My two friends and I spent about four days in Hualien county (花蓮縣) which lies on Taiwan’s east coast. It’s a less visited part of Taiwan for tourists as there is no high speed rail that goes there. There really isn’t that much to see in Hualien apart from natural scenery. But as I’m someone who loves nature, this suited me fine. Here are some snapshots from my few days there.


The mountains of Hualien form an impressive backdrop as we walk away from Hualien’s main train station.


The magnificent Taroko Gorge (太魯閣) that is definitely worth a trip.


We drove to Taroko Gorge in a car we rented from a car rental service near the train station. The roads at the gorge are narrow and winding, so be very careful if you’re driving.


From Hualien city, we drove farther down south and drove along the coastal highway. We were lucky to be blessed with fine weather (albeit a bit hot, but better than encountering a typhoon) while in Taiwan. Driving along the highway with the Pacific Ocean for company, without huge tankers and ship in sight was amazing. I felt as if the whole ocean belonged to me.


A view from an observatory point along our way down south.


At the Tropic of Cancer marker where many tourists like to take a rest stop and take a shot with the structure.


Dogs in Taiwan do a good balancing act.