Hualien-The Wonderland

The place I want to introduce in Taiwan is Hualien. Because it’s my mother’s hometown, I have much more chances than others to connect with this beautiful place and to know it deeply. I can go there every summer vacation and my aunt lives there as a local guide, who can always looks after my family when we visit.
There are some characters which make Hualien so unusual. The features include the spectacular Cingshui Cliff ( 清水斷崖 ) and Taroko Gorge ( 太魯閣峽谷 ) in Taroko National Park ( 太魯閣國家公園 ) , Aboriginal Truku Culture ( 太魯閣族 ) , the delicious seafood which is fresh and cheap, and the sincere people who always make me feel so nice and warm.

Cingshui Cliff
The Cingshui Cliff is the first scene on my trip to Hualien. It’s on the way to the wonderland and it’s so beautiful that I always stop for a while to enjoy the view . It showed an unbelievable perpendicular .It seems impossible that the cliff can be formed naturally, but it is. The Cliff was caused by Eurasian Plate ( 歐亞大陸板塊 ) extruding with Philippine Plate ( 菲律賓海板塊 ) . And then, the wind eroded the top of the ground and let the marble appear. The marble is too solid to be eroded. So it can keep its shape as such an unbelievable perpendicular. Thank to the works of the God.

Taroko Gorge
Taroko Gorge is the place where you can not only enjoy the sight but also having the exciting game. Along the river, the magnificent and nearly vertical marble canyon is all around you. The most famous way to enjoy the scene is rowing the boat( 泛舟 ) in the Siouguluan River ( 秀姑巒溪 ). I did it once and I’ll never forget the experience. I got tanned, but I also got lots of fun.
Taroko Gorge was caused by the cooperation of the plate extruding and the wind eroding just similar as the Cingshui Cliff. But the Liwu Stream (立霧溪) did help cut the marble in the shape of the amazing right angle. The amazing cooperation makes the amazing scene.

Aboriginal Truku Culture
The Truku is the latest found aboriginal culture so far, because it’s so similar with the Atayal Culture ( 泰雅族 ) that people mistook them as the same thing for a long time. Both of the two tribes live in the mountain, hunt and plow for provisions, and take rainbow as the divinities bridge. However, they have totally different languages so they can’t communicate or cooperate at all even though they live nearby.
Truku’s dancing is so attractive to tourists because it’s not only a dancing but a heritage of its culture. Its handicrafts are so colorful, delicate, and lots kinds of patterns. That’s why I always linger in the souvenir department for a long time.

Seafood
Because of the great Geographical position, behind the route of the Kuroshio ( 黑潮 ), the fishermen can easily catch the seasonal fish. The Kuroshio bring the warm water from the tropical area to the frigid zone to warm its water, and make it more suitable for creatures to live in.
The seafood in Hualien is not only fresh but also in a really low price.I always eat as much seafood as I can in Hualien.

How to get there
Taipei → (Hsueh-shan Tunnel) → Ilan → Hualien
I suggest to drive there because Hualien is so big and the public transportation there isn’t as convenient as in Taipei. Also, the route sign is clear to understand and it’s easy to park cars in Hualien.

The people, the harmony atmosphere and the above-mentioned things comprise the sparkling Hualien. I think it will always be my favorite place in Taiwan. I wish that no matter what it was, what it is and what it will be, Hualien can always be a wonderland for everyone.