Sadly, due to a recent earthquake, much of Taroko Gorge, Hualien’s most famous landmark, is no longer accessible to the public. However, there are plenty of other places to check out in Hualien. In this blog, we will share a list of other places to visit in Hualien besides Taroko Gorge.
Hualien is the largest county in Taiwan and is considered by many to be the most beautiful. It includes a breathtaking coastline along the Pacific Ocean, including cliffs thousands of meters high, marble gorges, fertile valleys, and a large section of Taiwan’s central mountain range. Hualien is simply a must-stop location on your trip to Taiwan.
⛰️ Planning your trip to Hualien? 🌊
Here are some top travel tips for you:
- Best time to visit: Winter when the temperatures are mild and the climate is usually dryer
- How to get there: Taiwan Railway (TRA/TRB) and Inter-City Bus
- Best places to stay: When Happiness Knock Your Door or Dream Taiwan Homestay
- Book tours and activities in Hualien on Klook
- Stay connected with a local SIM
- Rent a car to explore distant sights
Current Situation in Taroko Gorge and Taroko National Park
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Taroko Gorge Update: The road through Taroko Gorge up to Hehuanshan is open if you have your own vehicle, but only three times a day: 8 AM, 12 Noon, and 4 PM. You need to leave the park by 5:30 PM. There are many parts of the road that are just dirt or covered in potholes. Currently, only the Taroko National Park visitor’s center is open. But there are a few spots along the side of the road in Taroko Gorge where you can take photos. Again, all trails and everything else except the visitor center are closed. The Swallow Grotto road and Eternal Spring road are also blocked off.
Even Qingshui Cliff lookout is closed and there is nowhere to park there.
There is a lot of rock moving and reconstruction to do; it could take another 10 years for Taroko to fully reopen.
![](https://taiwantravelblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GclhctJbIAAn5qV-jpg.webp)
See above for the road opening schedule between Taroko and Hehuanshan.
Historical Background of Hualien
Hualien was first inhabited by Sakiraya aborigines and was known as Kilai. Later the Spanish came here to pan for gold for a brief period. Afterward, the first Han Chinese settlers came to the area in 1851 and named the place Hualien after the swirling delta of the Liwu River. During the Japanese era, many Japanese people were relocated here to develop agriculture.
Now Hualien is the key population center on Taiwan’s East Coast.
When to visit?
Hualien is great year-round, but it can get a little hot in the summer, and Typhoon season and heavy rain season last from about May to October. If you are afraid of the heat and rain then you can visit during winter when the temperatures are mild and the climate is usually dryer.
Where to stay?
The best hostel I’ve ever stayed at is “When Happiness Knock Your Door” “幸福來敲門” in Hualien. The hostess will go out of her way to make you comfortable and her rooms are kept extremely nice. Also it was one of the few hostels I’ve ever been to that has an elevator. Her price is well below the quality you will enjoy. She has almost a perfect rating on Booking.com and Agoda.
You can book When Happiness Knock Your Door on Agoda here or Booking.com here.
We have also stayed at and recommend Dream Taiwan Homestay (Agoda / Booking.com), a high-quality hostel for the money in downtown Hualien, Farglory Hotel (Agoda / Booking.com), right next to Farglory Ocean Park with amazing views of Hualien, and Goldenflower B&B (Agoda / Booking.com) in Yuli right next to Sixty Stone Mountain.
You can find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.
How to get to Hualien?
You can book tickets to travel to Hualien via inter-city bus on Klook here.
Book tickets via the normal train (TRA) on Klook here.
How to get around in Hualien:
As always, we recommend renting a scooter as the best way to see Taiwan. However, you can also a great deal of Tainan by taking the train, inter-city bus, local bus, biking, or just walking. Getting around in a car is also a convenient option as there is plenty of parking pretty much everywhere in this less crowded county.
Scooter Rental: Looking for a scooter rental in Hualien? You can search KKday here or Klook here to look for options.
You can also check out our scooter rental guide here.
Car Rental: If you are looking for car rentals in Hualien, you can also search Klook here or KKDay here.
You can also check out our car rental guide here.
By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan’s landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can search on KKday here and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here.
Tours:
You can find more tours and activities in Hualien such as Surfing, Paragliding, SUP / Paddle Boarding, Kayaking, Canoeing, River Tracing, River Rafting, Whale Watching, Snorkeling, Diving, ATV / 4-wheeling, Paintballing, Farm Dream Estates Zoo, Water Biking, Oyster Harvesting, Shrimp Harvesting, Indigenous Experience, Glamping, Cycling, Ziplining and much more on Klook here or KKday here.
Map:
Please see the map below for the areas we will cover in the blog.
Drone Video
360 Pano
For a 360-degree view above Hualien City, please see below or via this link.
360 degree view above the courtyard at Hualien’s Haoke Art Village in Ji’an. The tile work is best appreciated from the air. #吉安 #花蓮 #吉安好客藝術村 #空拍 #台灣
Posted by Foreigners in Taiwan 外國人在台灣 on Thursday, January 20, 2022
That concludes an overview of Hualien. Now I will introduce a list of places and things you should see and do in Hualien.
Let’s get this list started!
Sixty Stone Mountain 六十石山
![](https://taiwantravelblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/GHk630uawAAVwep.jpg)
Sixty Stone Mountain (aka Liushidan Mountain) is a beautiful flower and mountain landscape on the eastern flank of the eastern rift valley in Hualien County. The annual Daylily flower blooms and amazing views of the Eastern Rift Valley attract thousands of tourists each summer. Some of the most picturesque and beautiful views anywhere in Taiwan can be seen from this mountain…(read more)
Ruisui Farm 瑞穗農場
![](https://taiwantravelblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/GHk50ldbgAAtRUb-jpg.webp)
Shown above are the dairy cows at Ruisui Farm in Hualien, where much of Taiwan’s homegrown milk comes from. You can get close and feed the cows if you dare. There is also a novelty shop here for tourists.
Nanan Falls 南安瀑布
![](https://taiwantravelblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/GHk5G4aacAAuhLV-jpg.webp)
Nanan Falls near the Batongguan Trailhead in Hualien. Even though swimming is forbidden here, you cannot stop the locals from cooling down here on a hot summer day.
Hualien Sugar Factory 蓮糖廠
![](https://taiwantravelblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/F2-ICi2a0AANQyO-jpg.webp)
Hualien Sugar Factory is a fun tourist historical attraction with the most flavors of ice cream of any Taisugar store I have seen, and also the most restored Japanese-era wooden buildings I have ever seen.
Farglory Ocean Park 遠雄海洋公園
![](https://taiwantravelblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Gc0VK1bagAA9iZc-jpg.webp)
Farglory Ocean Park is the theme park with the best view in Taiwan, and the largest and best theme park and aquarium in Eastern Taiwan. It includes live dolphin, seal, and mermaid shows, and also includes a gondola and theme park. There is so much to do here it will take you more than a day to enjoy it all.
You can buy tickets to the park for a discount on Klook here or KKday here.
We recommend Farglory Hotel, right next to Farglory Ocean Park with amazing views of Hualien
Jingpu Tropic of Cancer Monument 靜浦北迴歸線界標
Shitiping 石梯坪
You can book snorkeling, SUP, or diving experience and more on Klook here or KKday here.
Shihmen Recreation Area 花蓮石門洞
Dawan Recreation Area 大灣遊憩區
Qinbuzhizi Old Trail 親不知子海上古道
You can book a tour of Qinbuzhi on KKday here.
Jiqi Beach 磯崎海水浴場
Fanshuliao Canyon 蕃薯寮峽谷
Baqi Rest Area 芭崎休息區
Emerald Valley 翡翠谷
Dongshan 東山
Shanling Haowangjiao Hostel 山嶺好望角民宿
Hualien Nanbin Park 花蓮南濱公園
Qixingtan 七星潭
Liyu Lake 鯉魚潭
You can book a paddle boat, SUP, or kayak experience at Liyu Lake and more on Klook here and KKday here.
Dongdamen Night Market 東大門夜市
Hualien Old Railroad Pedestrian Area 花蓮舊鐵道行人徒步區
Yuemei 月眉
Shapodangxipan Park 砂婆噹溪畔公園
Hake Art Village 吉安好客藝術村
Meilunshan 美崙山
Gongzheng Buns 公正包子
Places and activities we missed:
- Golden Valley 黃金峽谷
- Batongguan Old Trail 八通關古道
- Junction of Eurasian Plate and Philippine Sea Plate 歐亞及菲律賓海板塊交界紀念碑
- Yufu Biking Trail 玉富自行車道
- Chinan National Forest Recreation Area
- Surfing
- Paragliding
- SUP / Paddle Boarding
- Kayaking
- Canoeing
- River Tracing
- River Rafting
- Whale Watching
- Snorkeling
- Diving
- ATV / 4-wheeling
- Paintballing
- Farm Dream Estates Zoo
- Water Biking
- Oyster Harvesting
- Shrimp Harvesting
- Indigenous Experience
- Glamping
- Cycling
- Ziplining
- And much much more for you to explore.
You can find more tours and activities in Hualien on Klook here or KKday here.
Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more of our blogs to come!
You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here.