Two "High" Points of Hualien

There are so many scenic, natural places to visit in Hualien. One day we went to the highest paved road in Southeast Asia, called Wuling Road, up in the mountains behind Taroko Gorge. The road leading to this high pass is narrow and winding, with many turns and small tunnels. 

The day was sunny and bright; here are some of the photos I took on the way up. 

I felt so close to the clouds up here! The temperature got progressively colder as we climbed higher. At the top, around 3275 meters above sea level, it was about 40 degrees Fahrenheit, drastically colder than the temperatures on flat land. Remember to bring a big coat if you plan to visit!

The sky was so bright and the fresh air was crisp and cold. There were different breath-taking mountain views around each turn - I never knew what to expect, but I was always amazed.

At the highest elevation, there is a pit stop and parking lot for people to get out of their cars and take photographs at an observation deck. There is also a lodge and a cafe to grab some coffee and warm up. 

Another great spot in Hualien is the Qingshui Cliffs, which would be translated as "Clear Water Cliffs." Here, the steep mountain cliffs meet the clear blue waters of the ocean, creating a beautiful contrasting landscape. 

The road in between the cliff and the water is very narrow, but there are several shoulders where you can get off, take photos and admire the view.

The water was stunningly blue.

My four day trip to Hualien was filled with lots of fun activities. If you are in Taipei, and you enjoy the outdoors, Hualien is highly recommended. There were some other spots that I didn't get to see, like a few rural farms, as well as some other spots in Taroko Gorge, so I hope to be able to go back.

Ziqiang Night Market and Ye Xiang Dumplings

Like all Taiwanese cities, Hualien has a few night markets. I got a recommendation to go to Ziqiang Night Market, located in the middle of the city on Ziqiang Street. It's relatively small, but has a few lanes of densely packed food vendors.

As I was coming from the long bike ride, I was really thirsty and wanted something hydrating. Thankfully there are three or four highly affordable fruit juice vendors in the market. I asked for a fresh carrot juice with nothing else added. I saw the man juicing up five enormous carrots just for one small cup of sweet juice. It was only 40 TWD, a little more than $1 USD.  

There were some other interesting stands, such as this one selling marshmallow toast. We also saw a pizza place with a real brick oven!

The market is most famous for its BBQ, and there are numerous stalls selling the same product. A variety of foods (chicken, beef, tofu, vegetables) are all skewered on long sticks. You pick what you want, and then put it into a container to take to the checkout. Then all the food gets grilled in the back, and smothered in a thick and sweet sauce. The wait time is incredible - up to two hours, I've heard, for the most popular stall. We had to wait forty minutes. Fortunately, there is an updated queue sign which flashes the number of the order when it is ready.

Sorry for the terrible lighting in these photos! There was a bright red glow over the food from the lights overhead. As you can see, all the prices are clearly marked on each food. I got a stick of beef strips wrapped around green onion, and a skewer of green bell peppers. The sauce was way too thick and sweet - I don't think it's worth it to wait for so long!

Hualien is also famous for its wontons. We went to one of the oldest and most famous establishments called Ye Xiang Dumplings, open for sixty years. Like many restaurants that are famous for one thing, they only serve one item on the menu, and they are fast and efficient.

You order at the front counter, right across from where the experts wrap up the wontons. It's an easy process to order - there is no choice. The only menu item is a bowl of pork wontons. You specify how many bowls you want, and each bowl is $65 TWD (about $2 USD). Then you wait until the server brings it over to your table.

There were plenty of locals and tourists at this restaurant! These people were probably wondering why I was taking a photo of them. Even though a lot of people come here, the turnover rate is so fast that there seemed to be plenty of seating on a weekend lunch.

The wontons arrive in a matter of minutes. My bowl had nine plump wontons. They are so delicious! The meat is tender and flavorful, and lacks those fatty and chewy bits that some dumplings have. The wonton skin is smooth, silky, and really thin. Ye Xiang really has perfected their process over six decades.

We wanted to try their competitor shop, but unfortunately we ran out of time on this trip. Next time! I am still thinking about those wontons. You must try them if you go to Hualien. 

Qixingtan Beach

Last week I went on a four-day trip to Hualien, a city on the east coast about two hours outside of Taipei. Hualien is most noted for its nature and varied geological formations, included a beautiful pebbled beach called Qixingtan. 

The beach is along the coast and can be accessed by a beautiful winding bike path. We rented bikes in the city for 150TWD ($5 USD) for the entire day. Then we rode the bikes in search of the bike path that would take us to the beach. 

Hualien is a relatively quieter and laid back city, so it is not too difficult to get around by bike, even for an inexperienced rider like myself. The bike path itself is glorious - wide curves, gentle hills, smooth pavement, along an interesting and diverse scenery of fields, agriculture, coast, and industry. 

Perhaps November is a low season for tourists in this part of Taiwan, but we found the path devoid of other cyclists, providing us with the freedom and space to go at our own pace through the hills. Eventually, the path leads down to the coastline.

 

Even on this grey and cloudy day, the water of the Pacific Ocean was breathtakingly clear and turquoise blue. It was such a peaceful scene, with barely any people in sight. 

   

In the distance you can see the mountains, shrouded by layers of clouds.

Closer down by the beach, you'll see that the ground is composed of smooth blue and grey pebbles, rather than sand. 

 The pale pebbles offered such a nice contrast to the blue waters.

Swimming is not allowed; the waves are really strong and come up unexpectedly strong. This crashing wave nearly caught us unprepared! Thankfully, I jumped back in time to avoid getting too wet.

If you ride the bike trail along the coast, going south towards Hualien, you soon come across some really interesting landscapes, like these old industrial mills. You get to have an unique look at the different parts of the city which are rarely seen in a normal tour. We passed by some old cows grazing at one point.

This row of nice palm trees were ironically neatly placed in front of a large landfill.

The bike path transitions into a concrete and drab cityscape, and then later enters a nice harbor area and a large park with more people.

We probably covered 30 kilometers on the bikes during the first day, well worth the cost of the bikes. It was definitely the longest distance I've ever ridden a bike at one time, and while it was immensely tiring, it made for a memorable experience and it was a fun way to get to know a new city.