Hualien is the capital of Hualien County, Taiwan. It is located on the East coast of Taiwan, between the Pacific Ocean and the Central Mountain Range. Many tourists visit the city to enjoy the scenery and fresh air and also to tour the famous Taroko Gorge, which is located 15 km’s north of the city.
The Taroko Gorge is an impressive 19 km long canyon located in Taroko National Park. The park covers about 92 thousand hectares of springs, grottoes, waterfalls, and high cliffs that enchant visitors. Highlights of the Gorge include the Eternal Spring (Changchun) Shrine and the Shakadang Trail. In the back of the Changchun Shine, there are stairs leading to Kuanyin Caves, Taroko Tower , Bell Tower, and through a hanging bridge, so called "Heaven trail" to Changuang Temple.
Things to See & Do
* The Eternal Spring Shrine
* Swallow Grotto & the Tunnel of Nine Turns
* Shakadang Trail
* Water Sheet Cave
* Changchun Temple
General information
Cruise Season – Jan - Dec
Currency – New Taiwan dollar (NT$) (TWD)
Language – Taiwanese
Population – 110,000 approx
Land Area – 29.41 km²
Electricity – 2 perpendicular flat pins USA style or with a round pin below
Time - GMT plus eight hours
International Country Telephone Code – + 886
Port Location – The port of Hualien is located in the northeastern area of Huanlien city.
Travel Links – Domestic airlines connect Hualien with all of Taiwan's major cities. It a thirty minute flight to Hualien from Taipei's Sungshan Airport.
There are frequent trains from Taipei to Hualien, and depending on the type of train, the journey can take from two to four and a half hours.
There are five buses a day from Hualien to Taroko.