East Taiwan Picnic Adventure: Enjoy Nature Seated Amidst Taroko Gorge

Source: az Travel Lifestyle

In this poetic season, we picnic amidst the radiant golden needle flower fields of the East Coast and within Tarako Gorge, kayak to deserted beaches for seaside camping, savor indigenous-style cookout dishes on the shores of Little Yehliu, enjoy chef-crafted European-style picnics in fairytale-like mushroom houses and lavender forests, and even camp and cook under enchanting moonlit skies—getting an early taste of the unique charm and wild joy of moon viewing during Mid-Autumn.

Elegant Picnicking in Tarako Gorge: Exploring Nature’s Masterpiece

▲ From Monday to Friday, the rooftop fire pit area hosts indigenous music performances, where you can listen to pure, energetic voices accompanied by the sound of the stream and starry skies; on weekend nights, indigenous dance shows present the power and beauty of tradition in vivid display, and every night at 10 PM, the Gorge Cinema screens films under the stars, offering a romantic way to enjoy the mountain’s cozy evenings.

If you think picnics are limited to small lawns in city parks or riverside green spaces, your imagination might be a bit too limited. With the right mood for a picnic, any place can become a perfect spot—even Tarako National Park can serve as your picnic destination, turning the entire gorge into your private backyard.

Tarako is Taiwan’s most stunning canyon wonder. To promote “slow travel” and allow visitors to enjoy more tranquil moments in the gorge, Silks Place Tarako Hotel has designed a romantic picnic set (available in both double and family options).

▲ Nestled within Tarako National Park and surrounded by majestic canyon views, the hotel’s floor-to-ceiling windows offer glimpses of emerald streams cutting through marble landscapes. At night, specially designed lighting casts a magical, moonlit glow over the textures of the opposite canyon walls.

Guests can picnic on glistening white marble streaked with azure streams, beside forest trails alive with birdsong and insect chirps, or on the grassy plains of Buluowan with the canyon as a backdrop—making the entire Tarako National Park your picnic playground, a truly delightful experience.

Silks Place Tarako Hotel

ADD: No. 1, Tianxiang Rd., Xiulin Township, Hualien County

TEL: (03) 61155

WEB: http://www.silksplace-taroko.com.tw/zh-tw/aboutus.php

Double Picnic Set: NT$1,000; Happy Family (4-person) Picnic Set: NT$1,600. Reservations required one day in advance. Shuttle service available: departs at 1:30 PM to Buluowan and returns at 4:30 PM from Buluowan, NT$300 round-trip per person. Shuttle fee for Baiyang Trail: NT$100 per person (minimum 2 adults required).

A Beautiful Afternoon in Golden Needle Fields: Limited-Edition Early Autumn Romance on Sixty Stone Mountain

Late [month] to mid-[month] is the golden needle flowering season, when Sixty Stone Mountain in Hualien bursts into vibrant blooms, attracting numerous visitors to admire the spectacular flower sea. As an economic crop, golden needle flowers must be harvested in the early morning while still in bud, as once they bloom, they lose commercial value and wilt within a day.

▲ Golden-yellow golden needle flowers bloom beautifully in autumn, especially on Sixty Stone Mountain, where layers of rolling hills and fields are blanketed with radiant blossoms.

These “leftover flowers,” the golden needles not harvested, become a bonus for visitors. While sightseeing doesn’t require an entrance fee, tourists flock to the mountains for the views—and naturally, food and drinks. Numerous restaurants featuring golden needle flower dishes have emerged, and to attract customers, many grow large patches of ornamental golden needle fields around their establishments.

▲ Golden needle flowers are arguably the most beautiful crop. The harvested flower buds are delicious in golden needle spare rib soup, and local farmers have also created creative ways to enjoy them, such as using them as bread fillings—also a tasty treat.

To allow visitors to fully appreciate the beauty of the flower sea, the Sixty Stone Mountain Development Association has embraced the picnic trend, encouraging people to picnic in pavilions and viewpoints within the flower fields, as well as on country roadsides and large rocks that don’t obstruct traffic (for photographic purposes, magazine shoots were specially permitted on the paths through the flower-covered fields).

Sixty Stone Mountain

ADD: Zhutian Village, Fuli Township, Hualien County (turn east off Provincial Highway 306), accessible via Sixty Stone Mountain Industrial Road after entering from the provincial highway, followed by a mountain road leading to the golden needle cultivation area.