Just 3 minutes from the train station: Stay one night at Yilan’s indie-style “Xingkou Cultural Travel” for as low as NT$660
Reported and photographed by reporter Tsai Wen-jun / Yilan
In recent years, the trend of revitalizing old buildings has taken off. Xingkou Cultural Travel, which opened in mid-January this year in Yilan, has repurposed a century-old hotel into a multifunctional space that combines cultural creativity, lodging, a bookstore, and a café — creating a cozy venue that showcases the local charm of Yilan. Staying here is easy too, with rooms starting as low as NT$660 per night. Plus, it’s just a 3-minute walk from Yilan Railway Station, making it a new popular accommodation choice in Yilan.
▲ Entrance to Xingkou Cultural Travel.
▲ A look at the various spaces at Xingkou Cultural Travel. (Photo / Reporter Tsai Wen-jun)
▲ % Zinc Youth Space.
Zhou Zhi-an, the owner of Xingkou Cultural Travel who is originally from Toucheng, used to work in the tech industry but wasn’t unfamiliar with the hospitality sector due to his investments in hotels. Three years ago, he returned to his hometown and, by chance, purchased what was once the tallest of Yilan Old Town’s five major hotels. After discussions with an architect, he decided to open his own inn and began envisioning what unique features it should have.
▲ Zhou Zhi-an, owner of both Xingkou Cultural Travel and Jingxing Cultural Creativity.
“There was a period when I traveled and stayed in various places — Taichung, Chiayi, Tainan, etc. Through observation and research, I decided on my own distinctive features,” Zhou Zhi-an said. He noted that cultural-themed inns were already popular in Tainan and Chiayi, but not in Yilan. At the time, JiMi Park had just emerged, and the area around Yilan Railway Station wasn’t as bustling as it is now. Feeling it was a pity, he decided to position his inn as a cultural and creative hotel.
▲ The entrance to Xingkou Cultural Travel features a wall adorned with art.
▲ Family room.
Room types at Xingkou Cultural Travel include backpacker dorms, double rooms, quad rooms, and family rooms. Backpacker dorms start at just NT$660 per night, while other room types range from NT$2400 to NT$4800 depending on weekdays and weekends.
▲ Each bed in the backpacker dorm comes with its own small light, power outlet, and lockable wardrobe.
To accommodate female solo travelers, Xingkou Cultural Travel has designated one 6-person backpacker dorm exclusively for women. The room includes a small living area and washroom facilities, and every bed is equipped with power outlets and a password-locked wardrobe. To help guests explore more of Yilan, the room also displays local artist Lu Shao-hua’s steel-pen landscape drawings of Yilan, along with a curated selection of travel books related to the area — inspiring guests to discover different corners of Yilan through reading and art.
▲ Hao Hao Coffee at Xingkou Cultural Travel.
▲ Breakfast made with local ingredients, prepared by Hao Hao Coffee.
But Xingkou Cultural Travel is more than just a place to stay. “When I was conceptualizing the features of my cultural inn, I decided it had to include elements of a bookstore and dining,” Zhou Zhi-an mentioned. Considering that guests would need breakfast and that quality mattered, he quickly decided to seek external partners. Similar to how he planned the cultural aspects of the inn, he visited independent coffee shops across Yilan, chatting with the owners. Eventually, he met Hao Hao Kaffee (Hao Hao Coffee) in Luodong. After their conversation, they found they shared similar philosophies, so he invited Hao Hao Coffee to set up shop — providing breakfast for guests and also opening to the public for meals.
▲ Stay Traveler’s Bookstore offers over 300 carefully selected books within Xingkou Cultural Travel.
▲ There is also a transparent glasshouse space.
The bookstore section is operated by Stay Traveler’s Bookstore, an independent bookstore that has gained popularity in Yilan in recent years. Zhou Zhi-an believes that many hotels or cafés may feature full book walls that end up serving only as decoration. Considering the difficulty independent bookstores face in sustaining themselves, he introduced the popular international concept of a bookstore-café (Book Café). This allows travelers to enjoy a literary and artsy atmosphere while dining. With around 300 carefully chosen books, many related to Yilan, the bookstore aims to become a platform for cultural exchange, helping international visitors learn about Yilan during their stay.
▲ "Old Town Stroll" is a portable travel guidebook that takes you through the hidden culinary and entertainment spots of Yilan’s Old Town. Its content was compiled by Stay Traveler’s Bookstore owner Lin Shih-chieh based on firsthand visits.
Xingkou Cultural Travel
Address: No. 14, Kang Le Road, Yilan City, Yilan County
Official Website:https://www.hangkhauhotel.com/
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