J
Jing Si Hall
Built in 2000, this gigantic temple-cum-performance venue has a simple yet striking, white-and-grey exterior. At its tallest point, the building is…
Getty Images/iStockphoto
Hualien
Hualien (花蓮; Huālián), together with its suburban twin Ji'an, forms the east coast's largest population center. With a vast range of great dining, bargain-value lodging and transport possibilities, it's commonly used as a base for visiting the upper east coast, including Taroko Gorge.
The central grid of streets can feel rather formless, but is full of color and life. Meanwhile, around Meilunshan Park (美崙山公園; Měilúnshān Gōngyuán) and the harbor area, you'll find landscaped parks and a riverside bike route leading to an oceanfront area with several boutique hotels. East, beyond an industrial district of marble cutters and cement factories, there's a more peaceful bay front area at Qixingtan.
Explore Hualien
- JJing Si Hall
Built in 2000, this gigantic temple-cum-performance venue has a simple yet striking, white-and-grey exterior. At its tallest point, the building is…
- QQixingtan
Qixingtan (Chihsingtan) is a former fishing hamlet whose few remaining, old, tin-roofed shacks are outnumbered by a gaggle of small but fanciful hotels…
- MMartyr's Shrine
Designed like an antique Chinese palace, this colourfully gabled 1980s complex is set amid lush foliage on a small rise overlooking Hualien's single most…
- GGangtiangong
Climb through a dragon's mouth into one of two spiral staircases that front this gigantic Matsu temple – the biggest in Hualien. There is particularly…
- FFogstand
An ambitious little gallery that showcases edgy and experimental works by Taiwanese, Asian and Western artists. Fogstand also has an artists-as-resident…
- TTemple to the Lords of the Three Mountains
This temple may look quite ordinary, but it is the hub of Hakka religious life in Hualien. When the Hakkas migrated to Taiwan in the Qing dynasty, they…
- PPine Garden
Set in a graceful garden that's all a-twitter with birdsong, this 1940s concrete building was used by the Japanese military to wine and pleasure their…
- HHualien Railway Culture Park
Worth a five-minute look, this area's main sight is a 1932 wooden courtyard building containing a fairly basic history of the East Coast Railway since…
Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Hualien.
- See
Jing Si Hall
Built in 2000, this gigantic temple-cum-performance venue has a simple yet striking, white-and-grey exterior. At its tallest point, the building is…
- See
Qixingtan
Qixingtan (Chihsingtan) is a former fishing hamlet whose few remaining, old, tin-roofed shacks are outnumbered by a gaggle of small but fanciful hotels…
- See
Martyr's Shrine
Designed like an antique Chinese palace, this colourfully gabled 1980s complex is set amid lush foliage on a small rise overlooking Hualien's single most…
- See
Gangtiangong
Climb through a dragon's mouth into one of two spiral staircases that front this gigantic Matsu temple – the biggest in Hualien. There is particularly…
- See
Fogstand
An ambitious little gallery that showcases edgy and experimental works by Taiwanese, Asian and Western artists. Fogstand also has an artists-as-resident…
- See
Temple to the Lords of the Three Mountains
This temple may look quite ordinary, but it is the hub of Hakka religious life in Hualien. When the Hakkas migrated to Taiwan in the Qing dynasty, they…
- See
Pine Garden
Set in a graceful garden that's all a-twitter with birdsong, this 1940s concrete building was used by the Japanese military to wine and pleasure their…
- See
Hualien Railway Culture Park
Worth a five-minute look, this area's main sight is a 1932 wooden courtyard building containing a fairly basic history of the East Coast Railway since…
Guidebooks
Purchase our award-winning guidebooks
Get to the heart of Hualien with one of our in-depth, award-winning guidebooks, covering maps, itineraries, and expert guidance.