Most visitors build a Hualien trip around Taroko. Around it, the best days are spent on the coast and in the small, walkable city, with the valley to the south for a longer stay.
- TarokoTaroko, right nowWhat is open in the gorge after the earthquake.
- CoastQixingtanThe pebble bay with the mountains behind.
- SeaWhale watchingDolphins on nearly every summer trip.
- EveningDongdamen Night MarketFour zones, every night, to midnight.
- CoastQingshui CliffsWhere to see the great sea cliffs now.
- SeasonsFestivals and seasonsHarvest festivals and the daylily mountains.
In Hualien City
Pine Garden
Pine Garden (松園別館) is a Japanese-era building on a pine-covered hill above the harbour, now a quiet cultural space with a view to the sea.
- Hours 09:00 to 18:00; closed the second Tuesday of each month and Lunar New Year's Eve
- Entry A small fee; check on arrival
- Getting there Taxi from Hualien Station, or a walk uphill from downtown
Hualien Railway Cultural Park
The old Hualien railway offices, in the center of town. Hall 1 is the historic office building.
- Hall 1 No. 71, Zhongshan Road; Tuesday to Sunday 08:30 to 17:00, closed Mondays and national holidays; free
- Hall 2 No. 60, Fujian Street; service center Wednesday to Monday 09:00 to 17:00, other areas to 21:00; closed Tuesdays
- Getting there Downtown; taxi from Hualien Station
Hualien Railway Cultural Park on Google Maps
Hualien Cultural and Creative Industries Park
A former winery turned into shops, studios and event spaces, downtown. See the park's official site for what's on and current hours. Find it on Google Maps.
South of the city
Liyu Lake
Liyu Lake (鯉魚潭), in Shoufeng, is a mountain-ringed lake of about 104 hectares with a 4 km road around it. The visitor center is open 08:30 to 17:30. Take Tourist Shuttle 303 or Hualien Bus 1139, or cycle the Two Lakes bikeway from Qixingtan.
Not open: Mukumugi (慕谷慕魚), the turquoise Mugua River valley, has been closed for about 11 years after road and tunnel collapses. The county plans a tribe-run, shuttle-only reopening but has set no date (PTS, September 2025). Don't plan around it.
Sources: Taiwan Tourism Administration, Pine Garden; Hualien County Cultural Affairs Bureau, Railway Cultural Park; Hualien Cultural and Creative Industries Park; Hualien Tourism, Liyu Lake; PTS on Mukumugi. Checked October 2026.