In July 2025, we checked into Hualien for a night at Hualien City before heading to Yuli for another night. We were en route after spending a night at Toucheng Leisure Farm and Cang Jiu Winery in Yilan. Hualien was a simple overnight reset. Dinner, sleep, and a quick wander, then onwards to Taitung. Hualien City is calm, and streets make you want to put the camera away. Caveat. We were here on a weekday
Why Hualien feels different after the April 2024 earthquake
Hualien’s vibe has shifted since the magnitude 7.2 earthquake of 3 April 2024 that caused serious disruption and damage across the region, with Taroko National Park among the hardest hit. The earthquake’s effects were immediate, marking the strongest seismic event since 1999 and altering travel patterns overnight. It was Taiwan’s strongest earthquake since 1999, and the wider area’s big draw narrative changed overnight, especially with parts of Taroko tied up in safety, closures and repairs for a long stretch afterwards. When an iconic place becomes a question mark, travellers hesitate, and gateway towns such as Hualien feel that hesitation first.
In summer 2023, we spent time in Taroko National Park, exploring its dramatic marble gorges and rainforest trails from a base at Silks Place Taroko inside the park. Highlights included scenic walks such as the Tunnel of Nine Turns, forest yoga and sundrenched outdoor experiences, and the luxury of a Retreat Suite with gorge views and sophisticated dining, balancing adventure in Taiwan’s iconic landscape with relaxed, hotel-centred comfort.
This is where Hualien’s County’s messaging matters. Their “We Bloom! 繁花盛開” push for 2025 frames the year as a visible return, less “everything is fine”, more “we’re still here, and we’re rebuilding. Come see what’s open, come support the region”. It’s an invitation with context that aligns with what you experience on the ground. Daily life continues, small businesses still serve breakfast at the crack of dawn, and you can still build a great itinerary without chasing the biggest, most obvious sight.
Hualien City is a gateway town, and the transport hub for Hualien County. It is the place where travellers base themselves before heading to Taroko, the coast or down the East Rift Valley.
When we visited Hualien City on 21 and 22 July 2025, the streets felt quieter than you’d expect, even accounting for weekdays. That quietness did not feel like decline, more like a place exhaling, waiting for people to come back without needing to be convinced.
Dajili Tribal House – A Community Led Experience in Xiulin Township
Dajili Tribal House is a community-run indigenous cultural space in Xiulin Township, part of the larger Taroko Gorge region. The name Dajili refers to one of the Amis tribal areas within the Taroko Aboriginal network. Rather than a commercial attraction, it’s a tribal living site where local Amis families maintain traditional crafts, weaving, food preparation and cultural practices, designed to give visitors a more grounded, interpersonal experience of indigenous life beyond staged “show.”
Guo Wengui, a retired primary school teacher and his wife Peng Xiulan runs the Dajili Tribal House. Dajili means plentiful stones in the Taroko language. You’ll see many of Wengui’s sulptures and oill paintings here. Xiulan formulated the menu food menu so visitors can fully immerse in the surrounding nature while dining here.
We were supposed to do archery during our visit but because of the rain, we did some indoor activities instead. We met with local artisans and saw a weaving demonstration, and also made our own “friendship” bands and also tried our hands with the local musical instruments.
When we were here for lunch, we had an amazing spread of Pandan-smoked chicken, salt-roast pork, mountain pepper sausage, fried nest fern, cabbage or seasonal vegetables, cinnamon leaf braised tofu, fried sweet potato balls, burdock vegetable soup, and bamboo rice. It was a lot of food for only NT400 (equivalent to under S$17).
We also learnt how to smash the hard bamboo against a rock to get to the rice within. It’s these hands-on experiences that make the visit interesting.
| Location | No, 96 Neighbourhood 7 Xiulin Township, Hualien County, Taiwan (inland from Hualien City, near the Taroko foothills) |
| Access | Best reached by car or arranged transport from Hualien City |
| Booking | Advance coordination recommended, as visits depend on community availability. Visit the website for details. Operating hours 11:00 – 15:00 and 17:30-20:00 |
| Experience Type | Indigenous cultural visit, traditional food, crafts, and storytelling |
| Notes | Community-run tribal space rather than a commercial attraction. Activities and meals vary by season and host availability |
Sakula Grange Vegetable Agri-Food Tour and Lotus Hot Pot
Situated in Ji’an Township, just south of Hualien City, Sakula Grange is listed on Taiwan’s leisure farm network as an agri-food experience venue that blends farming and dining. Rather than being a “farm stay” in the traditional sense, Sakula Grange is focused on vegetable-centric tourism and food education, showing visitors where produce comes from and how it becomes part of locally inspired cuisine.
Walk through the planted fields on a guided tour and learn about seasonal vegetables, soil conditions, and sustainable growing methods. Here you can also chop herbs, pick greens or help prepare simple dishes. We made gyozas.
Before leaving, we feasted on a lotus flower hot pot with unlimited servings of fresh vegetables. You can order meats with your set. So it is not just a vegetarian dinner.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | No. 8 Fuxing 7th Street, Ji’an Township, Hualien County, Taiwan (south of Hualien City) |
| Access | Car or scooter recommended; located within Ji’an’s agricultural belt |
| Booking | Advance booking advised, especially for guided tours, workshops or group dining. Visit their Facebook page. |
| Experience Type | Vegetable-focused agri-tourism, farm walks, farm-to-table dining |
| Notes | Programmes vary by season and crop cycle. Confirm tour format and timing before visiting |
Check-in at Park City Hotel Hualien and Night Massage in Hualien City
We checked into the Park City Hotel, Hualien Vacation, the sort of sensible city base with location and rest a priority and not the sort of hotel story you’ll expect to read about here. This is not a criticism but a compliment. Hualien rewards the hours you spend outside.
Then came the best decision of the day, massage. If you’ve road-tripped Taiwan before, you know the logic. Press the reset button and your legs stop complaining, shoulders stop acting like they’re carrying your entire itinerary, and your brain gives you permission to enjoy the next day.
Dennis went to check out the Dongdamen Night Market during our massage, but the major night market zone in Hualien City was closed. It used to have lots of stalls along multiple streets since 2015. After my massage, we walked. No plan, just letting Hualien do its thing. Night lights, parked scooters, and shopfronts that feel local with more food stores offering local fare for supper. We bought supper and headed back to the hotel and then called it a day.
Early Morning Hualien. Liming Black Tea and the Sunrise Boulevard
We got out of bed early. Less traffic. More routine. We skipped the hotel buffet breakfast. We had a traditional breakfast at 黎明紅茶 (Liming Black Tea), a long-running Hualien staple that opens early and serves up unfussy classics. The shop is known for old-school drinks and simple Taiwanese breakfast. Here, you’ll find ingredient-filled pancakes, dumplings, toasts, burgers, and soupy desserts, widely regarded as Hualien staples. You order, you sit, you watch the griddle work. You hear the clink of cups and you remember that a good travel day often starts with something simple and hot.
After breakfast, we headed to Hualien’s black-and-white striped avenue known as 日出觀光香榭大道 to get a shot with the mountains as a backdrop. Most shops were still closed. It was early at 8am.
The Hualien Cultural and Creative Industries Park is a repurposed old brewery site that has been repositioned as a cultural and creative hub after the brewery relocated, with the goal of building on the industrial heritage.
Alas, this was how we explored Hualien City on foot. Hualien also held its Summer Festival from 23 to 28 July 2025. We missed it by a couple of days. The line up of the music festival included names such as Retrospect, Aden Wang, VERA, ARKis, Show Lo, GBOYSWAG, Ann Bai, U:NUS, F.F.O and others.
We left Hualien City and the city pace. Moving through landscapes that feel wider, quieter and more agricultural as we head on to Heartel Farm and Shin Liu Farm before settling in at Yuli.
Leaving the City: Farms, Food and Culture beyond Hualien
Catch your own Live Lobsters at Heartel Farm in Shoufeng
At Heartel Farm, expect to get hands-on. Yes! Your hands will get wet. You’ll be well protected from the water as you deck up in the rubber pull-overs, hands protected in gloves so the claws don’t get to you, a red pail in another hand to hold your catch. What are you catching? Australian freshwater lobsters.
The Australian freshwater lobster has a body length of over 20 cm and lays eggs twice a year in June and August. They hatch after 42 days and takes about 8 months for the fry to develop into adults.
This activity is built around spring-water aquaculture and a proper setup for a playful, slightly chaotic and surprisingly satisfying time because all this ends with food you’ve earned. They are either grilled or salt-baked on-site. as you taste the sweet, tender meat at its freshest.
The farm prioritises cleanliness and safety. Each visiting group gets a freshly filled pool, with lobsters pre-purged in clean spring water to ensure a pristine experience.
| Location | Yutang Village, Shoufeng Township, Hualien (about a 30-minute drive from Hualien City) |
| Contact | +886-3-8652639 (advance booking required for lobster catching) |
| Hours | Typically open daily, visits by appointment to coordinate the lobster-catching schedule (ponds prepared 3 hours before your visit) |
| Booking | Minimum group size: around 4 people for the lobster experience. Call ahead or check their Facebook for scheduling |
| Notes | Wear casual clothes and be prepared to change into farm-provided water gear. Children must be accompanied by adults in the pond |
Shin Liu Farm in Guangfu, Matai’an wetland area
Shin Liu Farm sits in the region known for the Fata’an/Matai’an wetland which is home to the indigenous Amis people. Fata’an attracts many tourists for its ecotourism where wet-land scenery and the indigenous culture of the Amis people come together. The farm showcases streams and flora, inviting visitors to explore with a local Amis guide.
The highlight here is Palakaw, a tradtional fishing method of the Amis people. “Pa” in the Amis language means throwing away, and “lakaw” is branches of plants, which indicates the construction of the three layer bamboo fish and shrimp trap. Natural materials such as bamboo, twigs and betel nut leaves are used to build the traps which are placed in the streams with flowing water and then covered with leaves to create a conducive environment for fishes and shrimp. And when it is time for retrieval, you just pour out the fish and shrimps from the twigs and bamboo into nets.
Rocks are heated up in fire for an hour to around 800 degrees celsius. To remove the ashes, they are then soaked in a pot of water quickly before being placed in the bamboo hot pot that is filled with fish slices, a little salt and ginger to cook. You can instantly see violent bubbling as the heat is transferred from the rocks into the soup. That’s the only method of heat transfer for this dish. Then veggies are added.
Watching how the fish is caught to the preparation method before it is served to you on the dining table is quite worth the time to visit. There are also other home-cook style dishes on the menu you can should order.
The set here ranges from NTD3,000 to NTD6,000 for ten people.
| Practical info | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | No. 55, Daquan Street, Guangfu Township, Hualien County, Taiwan (in Matai’an Wetland Park, near the Fata’an cycling trail) |
| Telephone | +886-3-870-1861 |
| Mobile | +886-905-393-047 |
| Hours | Farm open daily 09:00–19:00. Restaurant service typically lunch 11:30–14:00 and dinner 17:00–19:00 (by reservation). Closed on major holidays. |
| Visitor info | Guided tours (wetland ecology, Palakaw fishing) and DIY activities require booking at least 1 day in advance. Walk-ins can explore boardwalks and café. Site is accessible (parking, toilets, easy trails). Basic English on tours. |
From Hualien City to Yuli: The Town Studio and forest 3030 hostel
Japanese-style Afternoon Tea in The Town Studio in Yuli
The Town Studio 九日良田 in Yuli offers Japanese-style sweets also known as wagashi and tea built around seasonal mood and small-town calm. Its name refers to “the first field touched by the morning sun along Highway No. 9”, a reference to Yuli’s agricultural landscape and unhurried pace.
Inside the space is restrained and functional. Wooden tables face large windows with woven blinds, opening onto views of fields and hills. Chalkboard illustrations, small objects and packaging design reflect local stories rather than decoration for its own sake.
The Town Studio focuses on reviving Yuli’s traditional yōkan while producing wagashi such as namagashi, mizuyōkan and seasonal Japanese sweets. Desserts are served with precision on lacquered trays and ceramics. Dango is lightly grilled and glazed. Yōkan is cleanly cut. And namagashi is shaped to reflect seasonal forms. Tea is served in simple pottery, reinforcing a quiet, deliberate rhythm.
The founder A-Chung was raised in Yuli’s Nagara area. Together with Amber, a former five-star hotel pastry chef who relocated here, they built a brand grounded in local perspective, craftmanship and design. Each sweet reflects a fragment of Yuli’s landscape or memory, offering travellers and edible record of the valley.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | No. 65, Zhongxiao Road, Yuli Township, Hualien County, Taiwan (near Yuli Railway Station) |
| Telephone | +886-977-051477 (cell/Line reachable) |
| Hours | Around 11:00–17:30 (Thursdays and Fridays or till 17:00 on Saturdays to Wednesdays). Closed on some weekdays, typically announced monthly on Facebook/Instagram. Check socials for latest schedule, may close Tue/Wed for R&D/events. |
| Reservations | Not required for café visits. Wagashi workshops and large group tastings should be booked in advance via their website or Facebook. [email protected] |
| Notes | Offers custom gift boxes and occasional collaboration desserts. Seating is limited, arrive early on weekends. English menu available. |
Check-In Yuli. forest 3030 Hostel
The day ended at forest 3030 hostel, a design-forward hostel with a clean, bright-white frontage that stands out against the older, more textured neighbouring buildings. Don’t be fooled into thinking it is a small hostel with only a few rooms. Step in and you’ll discover the space is cleverly configured with many rooms and shared spaces after undergoing a MUJI renovation, albeit tight. Boxy, modernist lines with neat, evenly spaced windows, a full-height glass ground floor and simple, round signage with 3030 present an understated and very on-brand for a hostel that’s selling calm, not chaos.
The open-plan layout makes it feel airy and social. Exposed ceiling with pipes and track lighting is industrial but tidy. Soft seating zones set up for lounging, reading or pretending to work while actually scrolling. Local maps as decor offer guidance to and invite guests to explore. The courtyard gives a light-filled hangout space with a big log bench and a simple patio finish, making it feel like a quiet coffee spot or late-night chat corner. A shared kitchen is equipped with cups and cutlery, a microwave oven, a fridge and a water dispenser allows guests to dine in the shared spaces. Enjoy conversations here with takeaways and a good bottle of wine. But remember to clear the table after you please.
A coin-operated self-service laundry is available here for guests. A convenient service for travellers who are out for a few days, travelling light, so they can pack their bags with more shopping in Taiwan. Other amenities include a library of books, mostly in Mandarin, a bicycle parking space, and a roof terrace. 3030 Selection also sells tea and a whole lot of other merchandise. This can be purchased or previewed online.
We stayed in a Classic Twin room with simple twin beds, crisp white linens, and large windows that pull in daylight and a sliver of landscape. Practical details land well, a tidy tea tray with glasses, and a clean, modern bathroom. This is not a party hostel. It suits travellers who want quiet nights, early starts, and a base that feels considered rather than merely functional. We had space to open two large luggage which is a luxury in a hostel. Here, you can rent dorm beds or stay in a private room which is similar to a hotel room, such as the one we were in.
| Location | No. 228, Datong Road, Yuli Township, Hualien County, Taiwan (about a 2-minute walk south from Yuli Train Station) |
| Telephone | +886-3-888-7228 (Chinese/English spoken) |
| Rates | Dorm beds from around NT$1,200; Private rooms from NT$2,000 (seasonal). Children 0–12 stay free with adults (no extra bed) |
| Check-in/out | Check-in 15:00–22:00; Check-out by 11:00. Reception staffed 07:00–22:00. Late arrivals possible with advance notice |
| Amenities | Free Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, self-service kitchen, laundry facilities, bike rentals. Linens and simple breakfast provided. Certified with eco-friendly and long-stay hospitality standards |
| Notes | Book via major platforms (Booking, Agoda, TripAdvisor) or the hostel website. Weekends can sell out. Ask about partner activities with local guides (hikes, farm tours) |