Living in Southern Hualien
Living Areas
Yuli township
Yuli township is the largest town between Hualien City and Taitung City.
A Day in Southern Hualien
General Traffic Guideline
Public transportation in Southern Hualien is not as convenient as in the city. Motorcycling is the main transportation. There are quite a few famous scenic spots in the surrounding area, attracting Taiwanese and people around the world to visit on weekends and holidays.
Yuchang Highway
Starting from Yuli, you can take the Yuchang Highway to the east coast to enjoy the breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean.
Yufu Bike Path
A relaxing bike ride between the township will be a good choice to know the place as well, Yufu Bike Path connects Yuli to Fuli. it is converted from the old eastern Railway tracks and the total length is 10km. You will enjoy the spectacular scenery along the path, including the endless fields as well as the riverbed, and even overlook the mountain ranges in the Central Mountain Range, when riding toward the central fault of the Yuli Bridge, you will spot the sense of surprise of the crossing two plates. it is the world's only bikeway that crosses the Eurasian Plate and the Philippine Sea Plate.
Nan’an Waterfall
Walk into the natural is also the way to know about southern Hualien, Walami Trail is inside Yushan National Park, and around a 10-minute ride from the center of Yuli. Before you start hiking, you can first go to Nan’an Visitor Center to know more about the history of the Ba Tong Guan Historic Trail. While you are there, you can also visit Nan’an Waterfall. The trail goes upwards along the Lekuleku River; there are five suspension bridges spanning the valley, one of the features of Walami Trail.
Food
Yuli Stinky Tofu
Stinky tofu is a kind of fermented tofu, which has a highly unpleasant, pungent smell. But tastes amazing and beloved by locals.
Yuli Qiaotou Ice
It has been in business for more than half a century and is a well-known local ice shop. The ingredients for the signature Babao ice in the store are available in a variety of flavors, and it has gradually become a popular ice product in town.
A-Len Yuli Noodle
Yuli noodles are made with a Pork bone broth base, which makes the soup taste rich, and the noodles are made by hand, making them chewy and smooth, hence the name "Taiwan-style Japanese ramen.
Festivals in Southern Hualien
Fuli Harvest Music Festival
On the eve of the autumn harvest, the golden rice waves in the coastal mountains swayed with the wind, and the East Rift Valley farmers celebrated the harvest. In Fuli Town, an average of 400 people get on and off at the station every day. The performance stage of the music festival is located on a grassy slope in the valley of Yongfeng Village. Feel free to sit or lie down, looking at the blue sky and white clouds from the valley. The surrounding rice fields are full of golden rice ears, and the view is extremely wide. There are no auditoriums here. Bring picnic mats and enjoy the scenery while watching the performance or strolling in the market. You can fully experience the main stage with the earth.
The mysterious customs and traditions of the indigenous tribes, Taiwan's indigenous people, such as the Harvest Festival (Smatto), the Worship of Hunting (Mabuasu), spiritual rituals, totemism, and snake worship, give an extra dimension to Taiwan's culture. The indigenous tribes of Taiwan form the most northern branch of the Austronesia language group and ethnically belong to the Malay race. Most indigenous tribes have retreated into the mountains, but many are faced with assimilation. Hualien is home to the rich indigenous cultural heritage of the Amis, Bunun, Truku, Sakizaya, and Sediq peoples. The Harvest Festival every year is not only a vivid display of ethnic character but also the most important ceremony of the year for indigenous villages. Through an assortment of rituals, songs, and dances, indigenous people thank their ancestors for a blessed year and pray for another year of good weather and abundant harvests.
The Ear-shooting Festival of the Bunun tribe
The Ear-shooting Festival is the most important celebration of the Bunun people. Held from the end of April and to the beginning of May, the celebration is divided into sowing rites, hunting rites, and ear-shooting rites; pig roasting, apportioning the meat, and storing the meat; work celebrations, witch inductions, and other major activities. The traditional ear-shooting ceremony starts well before the celebration itself when the young men of the tribe go into the mountains and hunt. Then they cut off the ears of their kills, sticking the ears on a pole or a tree branch for the village men to shoot with arrows. Little children, accompanied by their fathers and older brothers, also practice shooting arrows, hoping that this will enable them to become good hunters.
Harvest Festival of the Amis tribe
The Harvest Festival is the largest festival of the Amis tribe. Different villages hold separate festivals during July and August; the festival has three stages, including welcoming the spirits, feasting the spirits, and sending the spirits off. In modern times, the ceremony has been shortened and religious ceremonies simplified. Several activities have been added, including a race, tug-of-war, and arrow shooting competition. The festivities, once limited to tribal participation, are now open to the general public.