Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Cyclists looking for a bit of adventure should come midweek, and out of summer
months, and ride to the Mugua River Gorge ( Mùgǔ Mùyú ), a chasm as dramatic in appear-
ance as Taroko Gorge but far more raw. The gorge has a morning and afternoon limit of
300 visitors so get here by 5.30am (for the 6.30am opening) or 11am (for the noon open-
ing). You need to register at the police station along the way to receive your permit.
Bring your passport and note that headlights are essential for this ride.
Several popular swimming holes can be found in the gorge down a side road. After
passing the police station, continue a few kilometres until you reach a large red bridge.
Don't cross, but instead take the lower road to the left going upstream along the Ch-
ingshui River. Further up are some large marble-lined natural swimming holes filled with
deep, bluish green, crystal-clear water. Recent restaurant and shop construction has
ruined the atmosphere in places, but you can still find beautiful spots.
If you want to take a bus to Liyu Lake there are nine per day from Hualien (NT$82, 20
minutes). The Shoufong (Shòufēng) bus (from Hualien) passes by the lake.
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Lintianshan
At its heyday as a Japanese-era logging village, Lintianshan (Líntiánshān) housed a pop-
ulation of over 2000. The now near ghost town is definitely worth a visit if you are in the
area. The surrounding mountains are lushly forested and there is a genuine historical at-
mosphere to the village, which is made entirely out of cypress. The main buildings and a
couple exhibition halls that highlight logging, firefighting and woodcarving are opened
from 8am to 5pm Tuesday to Sunday, but you can wander the village at any time.
If you are driving south, take the exit at Km243 on Highway 9 for Wanrong. The turn-
off for Lintianshan (marked in English) is a few hundred metres down. From Hualien,
there are four morning trains (NT$40 to NT$65, one hour). Get off at Wanrong Station
and turn left down a short lane. Turn left again at the end and follow the road (Hwy 16)
for about 2.5km.
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Hualien Sugar Factory
Sugar became an important export in the late 19th century after the forced opening of
ports following the second Opium War. Up until the 1930s it dominated the economy,
and under Japanese colonial rule, sugar fields and processing factories were established
 
 
 
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