Luodong

Luodong, also spelled Lotung, (羅東; Luódōng) is a city in Yilan County.

Get in

Luodung is accessible by train, bus (Capital star, Kamalan, or Guoguang) or car (National Freeway 5). Navigation is easy as all street signs are in both Chinese characters and either Romanization or English.

By train

Luodong train station.

• 1 Luodong TRA station (羅東車站), 2 Gongzheng Road. The TRA station for Luodong Township lies slightly to the north east of the town centre.  

By bus

• 2 Luodong Transfer Station (羅東轉運站). Luodong Transfer Station is the main bus interchange depot for the township. It lies immediately to the east of the TRA station. 

Get around

There is a free city bus. The buses run every 30 minutes or so. Route maps are in Chinese only. Taxis are available at the train station, and the bus station near Jungshan Park. Bus drivers and taxi drivers at this time (2009) do not speak English.

See

Parks & nature

• 1 Luodong Sports Park (羅東運動公園), No. 666, Gongzheng Road, ☏ +886 3 954 1216. The biggest attraction in Luodung. There are basketball courts, tennis courts, a professional baseball field, a track for exercise, in addition to areas for strolling, fish feeding (Japanese Grass Carp) and other outdoor activities. 
• 2 Luodong Forestry Culture Park (羅東林業文化園區), No. 118, Zhongzheng North Road, ☏ +886 3 954 5114. Located on the north side of Luodung. It is built around two logging ponds from the Japanese logging era. The main attractions here are the old train engines and the giant tree stump sculptures. 

Temples

Many temples dot the city of Luodung. Each one is dedicated to a particular god. Gung An temple is one of the biggest. There is also a smaller one dedicated to Sun Wu Kung (the monkey god). The smaller temples are often the most intriguing. While the larger temples have many of the same gods, the smaller temeples are dedicated to lesser known deities, such as the god of agriculture, or even the "Brother Pig" - god of thugs and seedy night life.

• 3 Luodong Confucian Temple (羅東孔子廟), No. 26, Section 1, Beicheng Road, ☏ +886 3 951 6063. The local Confucian temple which includes the temple building and is surrounded by an area of ponds and gardens.  
• 4 Luodong Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (羅東聖母升天堂), No. 20, Section 1, Beicheng Road, ☏ +886 3 951 2963. The city's Catholic cathedral located in the central-eastern part of the town. 
• 5 (爐源寺) No. 16, Lane 55, Weiyang Road. A large, multi-storey Buddhist temple on the western side of town. 
• 6 Chenghuang Temple (羅東城隍廟), No. 128, Zhongzheng Road, ☏ +886 3954 5924. A smaller temple dating from 1815.  
• 7 Zhen'an Temple (羅東震安宮), No. 35, Zhongzheng Road, ☏ +886 3956 2533.  

Do

There isn't much to do in Luodung. But it is a fantastic jumping off point to see the rest of Yilan County.

• 1 Luodong Cultural Working House (羅東文化工場), No. 96, Section 1, Chunjing Road, ☏ +886 3957 7440. An area of open parkland where there are often arts performances and workshops. 
• 2 Yilan County Natural History Education Center (宜蘭縣自然史教育館), No. 99, Zhonghua Road, ☏ +886 3 956 4177. A national level museum dedicated to the natural environment with both indoor and outdoor attractions and exhibits. 

Eat

• Jun, 10-1, Chuanjing Road, Sec 2, ☏ +886 3 955-3699. Specializes in Yilan cuisine. 

Night markets

• 1 Luodong Night Market (羅東夜市), intersection of Xindong Rd and Minsheng Rd, ☏ +886 3954 5102. located on three sides of Jungshan Park, is full of food stalls all with traditional Taiwanese cuisine. Try the oyster omelette, fried rice noodles, or filled tapioca starch balls. For the brave at heart, or smelling impaired, try the stinky tofu. Good buys are dried fruit from Yilan County and an abundance of costume jewelry.