Top Things to do in Hualien
5 Mountains in Hualien That You Shouldn't Miss
Most people come to Hualien to visit the Taroko Gorge. And with good reason—it's simply beautiful. With rope bridges over rivers, hiking trails with astounding views, and temples cut into the mountainsides, it's an unforgettable place. Feel the full power of the ocean at Shihtiping, a two-hour drive from Hualien, where the waves crash into the rocky shore.
Restaurants in Hualien
1. Sixty Rock Mountain
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 177 reviews
Reviewed By DavidASU - Union City, United States
The visit of Sixty Rock Mountain for the Orange Daylily (aka Golden Needle) flower sea is one of main goal of this trip. We missed the flower season two years ago, so it’s definitely very important for all of us. Lucky us to have a sunny day with a lot of flowers. Basically, farmers would save some field for sight seeing to let the flowers widely open to form the flower sea to attract people. Other remote (not by the roadsides) field would harvest to dry or sell freshly which you won’t see any flowers. One of famous dish is golden needle flower spare rib soup. Actually, it’s fine to eat the dried one as snack. We stopped by a small coffee shop by the roadside to have a cup of coffee. We ended up to buy a lot of dried golden needle flower from the store once we know she is also a Hakka. I bought some golden fruit for my mom as well.
2. Hehuanshan Main Peak Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 54 reviews
This was Taiwan’s first designated national forest recreation area, which was bestowed this honor because of its special scenery and alpine ecosystem. Among the numerous high summits in the park are Mt. Hehuan Main Peak, Mt. Hehuan East Peak, Mt. Hehuanjian, and Mt. Shihmen. The coniferous forest landscape over 3,000m high is a rarity around the globe, featuring an undulating interchange between coniferous trees and waving Yushan Cane that creates a forest boundary terrain that is dramatically unique. On your ascent, you can observe the rich flora and fauna of the alpine ecology waiting patiently for your visit! Mt. Hehuan Main Peak is one of hundreds of mountains in Taiwan. It has a unique vantage point – if you stand at the summit and look all around, you can see the Hehuan range, Mt. Qilai clusters, Mt. Nanggao, Mt. Nanhu and Central Range Point all from that one spot.
Reviewed By zunzazun - Norwich, United Kingdom
Spectacular views from up here at the main peak! Fairly easy going trail although more of a challenge with a 2yr old on my back. My wife carried the newborn so the whole family made it to the summit. Accessible even with a push chair but we used carriers. Only downside is the start (and end) involves about 15 mins walking down the road but cars generally drive slow as its a narrow mountain road and very open. What an achievement! Great activity for a couple of hours.
3. Shihmen Mountain
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 12 reviews
This was Taiwan’s first designated national forest recreation area. Among the numerous high-mountain summits in the park are Mt. Hehuan Main Peak, Mt. Hehuan East Peak, Mt. Hehuanjian, and Mt. Shihmen. The coniferous forest landscape over 3,000m high is a rarity around the globe, featuring an undulating interchange between coniferous trees and waving Yushan Cane that creates a forest boundary land terrain that is dramatically unique. Mt. Shimen Trail is also called one of the “8 little hills” in Taiwan. It is easy to access with its smooth incline and flat area on the hilltop. When you walk along the trail, you can enjoy the long view over the grassland. It is the best place to see the sunrise in spring and autumn.
4. Chike Mountain
5. Xiaoqilai Trail
The trail entrance to Xiaoqilai is located at the base of Mt. Hehuan East Peak . The path from the road at the Mt. Hehuan 3158 Café to the trail entrance gently slopes downhill and can accommodate 4-wheeled vehicles. Here, hikers can see the Qilai Mountains, Mt. Ju, Mt. Yangtou, and the Liwu River over the horizon. Past the ski resort, hikers reach the trail entrance where the path travels across
