Hualien One-Day Tour (III): From the Whale-Watching Pier to Pu Shi Café:: Downtown Hualien

Hualien Fishing Port is just about a 10-minute drive from downtown Hualien, making it highly accessible and a new landmark for tourism and leisure in Hualien. Whale and dolphin watching activities here are very popular, as the waters off Hualien and Taitung are habitats for sperm whales, false killer whales, Risso's dolphins, and Fraser's dolphins. Especially in summer, whale-watching boats departing from the pier come and go in an endless stream.

Address: No. 37-2, Gangbin Rd., Hualien City

Phone: 03-822-3118

This museum is Taiwan’s first stone sculpture museum. As Hualien is the distribution hub of stone materials in Taiwan, holding 90% of the island’s stone resources, with the total value of stone material imports, exports, and processing ranking second in the world only after Italy, it also serves as a creative base for stone sculptors across Taiwan. The stone sculptures in the museum are all carefully selected masterpieces collected over the years from international stone sculpture events.

Address: No. 8, Wenfu Rd., Hualien City (Hualien County Cultural Affairs Bureau)

Opening Hours: 9:00–17:00

Admission: General admission NT$20 (Regular visitors). Closed on: Chinese New Year, Tomb-Sweeping Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and during exhibition changes (subject to official announcements).

Website: http://stone.hccc.gov.tw

GPS: N23°58'27.3", E121°36'21.7"

Built in 1942, Songyuan Guesthouse served as a lodging facility for the Japanese kamikaze pilots during the Japanese colonial period. It is now the best-preserved Japanese colonial building in Hualien. Nestled within towering pine trees, the guesthouse features elegant brown-tiled roofs and white walls. Located to the right of Meishan and backed by the Central Mountain Range with a view of the Pacific Ocean, it offers excellent seaside vistas.

Address: No. 26, Shuiyuan St., Hualien City

Phone: 03-835-6510

Opening Hours: 9:00–18:00

Website: http://pinegarden9.myweb.hinet.net

GPS: N23°59'05.0", E121°36'27.1"

Pu Shi Café is a Hualien outpost of the Tourism Bureau’s “International Spotlight” project, also known as “Hualien’s Little Eslite,” and can be considered the hub of Hualien’s artistic, cultural life, and creative culture. In addition to the café on the first floor, the second floor houses the “O’rip Life Traveler Studio,” which publishes art and culture publications and hosts various events, positioning itself as a community café.

Address: No. 8, Mingli Rd., Hualien City

Phone: 03-837-5968

Business Hours: 7:00–17:30 (Closed at night)

Website: http://blog.yam.com/cafejade

The interior of A-ZhiBao Handicrafts Gallery is simple yet warm. The store sells representative handmade brand products from all over Taiwan, including Mu Jing Shan, Mushroom, Miao Market, Cat Little P, Element 47 Sterling Silver Workshop, EZstudio, A-Yuan Soap, Da He Bamboo Art, and more. There is everything from souvenirs, daily necessities, wooden toys to finely crafted items.

Address: No. 56, Zhonghua Road, Hualien City

Phone: 03-835-6913

Business hours: 10:30–21:30 (closes at 17:30 on Mondays)

Website: http://www.a-zhibao.tw