Itinerary
Day 1 (Mon)
Taipei – Hualien
Pick up from hotel in Taipei City – Taroko National Park – Qixingtan Beach – Tungdamen Night Market – Hotel
Hotel: 4 stars Fullon Hotel, Hualien
Day 2 (Tue)
Hualien – Taitung
Hotel – Guangfu Sugar Factory – Tropic of Cancer – Chishang Bento Museum – Mr. Brown Avenue (cycling) – Hotel
Hotel: 4 stars Century Hotel, Taitung
Day 3 (Wed)
Taitung – Kaohsiung
Hotel – Duoliang Station – Foguangshan Buddha Museum – Dragon and Tiger Pagoda – Pier 2 Art Center – Hotel
Hotel: 4 stars Fullon Hotel, Kaohsiung
Day 4 (Thu)
Changhua – Nantou
Hotel – Lukang Old Street – Sun Moon Lake (Boat Cruise) – Xiang-shan Tourist Center – Hotel
Hotel: Hotel Del Lago, Nantou
Day 5 (Fri)
Taichung – Taipei
Hotel – Rainbow Village – Taichung YIzhong Street – Vigor Kobo Pineapple Cake DIY – Taipei City hotel drop off
Description
Hualien Taroko
Taroko National Park is one of eight national parks in Taiwan and was named after the Taroko Gorge, the landmark gorge of the park. Taroko, means "magnificent and beautiful" in the Truku language of the Truku indigenous tribe. This is one of the largest naturally enclosed spaces in the world, spanning 2,300 feet long, 1,300 feet wide, and at least 230 feet high. Taroko Gorge and its surrounding area are well known for their abundant supply of marble.
Qixingtan Beach
The Qixingtan Beach is a famous beach in Hualien County facing the Pacific Ocean. Located in a half moon-like shape gulf, this beach is famous for its beautiful natural landscape and attracts tens of thousands of tourists each year.
Tungdamen Night Market
The largest night market in Hualien, Tungtamen Night Market is located nearby the downtown area and next to the Pacific Park.
Guangfu Sugar Factory
It was set up in 1913 when Guangfu Township was called Mataian. In 1921, the Yamato Factory was also set up a large scale sugar factory at the same township. During the Second World War, these two factories were damaged by bombing. After Taiwan Retrocession, Taiwan Sugar Corporation took over and renamed it as Hualien Sugar Factory, and this became the major sugar manufacture for east Taiwan. Due to the sugar factory is located in Guangfu Township, it is also called “Guangfu Sugar Mill.”
Chihshang's Lunchbox Museum
It displays evolvement and history of lunchboxes, the side dishes, traditional kitchen stoves, farming tools, and utensils. Here visitors are taken back in the time of Japanese ruling when the first Chihshang lunchbox was made.
Mr. Brown Avenue
A small country avenue in Chihshang Township of Taitung County becomes widely popular due to a commercial of Mr. Brown Coffee. It is called a “green road of paradise.” It has vast green rice fields without a wire pole along the roadside. You can truly feel how borderless it is. The avenue has good views for photograph and can bring your mind away from the hustle. Come to experience such pure relief in person.
Duoliang station
After called the most beautiful station, Duoliang Station has attracted more and more tourists, due to the juxtaposition of railway, mountain and ocean. It is actually not difficult to find this station. There is an obvious indicator at 417.5km on No.9 Provincial Highway. Then turn right and go upward.
Dragon and Tiger Pagoda
About 700 meters to the south of the Spring and Autumn Pavilions are the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas. The dragon's throat is the entrance and the tiger's mouth is the exit. Entering a dragon's throat and coming out a tiger's mouth symbolizes turning bad luck to good fortune. Inside, paintings depict China's 24 most obedient sons as well as scenes of heaven and hell to inspire people to do good deeds during their lifetime, and to provide threatening examples of retribution for wrongdoing.
Pier 2 Art Center
Located at the sides of the pier are the artistic warehouse clusters, it was once an abandoned and forgotten warehouse buried in history due to the move from an industrial based segment to the service sector. However, Pier-2 area was released and re-born making the region a place where tourist and locals can come together to enjoy fine art. With the collision of an old area and new fine art, Pier-2 becomes an area of new vitality and liveliness.
Foguangshan Buddha Memorial Hall
It is an international Chinese Mahayana Buddhist monastic order based in Taiwan and one of the largest Buddhist organizations in the world. Founded by Venerable Master Hsing Yun in 1967, the order promotes Humanistic Buddhism with aims to propagate Buddhist teachings through cultural activities, foster talent through education, benefit society through charitable programs, and to purify human hearts and minds through Buddhist practice.
Lukang Old Street
It is famed for its well-preserved cultural and historical heritages, as well as old-time flavors that attract large number of both local and international visitors each day. Lukang Town is one of Taiwan’s oldest towns and Lukang Old Street was the main business district of Lukang Town back in the early days. Lukang old town was once a bustling port during the Qing Dynasty in the 1600s and continued to be a thriving business center until 1895 when the Japanese came. The name Lukang, literally means “Deer Harbor”, was given as it was the main harbor for exporting deerskin during the Dutch Colonial Period.
Sun Moon Lake
Situated in Nantou County, is the largest body of water in Taiwan. Surrounding a tiny island called Lalu, the east side of the lake bears a resemblance to the sun and the west side a moon. This area is home to the Thao aboriginal tribe, and its natural beauty and breathtaking views are what makes it one of the top tourist attractions in Taiwan.
Rainbow Village
It was a small and eroding military dependents’ village inhabited by an old military veteran known as “Grandpa Rainbow”. To save his village from the threat of demolition, he began painting the walls, doors, and grounds of the village with vibrant colors and characters, bringing life back to the drab and rundown exteriors. Today, the village has become a major tourist destination and a great place for photography enthusiasts to test their skills.
Taichung Yizhong Street
Yizhong Shopping District is regarded as the most popular shopping area in Taichung. Located next to Chungyo Department Store and National Taichung University of Science and Technology, the entire shopping area has become one of the most popular locations for locals to shop and eat. At night many food and merchandise stalls open up and it becomes a de facto night market. Many of the stores sell similar merchandise, so prices here are much cheaper in comparison with other areas.
Vigor Kobo Pineapple Cake DIY
You can have a Factory tour at Vigor Kobo Pineapple Cake Factory and try your hand on pineapple cake DIY. The instructor set up the pineapple cake paste and equipment for making pineapple cake. After finish baking, you can bring your own pineapple cake home.