Yuli

Yuli (玉里) is a township in central Huatung Valley in Hualien County. It is home to the Yushan National Park, one of Taiwan's nine national parks.

Understand

Yuli is in the valley that runs from north to south between Hualien and Taitung, and as such is flanked by mountains on two sides. It is mostly a farming area.

Get in

By train

Yuli Station

• 1 Yuli station (玉里車站). Yuli is one of the main train stops between Hualien and Taitung. The fast trains from Taipei Main Station take about 3 hrs. (updated Apr 2020)
• 2 Sanmin station (三民車站). (updated Apr 2020)

Get around

The best thing to do is to rent a bicycle or scooter around the train station, because many sights are out of town and in the surrounding area.

See

• 1 Eurasian and Philippine Tectonic Plate Border (on the bicycle bridge across the (large) river). This is an information area marking the border of the both tectonic plates. (updated Nov 2017)

Museums

• 2 Eastern Taiwan Black Bear Education Center (東部臺灣黑熊教育館), No. 50, Minquan Street, ☏ +886 3 888 6010. M-F 09:00-17:00. A volunteer-run educational centre focusing on the fauna of Eastern Taiwan, particularly black bears. There is very little material available in English here. (updated Apr 2020)
• 3 PuShi Arts Hall (璞石藝術館), 50, Minquan st, ☏ +886 3 8887485. Tu–Su 09:30–12:00, 13:30–16:30. A display hall used to showcase a local artform, originally using the offcut materials from the local rock quarries, which was later developed to more fully utilise the variety of materials available in the area. (updated Apr 2020)

Temples

Gate of the Sietian Temple

Lundun Gufeng Temple

• 4 Chike Fude Temple (赤科山福德祠). A small temple to the Lord of the Soil and the Ground (土地公), a Chinese folk deity. (updated Apr 2020)
• 5 Chunrih Wugu Temple (春日五穀宮). A local temple to the god of agriculture. (updated Apr 2020)
• 6 Cihui Temple (慈惠堂), No. 9-5, Xinyi Road, ☏ +886 3 888 2967. A larger, ornate temple complex built in 1958. (updated Apr 2020)
• 7 Huashan Temple (華山寺), No. 75, Heping Road. A large Buddhist temple complex. (updated Apr 2020)
• 8 Lundun Gufeng Temple (崙敦古鳳宮), ☏ +886 3 885 1130. A multi-storey Taoist temple complex in the town centre. (updated Apr 2020)
• 9 Sheng'an Temple (玉里勝安宮), No. 35, Section 1, Zhongshan Road, ☏ +886 3 888 2658. 09:00-21:00. A relatively large temple building dedicated to the Queen Mother of the West (西王母) (updated Apr 2020)
• 10 Sietian Temple (協天宮), ☏ +886 3 888 2252. (updated Apr 2020)
• 11 Yuquan Temple (玉泉寺), No. 70, Xibian Street, ☏ +886 3 888 2635. 08:00-17:00. A Buddhist temple with pleasant gardens. (updated Apr 2020)

Do

• The main attraction here is the Walami trail, a historic hiking trail once used by the Japanese to keep on eye on aboriginal villages in the mountains. Many sections have been wiped out, you can do the first part as a daytrip, or go to the highest accessible point in one day where there is a cabin to spend the night. In the latter case you will need to apply in time for a permit and register with the police station.
• Rent a bicycle or scooter and explore the surrounding area, because many sights are out of town. There are at least two waterfalls, one hot spring and several short hikes nearby. Best consult the tourist map in front of the railway station. The hot spring is 6 km out of town from the large bridge southeast, where you will also find a sign for it.

Parks and nature

Mount Yu Shan

• 1 Tiefen Falls (鐵汾瀑布). A lakeside recreation area known for its waterfall. (updated Apr 2020)
• 2 Yushan National Park (玉山國家公園). Yushan National Park is well known for its diverse climate zones and rich biodiversity. The plants found in the park spans from subtropical at its foothills to alpine at its summits. (updated Apr 2020)
• 3 Chike Mountain (赤柯山). A mountain that is famed for its floral blooms. Be aware that the road up the mountain is often narrow and can be unsettling for some. (updated Apr 2020)

Hot springs

• 4 Antong Hot Springs (安通溫泉). (updated Apr 2020)

Experiences

• 5 Dongfeng Leisure Farm (東風綠活), 769 Zhongshan Road, ☏ +886 3 958 7511. A campsite that has some limited farming facilities. (updated Apr 2020)

Eat

• Yuli noodles (Yuli mian) are the local specialty, although you might be left wondering how different they are from noodles elsewhere in Taiwan.
• Straight out of the railway station, some shops are selling delicious and mostly not sour/bitter grapefruit and pomelos, which are a great treat during the hot weather.

Night markets

• 1 Yuli Night Market (玉里夜市), Zhongzhi Road. F Su 18:00-22:00. A typical Taiwan-style night market offering a wide range of snack stalls. (updated Apr 2020)

Drink

• Chikeshan Black Tea (赤科山蜜香紅茶). A local variety of honey scented black tea. (updated Apr 2020)

Sleep

• Wisdom Garden, ☏ +886 921986461. This is a great B&B a bit to the north of Yuli. The owners are a friendly Buddhist couple who will be happy to pick you up at the Yuli train station. The list price is NT$2,400 for a double, but you may get it for as little as NT$1,800 on a weekday in low season for a double en suite.. 

Go next

• Hualien – Touristic centre of the Hualien County and base for exploring the nearby Taroko Gorge.
• Taitung(台東 or 臺東) – The youngest city in Taiwan and was developed by Japan as a base for Pacific expansion. Taitung's population is strongly Aboriginal, Hoklo and Hakka. It is by far one of the most laid back, relaxing, and beautiful of Taiwan's cities.
• Also see the nearby Hualien County and Taitung County attractions.