Starting Point of Taiwan’s Flattest Bike Path – Dongli Station Transformed into a Cycling Hub

▲ On its first day of operation, the Dongli Cycling Hub attracted many cyclists for rest and exploration. (Photo / Courtesy of Hualien County Police Bureau website)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

Before the completion and opening of the electrification project on the Hualien-Taitung Railway, many small stations along the line had gradually faded into history. Among them, the Fuli Township Office in Hualien County recently secured funding to repurpose the unused Dongli Old Station—idle for seven years—into a cycling hub (铁马驿站), while also reinstalling the railway tracks back onto the old railbed. The surrounding area has been developed into a bike path, with the hope that the former Dongli Station will shift from its past role in transportation to becoming a driver of tourism, spurring overall development in nearby villages.

▲ Visitors can enjoy the scenic beauty of Fuli and purchase local agricultural products. (Photo / Courtesy of Hualien County Police Bureau website)

The cycling trend is booming,and the Dongli Cycling Hub in Dongli, Fuli Township, Hualien County, officially opened on July 31. Built from the former Dongli Railway Station, it serves as the northern starting point of the country’s flattest Yufu Bicycle Path.On its first day of operation, it attracted many cyclists for rest and exploration. The Fuli Township Office hopes cyclists will come to experience the beauty of Fuli and also purchase locally produced agricultural specialties to support hardworking farmers.

▲ Future events will also be held at the hub for the public to join in. (Photo / Courtesy of Hualien County Police Bureau website)

To address issues such as the uplift of the Xiuguluan River Bridge on the old railway line and to shorten the travel distance on the Hualien-Taitung Line, Taiwan Railways dismantled several small stations along the route. The Dongli Old Railway Station also ceased operations in March 2007. After its closure, the station remained unused and unmanaged for many years, essentially becoming a “mosquito station.”

With assistance from the Hualien-Taitung National Scenic Area Administration under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the township office renovated the exterior of the station building and converted the old railway tracks into a bike path. The office further signed a new lease agreement with the Railway Bureau and partnered with the Dongli Community Development Association to co-manage the site, aiming to establish it as a new landmark for Fuli.

In the future, in addition to providing travel consultation services for visitors, the hub will also sell agricultural specialties from Fuli Township and plans to host music concerts and other cultural and artistic events. Moreover, the rare Dongli Pingpu Indigenous Night Ceremony is also scheduled to be moved to and expanded at the hub, with hopes of attracting more tourists to Fuli.