30-5PM. Admission: adult 890NT$, under 19 790NT$

Learn

• Mandarin at Tzu-Chi University, 701 Jung-yang Road, sec. 3. Tel:856-5501 Ex.7689. (email: [2]) [3]

Buy

• As a center of aboriginal culture, Hualien is a good place to pick up traditional woven cloth.
• Hualien's special food product is soft sticky rice candy (mua-ji).

Eat

• Zhu tung fan (竹筒飯) - rice steamed in a bamboo tube is a speciality of the local aborigines.
• Magi - glutinous rice filled (or sometimes covered) with various flavours Flavours may include peanut, read/green bean, coconut, fruit, and more.

Drink

Hualien is a great place to drink anything you want - eastern or western. There are many places, from Tea-Houses to Bars, but one must not leave without trying local tea. Many Tea shops sell various qualities buy the bag (along with all sorts of tea paraphenalia - pots, cups, strainers, anything tea-like!), and many restaraunts sell by the cup or pot.

• Cafe Jade (璞石藝文空間), 8 Ming-li Road (花蓮市明禮路8號) Tel:834-5968 - a great art cafe and with regular live music and art exhibitions. Open:Mon-Thurs 8AM-6Pm Fri-Sun 8Am-10:30PM

Sleep

Budget

• Hualien Student Hostel, 40-11 Kungyuan Road. Tel:832-4124 - offers dorms and twin rooms.
• Police Hostel, 15 Shuren Street (behind the main police station). Tel:834-9433~5 - officially for officers of the law, this clean and pleasant hotel is also open to the public. twin room - NT$1,000, double bed with single bed - NT$1,300.

Mid range

• Hua Tong Hotel, 165 Min-kuo (Minguo) Street. Tel:834-7568 - a pleasant and centrally located hotel.
• Rosestone Inn The Rosestone Inn was build in Tradition Chinese Courtyard architecture style called - Si He Yuan , also known as the Chinese Quadrangle. Address : No.48, Haibin Avenue, Hualien. Tel:854-2317. E-mail: rosestone@gmail.com

Splurge

• Bellevista Hotel 18, Shanling, Yanliau Tsuen, Shoufeng Shiang, Hualien. Tel:812-3999 Fax:8123988 - a sprawling resort style hotel offering great views over the Pacific Ocean.
• Parkview Hotel, 1-1 Lin-Yuan. Tel:222-2111 - One of Hualien's most luxurious hotels.

Get out

• Taroko Gorge
• Hehuan Mountain - About a four hour drive fron Hualien City, it is a fantastic journey through the wonders of Taroko Gorge and past, ending in a treeless, absolutely different ecosystem. Hiking available ranges from easy to hard, and can be hiked on one day or multiple days, depending on the route you choose. English literature is available but very basic. It is possible to just set out on a trail and see where it takes you. Being a (mostly) treeless environment, it is difficult to get lost, but beware of the dangers of high altitude hiking - most peaks are above 3000 meters.
• River Valleys - The might of typhoons and heavy rains have, over millions of years, carved out of the soft bedrock magnificent river valleys. If you find a river valley (Mugua RIver, for example) and follow it and hike along some tributaries, you are in for a wonderful adventure. No gift shops or 7-11's here, just the wonders of Taiwan.
• Tongmen - south of Hualien City, between Jian and Liyu Lake, lies Taroko's little brother. It is a village along the Mugua River, and boasts a 'scaled down' version of Taroko, but with scaled down geology also comes scaled down tourists and people. It is a very pleasant way to spend a day or weekend, and there are excellent swimming opportunities not available in Taroko. A lot of it is paved, or cement, so it is drivable. Stop at the entrance where there is a police guard (friendly and happy to see foreigners enter the pride of their village) show your passport and pay a fee (at this time it was about $150) no matter how big or small the group, and they wil direct you on your way. The road forks - one takes you to the Tongman hydro plant, the other takes you to a scenic and more rustic river valley where swimming and adventure await. Both are, however, well worth your time.
• Highway 11 - Rent a scooter and hit the road. The beauty of the coastline in Hualien can be enjoyed from this gorgeous stretch of highway. Although many buses and cars are also drawn here and many cite this as a cause for safety concerns, this is by most accounts false. Take care, drive responsibly, and always be careful when around traffic, but do not let anyone deter you from this drive. Pack a lunch and picnic on the coast with the turquoise ocean lapping at the coastline below. Buses and Taxis will take you along this road also. Taxis are more personalble (they will stop when yousay 'stop') but buses are much cheaper. However, both pale in comparrison to the experience of driving yourself.

Contact

• Area code: The Hualien dialing code is 03. For calls made from overseas, dial: +886 3 XXXXXXX