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Hualien
Hualien is the largest city on Taiwan's east coast. It serves as the gateway to the famous Taroko National Park, which is one of Taiwan's most beautiful areas. The national park is full of towering mountains, lush scenery, large gorges, temples, pagodas, hiking trails and bridges. It's easily one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to and compares with other scenic places like the Rocky Mountains in Canada and North Vietnam. There are a few different ways you can plan your trip to the park which I'll detail below. Also I'll talk about some other activities for a short stay in Hualien. I only spent 2 nights here so this is what I'd recommend doing within that amount of time. Obviously if you have more time there is much more to explore in this area.
Taroko National Park is about 30 kilometers from the center of Hualien. There are a few different ways of getting there. We rented a motorbike for about 20 usd per day and drove ourselves out there. I highly recommend this option or renting a car would be fine but bike is more ideal because it's easier to stop and park along the winding road of the park. We were required to show a motorbike license for at least one of the people renting it. The driving in Hualien seemed more organized than in some of the other Taiwanese cities so it's quite easy to drive there I found. One law that may be quite different for many are the two-point turns required for scooters instead of turning left. Always a good reminder to brush up on local traffic laws. If you'd rather not rent a motorbike or car there are many tour companies that offer day trips to the national park. This is also a common transportation method for many visiting the park.
The Eternal Spring Shrine is one of the nearest sights to the entrance of the park. It features pagodas along the cliffside overlooking the river. In the nearest pagoda, which you can trek a short path to, a stream runs beneath it and turns into a water fall. It's a beautiful sight and one of the main stopovers for tourists in the park. You enter the short trail from a cave carved into the cliff. You walk partly through tunnels to reach the temple.
Further into the park you'll reach the Swallow Grotto. It features a steep cliff overlooking a river deep below. The mountain peaks are towering, it really is an incredible sight to behold. There are plenty of places you can stop along side the Swallow Grotto. This is where I found it particularly helpful to have rented a motorbike as we could easily pull over throughout this gorge to enjoy different viewpoints. Many of the tours will drop people off at the beginning of the grotto trail and let them walk a few kilometers while taking in the amazing views.
The last main place we stopped at was the Xiangde Temple. This is another beautiful temple built into the mountain side which features a monastery, tower and a few statues. It's another one of the main stopping points for tours and is easily accessible for any fitness level. Also, there are some restaurants and even a 7/11 here so it's a good place to eat if you're hungry or to get a cappuchino.
The night market in Hualien was one of the best ones I think that I went to in Taiwan. Mainly for the shear size of it. It had a few hundred food stalls and many different games and activities. At night time the market fills up with locals as well as tourists and you can walk around and try a huge variety of food. Some of the things I tried were scallion pancakes (great dish), mutton soup, a hotdog, fried chicken, crab and pao. You most definitely have to visit the night market if you visit Hualien. The two nights we went were very memorable and it's a great way to get to learn about Taiwanese food culture.
Chisingtan Scenic Area is an area along the Pacific Ocean in Hualien. If you have some extra time you could come here for a nice walk. You can't really swim in the water because the currents are dangerous but the walkway is nice and if it isn't cloudy when you visit you get some really beautiful views of the cliffs and hills alongside the ocean.
