During the crisp autumn weather of the Double Ten holiday, the Huiwan Bay area in Hualien (pictured, photo by Yang Hansheng) was packed with visitors over the three-day National Day and Double Ten break, quickly becoming a new hot spot in Hualien. The park welcomed nearly 2,000 visitors on average each day during the holiday. Strolling leisurely through the grounds, guests enjoyed the rich and diverse birdlife, observed black swans and duck flocks in the ecological ponds, and even had close encounters with adorable sika deer—making for a relaxing and joyful Double Ten holiday.
Most visitors to Huiwan Bay were out-of-town tourists staying at local homestays, drawn by media coverage and social media buzz. On-site visitors commented that the park is relaxing and laid-back, perfect for family outings, and truly a rare gem of a place.
Hualien’s Huiwan Bay area has also recently hosted several large-scale events, attracting both locals and tourists, such as the Paper Windmill Theater Group’s Mid-Autumn Night event, the annual gathering of the Lightning Heavy Motorcycle Club, and a thousand-guest banquet. Visitors explored Dream Stone Sunrise Square, the native wild vegetable and plant garden, the ecological pond, and more, all giving high praise to the park’s planning and its naturally beautiful ecosystem.
According to statistics from Hualien County Government’s Tourism Department, since 2011 (the 100th year of the Republic of China), the number of visitors to Hualien’s major tourist and recreational areas has seen five consecutive years of growth—from 7.5 million in 2011 to nearly 8.9 million in 2012, officially surpassing 10 million in 2014 with 10.43 million visitors. From January to August this year, the cumulative visitor count has already reached over 7.37 million, an increase of about 5% compared to the 7.05 million during the same period last year. Hualien has also recently been ranked as Taiwan’s No. 1 happiest city.