4-Day Eastern Taiwan Tour

• Pick up from hotel in Taipei (train from Taipei Main Station)
• Hualien
• East Coast National Scenic Area (Fanshuliao, Shitiping, Sanxiantai, Amis Folk Center)

East Coast National Scenic Area
The East Coast National Scenic Area, known as "Taiwan's last unspoiled land," stretches 170 kilometers down the east coast of the island from the mouth of the Hualien River in the north to Xiaoyeliu (Little Yeliu) in the south. To the east it is bounded by the Pacific Ocean; to the west rises the Coastal Mountain Range. The land here consists of volcanic rock, classic rock from deep beneath the sea, and shale that has been pushed upward- and is still being pushed upward- by tectonic action. Weathering, erosion, and accumulation have produced a wide range of landforms here, including coastal terraces, sand and pebble beaches, shoreline reefs, inshore islands, and capes along with sea-eroded platforms, trenches, and caves. This varied topography provides habitat for a rich diversity of flora and fauna.

Amis Folk Center
The Amis Folk Center is located next to the Duli Tourist Center of the East Coast Scenic Area Tourism Bureau. The area is about 2 hectares in size, including an outdoor performance square and a lookout that can hold two thousand people at a time. It is a great place to experience Amis traditional culture. The center was established in November 1995. The main building of family and festival houses are based on the hand drawings of Guangfu Township in Hualien County from 1943 by the Japanese ethnologist, Chichiiwa Taro. The buidings here are an imitation of the Shaman's house in Taibalang community in Hualien County. Come and visit and observe the unique lifestyle of the Amis.

• Departure from Taitung
• East Rift Valley National Scenic Area (Luye Highland, Biking at Mr. Brown Avenue, Takeshi Kaneshiro Tree, Matai’an Wetlands Ecological Park)
• Hualien

East Rift Valley
The East Rift Valley is a long, narrow valley flanked by the Central Mountain Range to the west and the Coastal Mountain Range to the east. This is where the Eurasian and the Philippine tectonic plates collide, resulting in the creation of many fault lines. Due to its location between the Coastal Mountains Range to the east and the Central Mountains Range to the west, and the difference of over 2,000 meters in altitude between the valley and mountain ranges, there is an abundance of plant life in the East Rift Valley.

Luye Gaotai
Luye Gaotai, a highland at elevation of 350 meters. The unique geographical conditions offer an ideal location for tea cultivation, and paragliding.

Mr. Brown Avenue & Taitung's Takeshi Kaneshiro tree
Mr. Brown Avenue is famous for the TV commercial of Mr. Brown Coffee(a local coffee brand). The “avenue” is a single lane pathway in the middle of the green paddy fields. Takeshi Kaneshiro Tree is a Toog Tree growing beside Mr. Brown Avenue. The tree is famous for one of the EVA Air TV commercials starred by the famous Taiwanese-Japanese actor – Takeshi Kaneshiro.

Matai'an Wetland Ecological Park
Matai'an Wetland Ecological Park is located at the foot of Masi Mountain, which is the biggest natural wetland in Hualien and also the traditional homeland of the Ami people.

• Departure from Hualien
• Taroko National Park
• Shakadang Trail or Lushui Trail
• Eternal Spring Shrine (Changchun Temple)
• Swallow Grotto
• Cihmu Bridge
• Qingshui Cliff
• Jiaoxi in Yilan

Taroko National Park
Taroko became a national park in 1986, including Hualien County, Nantou County and Taichung City. Taroko is famous for its spectacular mountains and marble canyons. Cliffs and canyons stretch along Liwu River. Four million years ago, the island of Taiwan was formed by the collision of plates. After millions of years of wind erosion, the marble rocks were exposed and cut by Liwu River, creating impressive grand canyons. From Qingshui to Nanhu Peak, the drop height is 3,742 meters. Such special geography has also bred special flora and fauna in this area.Following the Central Cross-Island Highway, at Yanzikou (Swallow Grotto) the rock cliffs of the Liwu River gorge seem to reach to heaven while the river runs its swiftest and the distance between the gorge walls so narrow that they almost seem to touch each other.

Swallow Grotto
Along the Swallow Grotto trail which runs about a half kilometer starting from the entrance to Swallow Grotto to the Jinheng Bridge, you can enjoy the sights of the Liwu River from nearly straight above the water, the potholes on the cliff faces, the springs sprinkled along the lower parts of the walls, as well as the famous rock formation "Chieftain's profile rock".

Qingshui Cliff
Qingshui Cliff is a 21 kilometer length of coastal cliffs averaging 800 meters above sea level in Xiulin Township, Hualien County, Taiwan. The tallest peak, Qingshui Mountain, rises 2408 meters directly from the Pacific Ocean. The cliff is located at the southern part of the Suhua Highway that connects the counties of Yilan and Hualien in eastern Taiwan. It is considered to be a very scenic area and is the highest coastal cliff in Taiwan.

• Departure from Jiaoxi
• National Center for Traditional Arts
• King Car Kavalan Distillery
• King Car Orchid Garden
• Taipei

National Center for Traditional Arts
This new 24-hectare facility is located beside beautiful Dongshan River in Yilan. In addition to organized displays and performances of culture and art, it also provides a stage where performing artists can show off their creative works. The emphasis here is on the continuous propagation, innovation, and renewal of traditional arts.

King Car Orchid Garden
Taiwan is well-known for orchid breeding cultivation. The Taiwan International Orchid Show takes place every year since 2004. King Car Orchid Garden is the biggest orchid garden in Northern Taiwan, with a greenhouse that covers an area of 28,231 square meters and cultivates 1,300,000 orchid plants.

King Car Kavalan Distillery
The first whiskey distillery in Taiwan. Here you are offered to have a sip of different types of whiskey.