Hualien County is long and thin, squeezed between the mountains and the Pacific. For a visitor it breaks into six parts.
Hualien City (花蓮市)
Where you'll sleep and eat. The station, the old downtown with its family food shops, the night market, Pine Garden and the railway park. → Things to do
Getting there: train to Hualien Station.
Xincheng and Taroko (新城, 秀林)
North of the city: Qixingtan, the entrance to Taroko National Park in Xiulin Township, and the Qingshui Cliffs beyond.
Getting there: Tourist Shuttle 310, or train to Xincheng Station.
Ji'an (吉安)
The township just south of the city, almost part of it. Known for its "three treasures" of chives, taro and chayote shoots, and for Japanese-era immigrant village history around Qingxiu Temple (慶修院).
Getting there: taxi or scooter from Hualien Station.
Shoufeng (壽豐)
Farmland, golden clam ponds and Liyu Lake, the mountain lake south of the city.
Getting there: Tourist Shuttle 303 or Hualien Bus 1139 to Liyu Lake.
The East Coast (Highway 11)
The coast road south, through Fengbin and its Amis villages, to the terraces at Shitiping. → The coast road
Getting there: car or charter.
The East Rift Valley (Highway 9)
The long valley between the mountain ranges: rice fields, Ruisui's hot springs and ranch, Yuli's noodles, and the daylily mountains. → The East Rift Valley
Getting there: train south to Ruisui or Yuli, or drive Highway 9.
Sources: Hualien Tourism, Ji'an; Hualien Tourism, Shoufeng; Hualien Tourism, Liyu Lake; East Coast National Scenic Area. Checked October 2026.