The Traditional Arts Center in Yilan is full of beautiful scenery—you could spend a whole day here and never get bored.

▲ Like patterns of Hakka culture, hanging between red bricks and red bricks, and there’s a quiet tricycle here—you can take a photo with it, just like a little girl would.

Text & Photo /Gui Xiaosun





From the very beginning of the planning, step by step, I thought about how to enjoy Yilan in winter. I cut out the original plan to visit Nanfang’ao for the sea view and the lakeside café at Meihua Lake in Dongshan, making the itinerary one where you can stay in one place for a long, long time—no rushing, no speeding—because in winter, you really just want to travel slowly, like a “hibernation” kind of trip.

Before I came to the Yilan Wujie National Traditional Arts Center, I had heard from many friends that it’s a great place. It’s somewhere you can easily spend an entire day, so during my three-day trip to Yilan, I scheduled a visit here on the second day to take my time exploring.

After leaving Jiadong Green Action, it took me about 20–30 minutes to get here—not too fast, not too slow—and it felt closer than I expected. Along the way, I enjoyed the endless views of the Lanyang Plain. To this day, I still remember the gentle feel of the low-rise houses—it seems like every part of Yilan is quite similar. After buying a ticket and grabbing a map, I started wandering around the place.



As soon as you enter from the entrance, the first thing you’ll come across is this area—which is also one of the highlights. It really is best to visit on a weekday. There aren’t many people on the streets, so you can take all the photos you want and slowly browse each traditional arts shop. If you see someone performing, you can stop and watch without feeling rushed. Since you’re traveling to a place meant for slowing down, don’t let the attractions fill up your schedule all at once—we can always come back again.




In the little shops, they sell all kinds of old-timey items—glassware, wooden clogs, ocarinas, paper umbrellas, antique collections... too many things for me to list them all. I actually hope that one day you’ll come here to discover treasures yourself, rather than me telling you right now what’s good or not—because I believe what’s good or not should always be up to you.






This area is about 300 meters long in total, with roughly 30–40 shops. Each one makes you feel like you’ve stepped back in time. Kids stopped to play with spinning tops, and their serious expressions made me admire them.








Candied hawthorn is the same across all eras—it brings a sweet feeling to everyone’s heart. On the roadside, there’s a grandfather-style bicycle—who’s to say it hasn’t been around for fifty years, yet it still looks full of life. The light and shadows on the ground made me keep thinking how lucky I am—or maybe the heavens wanted me to share all the good things about this trip with you.




The candied hawthorn here is no joke—it’s so delicious I ended up buying two in a row. They’re constantly restocked from the back, so feel free to give it a try. I’ve forgotten which shop had a bunch of red stamps, but if you’re into collecting stamps, look around—the one by the mailbox is the spot.


There was a little girl, probably younger than me but likely already an adult. She was playing with bubbles, spinning and chasing them around. Though I couldn’t hear her laughing from a distance, I could imagine the smile on her face and the memory of this day in her life.


For me, a happy person is more attractive than someone who just looks good. Because people will eventually age, but someone who knows how to find joy in themselves—that smile can warm others for a lifetime. Same bubbles—but who else can so freely return to childhood in a crowded place?





  


Those signs hanging at each shop entrance, with their classical fonts, colors, even the peeling paint—they’re actually really cute. The passersby became some of the most beautiful scenery in my journey.

You can do as I did, weaving through the buildings—you’ll find lots of little surprises, and you’ll discover how the outside world and the inside world differ. I met a shop owner’s dog that seemed a bit lonely on the corridor on the other side—maybe it wasn’t lonely at all, just enjoying the sunshine.


A staff member who passed by left a silhouette that made me pause.




Wooden clogs are an essential item in traditional arts and a great prop for photos—they carry a festive, auspicious vibe that’s simply adorable.

After browsing the shops, of course, you should take a moment in nature, enjoying the quietness on the not-so-crowded paths.


The trees have shed their leaves—that’s the scenery of winter. This place has different faces in all four seasons. It’s waiting for you and me to come see it at different times.




Find a spot to sit down—right by the lake, with the person next to you, just bask in the sunshine. Trust me, what shines into your heart will be a deep, deep sense of happiness. And that’s something money can’t buy.

Moving at a slow pace, stopping and then setting off again—these are small steps in a journey, but also important steps in life.


By lunchtime, there’s an area here that’s like a food court in a department store—with plenty of vendors, you can choose whatever you like.


But I can’t tell you for sure if it’s all delicious—because to be honest, it feels pretty much like a food court. Of course, you can do what I did—just order one bento for the two of us to fill up, then leave Wujie early and head to Luodong Night Market for a proper meal. XD


This railway bento was pretty good—I’d give it a 70–80. But the price is tourist-area pricing, around 150–170 NT per box. For two people, ordering one is fine—you can eat something else later, like candied hawthorn or grilled sausages. Just don’t go hungry.

Weekdays definitely have pros and cons—I noticed quite a few shops weren’t open. So I must’ve missed out on a lot of interesting stuff. There’s also a Starbucks here. That day, the two of us got a coffee each, sat inside, and stayed for two hours. It was quiet, and really nice.　

No matter where I go, I always find a spot to stop for a coffee. That cup isn’t just coffee—it’s about pausing to feel the place, think about what makes it attractive to you, and why you might want to come back. Those thoughts always show up in my writing, transforming those feelings into words from the tips of my fingers.








I didn’t specify where these spots are located within the arts center because I ended up not looking at the map either. You just need to follow your instincts, walk around in circles, again and again. Whether you come across something or miss it—that’s not the point of travel. The point is being happy in the moment. Like this couple in green clothes—they must be madly in love, because matching outfits say it all. Where the travel takes you—that’s not the point, XD.




See a bridge? Walk across it. See a building? Take a look. See fish? Check out what kind they are—even if you don’t know their names. No matter where you go, just look around more—that’s the key.






People come and go — the grounds of this arts center are really huge. Forgot to mention earlier, but even the parking lot here is massive, so it’s perfect for families to stroll around.




If you visit in the right season, you’ll also see bald cypress trees, though most of their leaves have probably fallen by now XD.



When leaving, we also ran into a scheduled performance. You can check online for the performance schedule of each period. That day’s show featured Liāu Tiān-tiann (a famous Taiwanese folk hero)! The entire crowd gathered again in the small shops area. Seeing the staff dressed in traditional costumes really made the atmosphere feel amazing — so lively and energetic. Even if you weren’t originally interested, the buzzing vibe would make you want to stick around for a while.




Everyone was super energetic. Even though I didn’t really understand what was going on, I was still really excited to come across this. Especially the part that resembled a parade troupe — everyone had so many props hanging off them, yet they moved around with incredible vigor. You can’t help but admire how hard they work and how much they’ve practiced.










We arrived here at almost 11 a.m. and didn’t leave until nearly 3 p.m. The sky was still bright. We ended up staying for almost four hours, and I found it really satisfying. Whether it was the variety in the little shops, the scenery along the streets, the atmosphere by the lake, or the enthusiasm of the performances — everything truly makes it worth recommending. If you’re in the area, be sure to set aside at least 2–3 hours to slowly and leisurely explore the place.

Author of this article:［Enjoy life without getting bored. By Xiao Sun］

【National Center for Traditional Arts】

Address:No. 201, Section 2, Wubin Road, Jixin Village, Wujie Township, Yilan County
Contact number:(03) 950-7711