Hualien One-Day Tour (Part 2): From Guanglong Museum to Sanzhan River Tracing :: Hualien’s Sioulin & Xincheng Districts

Recommended Attraction: Guanglong Museum

The Guanglong Museum combines advanced technology with natural science and cultural heritage, featuring a variety of educational and entertaining facilities. It has created Asia’s only “Artificial Earthquake Experience Hall,” “Artificial Typhoon Experience Hall,” and the nation’s largest “Century Dinosaur Museum,” making it a super-popular amusement park in eastern Taiwan that is immensely popular.

Address: No. 1-2, Kawan, Kang Le Village, Xincheng District, Hualien County (at the 194km mark of Highway 9)

Recommended Attraction: Qixingtan (Seven Star Lake)

Located at the northeastern corner of Hualien City, Qixingtan is not a pond or a lake but a beautiful bay. The Qixingtan Bicycle Path stretches approximately 15 kilometers from the Qilai Nose Lighthouse, through Hualien Port and the Hualien Whale Watching Leisure Wharf, all the way to the South and North Bin Parks in downtown Hualien. Along the way, you can enjoy the vast Pacific Ocean scenery and rich natural ecology.

GPS: N24°01'38.8", E121°37'53.0"

Transportation: Take a bus headed for Taroko from Hualien Railway Station, get off at Beibu Station, and then transfer to a taxi to reach the destination.

Recommended Attraction: Qixing Dried Bonito Museum

Originally a dried bonito factory, the Qixing Dried Bonito Museum fully preserves Hualien’s bonito culture. The museum features an “Aquatic Product Processing Area,” a “Dried Bonito Process Exhibition Area,” and a “DIY Experience Area,” showcasing the history and production methods of dried bonito in Hualien. Visitors can even try DIY bonito-making and taste local specialties such as monkfish ball soup.

Address: No. 148, Qixing Street, Dahan Village, Xincheng District, Hualien County

Phone: 03-823-6100

Opening Hours: 09:00–19:00 (opens one hour earlier on holidays and school breaks)

Website: http://www.katsuo.com.tw

GPS: N24°01'36.7", E121°37'44.9"

Recommended Attraction: Di Geng Wei Theme Pavilion

Showcasing local flavors and abundant cuisine from 13 townships in Hualien, including naturally grown healthy fruits and vegetables, marine delicacies brought by the Kuroshio Current, and pure, high-quality farm produce, the pavilion develops specialties such as banana pastries, premium crystal crispy cakes, dried mackerel chips, and Taiwanese nougat. It’s a great place to shop for Hualien souvenirs.

Address: No. 17-1, Kawan, Kang Le Village, Xincheng District, Hualien County (approximately at the 192.5km mark of Highway 9)

Phone: 03-826-0303, 03-826-0707

Business Hours: 07:30–18:00

Website: http://www.jota.com.tw

GPS: N24°01'36.7", E121°37'44.9"

Recommended Attraction: Sanzhan River Tracing (Buladang)

After the establishment of the “Buladang Eco-Tourism Center” within the Sanzhan River area (named after the local Taroko indigenous community who call themselves “Buladang”), the river has gained increasing popularity as an excellent spot for eco-tourism and river tracing. The river water is emerald green, and the sandy beaches along the canyon are perfect for playing in the water. Rose stones, favored by rock collectors, can also often be found. With its stunning scenery rivaling that of the Taroko Gorge, it has earned the nickname “Little Taroko.”

Buladang Visitor Tourism Center

Address: No. 98-2, Sanzhan, Jimei Village, Xiulin Township, Hualien County (15th Neighborhood)

Phone: 03-826-9916

Transportation: From downtown Hualien, follow Provincial Highway 9 northbound through Jimei, then turn left at the sign before Huai’en Bridge to reach Sanzhan Village