natural wonder
Taroko Gorge
A breathtaking marble-walled canyon carved by the Liwu River through Taiwan's coastal mountain range.
22 km · about 25 min drive
AsiaTaiwanTaiwan
Hualien City
Taiwan, Taiwan · Asia
About Hualien City
Hualien City is worth a stop: 20 minutes from Xiulin, 22km from Taroko Gorge.
Hualien City is in Taiwan, Taiwan, with about 99,000 people. The nearest town is Xiulin, about 16 km away.
Hualien (pinyin: Huālián Shì; Wade-Giles: Hua¹-lien² Shih⁴; Hokkien POJ: Hoa-lian-chhī or Hoa-liân-chhī) is a county-administered city and the county seat of Hualien County, Taiwan. It is located on the east coast of Taiwan on the Pacific Ocean, and has a population of 99,458 inhabitants.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Hualien City?
Within an hour or so of Hualien City: Taroko Gorge (22 km), Central Cross-Island Highway (26 km), Suhua Highway (Qingshui Cliffs) (28 km), Wuling Pass (Hehuanshan) (38 km).
Are there any good drives near Hualien City?
The nearest famous roads are Central Cross-Island Highway, Suhua Highway (Qingshui Cliffs) and Wuling Pass (Hehuanshan).
Where is Hualien City?
Hualien City is in Taiwan, Taiwan, about 16 km from Xiulin.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 99,458
- Continent
- Asia
- Country
- Taiwan
- Region
- Taiwan
- Timezone
- Asia/Taipei
- Coordinates
- 23.9769, 121.6044
Tags
Worth the detour from Hualien City
6 notable places within an hour's drive.
historic highway
Central Cross-Island Highway
Taiwan's epic Highway 8, carved by hand through the marble canyons of Taroko Gorge in the 1950s, threading tunnels and cliff ledges from the Pacific coast into the high mountains.
26 km · about 30 min drive
coastal drive
Suhua Highway (Qingshui Cliffs)
Vertiginous coastal stretch of Highway 9 between Su'ao and Hualien where the Qingshui Cliffs plunge 1,000 m straight into the turquoise Pacific: Taiwan's most dramatic sea drive.
28 km · about 30 min drive
mountain pass
Wuling Pass (Hehuanshan)
At 3,275 m the highest drivable road point in Taiwan, crossing the Hehuanshan massif on Highway 14A with alpine meadows, sunrise cloud seas and even winter snow.
38 km · about 45 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Qingjing Farm
A high pasture at 1,750 m in Nantou where sheep graze on ridges above the cloud line, on the road that climbs towards Hehuanshan. A skywalk runs along the hillside above the fields.
46 km · about 55 min drive
mountain pass
Taiping Mountain
A former logging area in Yilan reached by a long mountain road, with cypress forest, a preserved forest railway and hot springs. Cloud often sits below the upper road.
58 km · about 65 min drive
Driving roads near Hualien City
- 26 kmCentral Cross-Island HighwayTaiwan's epic Highway 8, carved by hand through the marble canyons of Taroko Gorge in the 1950s, threading tunnels and cliff ledges from the Pacific coast into the high mountains.
- 28 kmSuhua Highway (Qingshui Cliffs)Vertiginous coastal stretch of Highway 9 between Su'ao and Hualien where the Qingshui Cliffs plunge 1,000 m straight into the turquoise Pacific: Taiwan's most dramatic sea drive.
- 38 kmWuling Pass (Hehuanshan)At 3,275 m the highest drivable road point in Taiwan, crossing the Hehuanshan massif on Highway 14A with alpine meadows, sunrise cloud seas and even winter snow.
- 46 kmQingjing FarmA high pasture at 1,750 m in Nantou where sheep graze on ridges above the cloud line, on the road that climbs towards Hehuanshan. A skywalk runs along the hillside above the fields.
- 58 kmTaiping MountainA former logging area in Yilan reached by a long mountain road, with cypress forest, a preserved forest railway and hot springs. Cloud often sits below the upper road.
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