Things to do in Hualien: From Taroko Gorge to Night Markets
Most visitors will travel to Hualien from Taipei to do a Taroko Gorge Day Tour. It is highly recommended to see Taroko National Park, but Hualien is far from just a quick place to stay while visiting the gorge. Hualien offers a range of things to do from spotting beautiful beaches full of colored marble stones to trying delicious snacks at the Dongdamen Night Market. If you are wondering what there is to do in Hualien? I spent three days here exploring the area. Here are my recommendations and top things to do in Hualien.
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Taipei to Hualien is an easy and very inexpensive journey.
There are several different ways to travel from Taipei to Hualien. Renting and driving a car is an option. You can book a tour or private driver, or take a train which in my opinion is the easiest and cheapest mode of transportation to reach Hualien from Taipei.
We took a train from Taipei Main Station directly to Hualien Station. Depending on the train, the trip to Hualien can take anywhere from 2 to 4 or more hours.
We ended up taking the Express Trains, the T. C. Ltd Express to Hualien and the Taroko Express back to Taipei for a whopping NTD 440 or about $14 a person one way. The express trains take about 2 – 2.5 hours and make very few stops along the route.
Recommended Hotels in Hualien
Unless you are just doing a day trip to Hualien from Taipei to visit Taroko National Park, you will most likely stay at a hotel in Hualien for at least one night.
Agoda has many excellent hotels in Hualien that are suited for anyone’s price range.
We stayed at the Full Kind Hotel and loved our two nights stay here. The Full Kind Hotel was centrally located, close to great restaurants and shops, ad spacious rooms, comfortable beds, and a great breakfast spread every morning. The hotel was within walking distance to Dongdamen Night Market and there was a 7-Eleven next door.
If searching for hotels in Hualien, I recommend booking through Agoda and we were very satisfied with our hotel stay at Full Kind Hotel.
Top Things to do in Hualien
Cities in Taiwan like Hualien are a nice change of pace from cities like Taipei or even Jiufen. Hualien felt less touristy and a bit more authentic.
Although there are no grand attractions in Hualien, besides Taroko National Park, there is still plenty to do and see in Hualien.
After spending two days in Hualien, here is a list of our recommendations of top things to do and experience in Hualien.
1. Taroko National Park
Perhaps one of Taiwan’s most beautiful natural parks, Taroko National Park, is a canyon famous for its near vertical cliffs, turquoise blue rivers, and stunning hiking trails.
Taroko National Park is near Hualien and is free to visit.
Must do things at Taroko National Park include hiking the Shakadang Trail, visiting the Eternal Spring Shrine, walking across the Buluowan Suspension Bridge, going to the Tunnel of Nine Turns, and finishing the day at Swallow Grotto.
Interested in reading more about Taroko Gorge? I have a post dedicated to Taroko National Park Day Tours.
2. Dongdamen Night Market
Like the night markets in Taipei, Hualien does have a night market called Dongdamen Night Market.
Each night we stayed in Hualien, we had dinner at the Dongdamen Night Market. There are just to many delicious things to try here.
Dongdamen Night Market occupies a huge space in central Hualien. There are many permanent and covered vendors here selling a wide range of foods.
We tried everything from Tofu Fries and slices of bacon to Taiwanese Burgers and Green Onion Pancakes with an Egg. Honestly, everything we had was delicious.
3. Local Markets
Like night markets in Taiwan, there are also great markets that pop up in the mornings. Expect to find more fruits and vegetables for sale, seafood, and other goods for daily use bought by locals.
I love strolling through morning markets and trying unique foods. The markets in Hualien seemed to be in different locations around the city. There were some near the Dongdamen Night Market and others close to our hotel.
4. Taipingyang Park and the Coast Line
Looking to take a relaxing stroll along the coast in Hualien? Or have kids and want to drain their energy quickly? I’d recommend visiting Taipingyang Park and the nearby beach.
Picture a beach with white sand, crystal clear and calm waters, with palm trees and a guy selling coconuts. Well, this is not that kind of beach!
Instead, the water here is pretty intense, the beach is full of huge marble boulders, and swimming is not advised. Doesn’t sound like your ideal beach, but I found it fascinating to walk on and look at all the beautiful rocks. The Hualien area is known for marble so a lot of pretty colored marble rocks rest on the beaches here.
Taipingyang Park is more of a park for children. The playground equipment looked well maintained and a dream come true for kids.
5. Qixingtan Beach
When we took our Taroko National Park Day Tour, the first stop was at Qixingtan Beach.
Qixingtan Beach is just north of the city on the northern tip of Hualien Airport.
Qixingtan Beach is a long beach with incredible views of the mountains in the background and beautiful shades of blue and green water. Although swimming is not advised here due to rough currents, it is a nice beach to walk on and enjoy the views!
6. Riverside Park
Hualien had a lot of green space. Along the river that flows through town, there is a nice river walk and network of trails and parks.
We took one of the trails from Jinghua Bridge to the Martyrs Shrine and it was a pleasant walk. There were fisherman in the river, kids on bikes, and people out on their daily dog walks.
7. Pine Garden
One attraction in Hualien that intrigued me was the Pine Garden.
According to signs posted at the site, the Pine Garden is a historic site in Hualien and was a former Japanese Command Center. The building was constructed in 1942 to recruit and manage military servicemen.
After WWII, the Japanese left Taiwan and the KMT government took over. In 2003, the Pine Garden and building was officially open to the public.
Today, visitors can walk the grounds, go inside the main building, walk through a bomb shelter, browse the shops, or sit and have a beer or treat at the cafe.
8. Shop
If shopping is your thing, then Hualien has plenty of shops and fun stores that are worth browsing.
Gongyuan and Zhonghua Rd were full of shops, I personally enjoyed the shops selling treats so I could bring stuff back to friends and family. But there is a wide range of shops here from souvenir stores to high end stores like Rolex.
9. Bubble Tea
You can’t go to Taiwan and not have Bubble Tea. It’s like going to Japan and not trying Sushi, it just doesn’t make sense.
For how big Hualien was, there were a ton of Bubble Tea shops. Just keep in mind most Bubble Tea places didn’t open until 10 – 11 am.
Most Bubble Tea shops had similar drinks. What surprises us, is how cheap Bubble Tea is in Taiwan. Two large drinks can cost anywhere from $2 – $3.50.
10. Foot Massage
If visiting Taiwan, you cannot leave without having a foot massage. Even a city like Hualien had great foot massage places all over town.
We tend to walk a lot, so our feet are always tired. Every time we visit Taiwan, we end our night with a foot massage. I mean they are so affordable compared to other massage parlors around the world. Do yourself a favor and get a foot massage when visiting Hualien.
Conclusion
Hualien kind of flies under the radar as a destination when visiting Taiwan. If it weren’t for Taroko Gorge, Hualien would get close to no tourism and visitors. But Hualien offers visitors much more and it’s an easy train ride from Taipei. In Hualien, you can find a lot of the classic Taiwan must try experiences, like night markets and foot massages. Hualien also has incredible landscapes, beautiful beaches, and an interesting history. So maybe next time you visit Taiwan, add Hualien to your itinerary.
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