Dongqing

Do you know where you can catch the first sunrise of a New Year in Taiwan? In fact, it is not Hualien or Taitung, but Dongqing Village on Orchid Island (蘭嶼), which is also called I-va-zo-ga, meaning “the place where the sun rises earliest”. Dongqing Village is located on the north east coast of Orchid Island. It is the furthest village from Kaiyuan Habor (開元港) and the airport, located between Langdao Village (朗島部落) and Yeyin Village (野銀部落). When you first drive into Dongqing, the giant colored tree trunk near the shore will catch your eye. Sometimes you can see the aboriginal summer fishing boats lying on the beautiful rocky beach, apparently ready to spring to attention to catch fish at any time. In the morning, this is the best place to witness sunrise on Orchid Island. In the evening, compared to the much busier area near Kaiyuan Harbor, the beach at Dongqing is more serene and comfortable. On the way to Dongqing Village from Langdao Village, there is the famous Lover’s Cave (情人洞), as well as a secret spot recommended by the locals. While in Dongqing, you don’t need to worry about getting hungry. All meals, from breakfast to a midnight snack, are tasty. Take it from us, those who come to Dongqing won’t necessarily see it as “travelling” or “being a tourist”, but more as a wonderful “way of life”.