Central l East l Islands l North l Kaohsiung l Tainan l Taipei

Eastern

Suao

A good place to begin your tour of the eastern coast is Suao, Taiwan’s fifth international harbor. Suao is located south along the coast from Toucheng, and is linked directly to Taipei through the highway. It is also the major link on the railway that connects Taipei to Hualien. Suao is a well-organized seaport that has facility grounds occupying the northern part of the harbor town. However, most of the local trading is concentrated two kilometers south, in the old-fashioned coastal enclave called Southside Suao. Here is the island’s fisherman’s wharf. Some of the best seafood in Taiwan can be found in the restaurants along the wharf’s main street.

 

 

Hualien

A 110-kilometer highway, which was built in 1920, connects Suao and Hualien. You can hear and see the crashing waves eroding the rocks 300 to 500 meters below the highway. Hualien ia a pleasant and cheerful town. Travelers arriving at Hualien by air for the first time are amazed by the world’s only airport terminal, which is made out of marble. Hualien is home to Taiwan ‘s largest ethnic minority, the Ami, numbering about 150,000. During the yearly Ami harvest celebration, in late August and early September, the town becomes very festive.

 

Martyr’s Shrine

One of the many attractions in Hualien is the Martyr’s Shrine. Built into a hillside on the northern outskirts of Hualien is an impressive architectural complex that reflects classical Chinese concepts of balance and proportion.

 

Taroko Gorge

Taroko Gorge, which is located about 15 kilometers from Hualien, is one of the most remarkable natural wonders of the world. Taroko, which means beautiful in the Ami dialect, is a gorge of marble cliffs, through which flows the Liwu River. Taroko winds for 20 kilometers from the coast to its upper end at Tienhsiang.

 

Chihpen Hot Springs

South of Taitung is Chihpen, one of Taiwan’s oldest and most remote hot spring resorts. The village of Chihpen lies on the coast 12 kilometers south of Taitung. The hot springis another two kilometers inland. The Chihpen Valley, which cuts into the steep mountains behind the spa, reminds us of the gorgeous wild gorges hidden deep within the remote mountain ranges of western Sichuan province on the mainland. Here are thick forests and clear streams, steep cliffs and cascading waterfalls, bamboo groves and fruit orchards, robust mountain dwellers and exotic flora and fauna.

Taimali

Taimali is a town on the south of Chihpen. A 100-meter wide beach, gray sand and smooth pebbles run for about 15 kilometers along the shoreline. The sparkling blue water is completely free of pollution, the surf is gentle, and privacy is abundant. Taimali is primarily a fishing town, and its fishermen use unique motorized rafts.