South of Hualien City, the Central and Coastal mountain ranges run side by side with a long, flat valley between them. The railway and Highway 9 run down the middle, so this is the day trip you can do by train.
- By train South from Hualien Station to Ruisui or Yuli
- By bus Tourist Shuttle 303D, daily from Hualien Bus Station to Lintianshan
- By car Highway 9; or down Highway 11 and back up Highway 9
- Area East Rift Valley National Scenic Area
Ruisui (瑞穗)
Ruisui is dairy and tea country. Ruisui Ranch (瑞穗牧場) sells its fresh milk, panna cotta and ice cream (No. 157, Wuhe Village, open daily 08:00 to 18:00). The township is also known for honey-scented black tea (蜜香紅茶) and Hegang pomelos. A taxi from Ruisui Station gets you to the ranch.
Yuli (玉里)
Yuli's dish is Yuli noodles (玉里麵): the county says they are made with a Fuzhou technique, cooled by fan rather than rinsed, and served with sliced pork, shallots, bean sprouts and chives. Eat a bowl near the station.
The daylily mountains (August to October)
From August, the farms on Liushidan Mountain (Fuli) and Chike Mountain (Yuli) turn orange with daylilies. The 2026 season ran to about October 11, with free entry. The roads up are narrow and steep: go by car or charter, and go on a weekday if you can.
Guangfu and the 2025 flood
In September 2025, a barrier lake on the Mataian River, formed by a landslide that July, overflowed in the rains of Typhoon Ragasa and flooded Guangfu, killing 19 people (Focus Taiwan). Highway 9 now crosses the river on a temporary steel bridge with a 40 km/h limit, which closes as a precaution when water upstream rises; a new bridge is due to open in stages from the end of 2026. If you stop in Guangfu, remember it is a town still recovering.
Guangfu is also home to the Amis village of Tafalong, known for its red glutinous rice. → What to eat
Sources: Hualien Tourism, Ruisui Ranch; Hualien Tourism, Ruisui; Hualien Tourism, Yuli; Hualien Tourism, Guangfu; Focus Taiwan on the Guangfu flood; CNA on the temporary bridge; East Rift Valley National Scenic Area. Checked October 2026.