H A R BOR S A N D BE YON D / HUA L IEN
Hualien Harbor
Places to Go in the East Coast’s Largest City
TE X T & PHOTOS V I S ION
This year, ten international cruise liners have been scheduled to make a visit to Hualien, including Royal Caribbean International’s Voyager of the Seas. The city’s port is also frequented by the high-speed ferries plying the Blue Highway route that connects the harbor town of Su’ao in Yilan County with Hualien City.
C
ruise line operators who have chosen Hualien as one of their stops are likely to arrange tour-bus trips from shipside to one of the world’s great natural and scenic wonders, the Taroko Gorge, which is about 25 minutes from the port. If you want to stay closer to the port on your land excursion, however, there are numerous places to choose from. Following are a few.
Qixingtan
Four-Eight Highland
Pine Garden
Pine Garden
Four-Eight Highland and Chilaibi Lighthouse
This is a former Japanese military office building used by the colonial force during its time in Taiwan (1895~1945). During World War II, this was a site where kamikaze pilots were given heavenly wine before taking off in their planes for the last time. Following the war, the building was used as a vacation resort for American military personnel. Later, it was converted into the cultural center and historical site that we see today. On the first floor is a café; on the second floor is a reading room filled with books by noted Taiwanese poets. Old pines are spread out over the grounds, making it a favorite with photographers.
Located between Hualien Port and Qixingtan, this highland has become a popular spot for Instagrammers in recent times. Looking north, you will be presented with an amazing view of the crescent-shaped Qixingtan beach and the towering coastal mountains beyond. Qilaibi Lighthouse is off-limits to the public, but is in full view from points to the south, enabling you to take photos of it with the coastline further to the north serving as backdrop.
(03) 835-6510 No. 65, Songyuan St., Hualien City ( 花蓮市松園街 65 號 ) www.pinegarden.com.tw
Qixingtan Qixingtan is a picturesque stretch of coastline that includes a small fishing village and a pebble beach. The bay is a visitor-busy scenic area known for its gorgeous aquamarine waters and also as an ideal spot for riding a bicycle and stargazing. Swimming is prohibited because the waves and currents here are particularly treacherous, but the beach is certainly not off-limits. Vendors sell traditional Taiwanese snacks in the park area behind the beach, and there is a coffee shop and seafood restaurant in the same building as the visitor center located on the south side. 34
TR AVEL IN TAIWAN
A-Zone (Hualien Cultural Creative Industries Park) This site was originally a wine-production complex. There are 26 warehouses, which have been repurposed to create space for exhibitions and cultural-creative markets. Today, the warehouses, offices, and facilities where distilled spirits and rice wine was once manufactured have been converted into art galleries, cafés, restaurants, and shops. The former packing house, dating back to 1929, is now a venue for live music performances. The old lab where recipes for rice wines were once perfected is now the iP Gallery. (03) 831-3777 No. 144, Zhonghua Rd., Hualien City ( 花蓮市中華路 144 號 ) www.a-zone.com.tw
