{"id":1796,"date":"2016-04-05T00:00:45","date_gmt":"2016-04-05T00:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.my\/stories\/?p=1796"},"modified":"2022-07-20T21:59:54","modified_gmt":"2022-07-20T21:59:54","slug":"taiwan-east-coast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.my\/stories\/activities\/taiwan-east-coast\/","title":{"rendered":"Travelling Down Taiwan\u2019s East Coast"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Tunnel<\/p>\n

Taiwan, an island that straddles two tectonic plates, is part of what is considered the \u2018Ring of Fire\u2019 that surrounds the Pacific Ocean. While it may be unpleasant to think of living in such a volatile environment, the push and pull of the earth from these natural forces is what forms the stunningly beautiful coastline to the east of Taiwan\u2019s central mountain range.<\/p>\n

From the marble canyons of\u00a0Taroko\u00a0Gorge, to the charming\u00a0seaside cities of\u00a0Hualien<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Yilan\u00a0and the fishing villages along the way, the landscape on the East Coast is an ever-changing place of moist rice fields at the foot of steep mountain hills and the roaring surf of the Philippine Sea.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Journey into\u00a0Taroko\u00a0Gorge<\/strong><\/h2>\n

My journey began with a trip into\u00a0Taroko\u00a0Gorge. My taxi driver-cum-guide stopped along the way to point out several sights.<\/p>\n

\"TarokoTunnel of Nine Turns \/ CC by 3.0 \/\u00a0eazytraveler<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Our first stop after entering the gorge was the Shrine of Eternal Spring<\/strong>, which was built to commemorate the more than 200 people that died building the road and the Tunnel of Nine Turns<\/strong>. As he explained,\u00a0Taroko\u00a0Gorge used to be a highway linking the east and west coasts of northern Taiwan.<\/p>\n

The original road was built by retired soldiers, who blasted bits of solid marble sections at a time. It was a dangerous job and many did not return home to their families.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Following the Stunning Coastline<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Back on the coast-hugging highway, with the ocean on my left and the East Rift Valley<\/strong> on my right, we drive south and unceremoniously cross the Tropic of Cancer to officially enter the tropical zone.<\/p>\n

\"ShihtipingShihtiping \/ CC by 3.0 \/\u00a0Allon Lim<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

It may have been my imagination but the further we drove, the sun shone brighter and the day got warmer. There was one rocky beach after the other, all pounded by the rough seas and sculpted into caves, steps and platforms. These became attractions such as Shihtiping<\/strong>\u00a0and Little\u00a0Yelio<\/strong>, where the rough seas had turned the landscape into dramatic sculptures.<\/p>\n

\"YehliuYehliu Geopark \/ CC by 3.0 \/Jiashiang<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

A little further south in the\u00a0Chenggong\u00a0Township, the Tao-influenced bridge,\u00a0Sansiantai<\/strong>, hops eight arches to a small offshore island. This is one of the most popular sightseeing spots on the East Coast and I join the hundreds of visitors on the beach to soak in the surroundings while pebbles were being washed clean by the gentle waves.<\/p>\n

\"SansiantaiSansiantai Bridge \/ CC by 3.0 \/\u00a0\u767d\u58eb \u674e<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Living Among the Indigenous Culture<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The\u00a0Amis people, the largest of the 14 recognised indigenous groups in Taiwan, have called this stretch of coast home for hundreds of years. The East Coast is dotted with indigenous settlements still living in their traditional ways.<\/p>\n

\"BuluowanBuluowan Taiwanese Aboriginal Cultural Centre \/ CC by 3.0 \/\u00a0Albert Luo<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Over the past years, the increased focus on preserving Taiwan\u2019s indigenous culture has seen the development of many cultural centres in the region. The\u00a0Buluowan\u00a0Taiwanese Aboriginal Cultural Centre<\/strong> in\u00a0Taroko\u00a0has displays of heritage arts and craft, as well as hosting an accommodation service in traditional bamboo huts.<\/p>\n

However, I found the\u00a0Amis\u00a0Folk Centre<\/strong> to be a more authentic experience. Located further south near the town of\u00a0Donghe, the centre is a model village showcasing the way the\u00a0Amis\u00a0live and work.<\/p>\n

\"AmisAmis tribe \/ CC by 3.0 \/\u00a0Larry Koester<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

A couple of young people offered to show us how Amis\u00a0fireworks were used to trick offshore intruders: sparks of harmless explosions would be pointed towards the sea, where any coastal invaders would think the land dwellers were armed. The ear-piercing bangs made me think they even had canons!<\/p>\n

the most dramatic geological phenomenon I experienced was the violent beauty of the coastline<\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Relaxing Soak in Natural Hot Springs<\/strong><\/h2>\n

After nine hours of sightseeing, arriving at the town of\u00a0Chihpen<\/strong>\u00a0was a welcome relief. The day had been long and I was exhausted from the awe I continued to feel for the East Coast. It was time to rest.<\/p>\n

The word\u00a0Chihpen\u00a0means \u2018source of wisdom\u2019. This name was given to the town by the Japanese when they developed the area as a hot springs resort during their occupation for the enjoyment of soldiers and dignitaries visiting Taiwan.<\/p>\n

\"ChihpenThe mineral hot springs are said to ease the soul and cure all illnesses and it seems fitting that I spent the last day of my East Coast adventure rubbing my sore feet in the hot mineral-rich waters.<\/p>\n

Just like the dramatic landscapes of the East Coast, hot springs are another by-product of the hot seismic activities that cause the earthquakes I\u2019ve been warned about many times.<\/p>\n

Luckily, the grounds stayed absolutely still for my entire trip and the most dramatic geological phenomenon I experienced was the violent beauty of the coastline.<\/p>\n

Feature Image: Tunnel entrance along Hualien coast \/ CC by 3.0 \/\u00a0Tan Cheng Joo<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

Start Planning Your Trip to Taiwan<\/h3>\n

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It\u2019s easy to escape the everyday chaos of Taiwan\u2019s metropolitan cities by travelling down the East Coast, where even earthquakes couldn\u2019t keep the nature lovers away.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":1797,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,21,90,106,34],"tags":[469,470,108,471,36],"authors":[],"class_list":["post-1796","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-activities","category-asia","category-culture","category-taiwan","category-travel-diaries","tag-hualien","tag-indigenous-culture","tag-taiwan","tag-taiwan-hot-springs","tag-travel-diaries","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTravelling Down the Taiwan East Coast - Travel Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Taiwan Travel Blog - Escape the everyday chaos of Taiwan\u2019s cities by travelling down the East Coast.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.my\/stories\/activities\/taiwan-east-coast\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Travelling Down the Taiwan East Coast - 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