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Dananao Old Trail

As the oldest route connecting Suao with Hualien, Suhua Old Trail had been abandoned for years before three sections of the trail were re-opened to public a few years ago, and Dananao Old Trail is one the them. It is a north-south long distance route with an elevation difference of 700 meters between the highest and lowest points, and it takes around five hours to complete the round trip. The lookout at the 0.6 km mark of the trail offers a commanding view of the distant Dongao Bay and Wushibi.

The trail descends to the south, so if you begin your journey from the north, the hike will be a lot easier than the other way around. Even so, many ambitious hikers still choose to start from the south and hike all the way up — challenging yet rewarding. The entrance to the trail from the south can be found behind the Dananao Mazu Temple. Partially paved with wood stairs, muddy roads and stone steps, the trail is equipped with three different platforms to rest your weary feet, while the highest one is on top of the Nanao Main Peak. Note that these three platform are all located within the mountains, and only the one at the 0.6 km mark allows you to take in a spectacular view with Dongao Bay and Wushibi in the distance. As Hualien was hardly accessible in the early years, the hardships of connecting to the outside world can be easily imagined while you hike the Dananao Old Trail with ruins and abandoned pillboxes seen along the way.

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Address

Chaoyang Rd., Su’ao Township, Yilan County 270, Taiwan (R.O.C.)

Business hours

00:00 - 23:59

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Nearby

Mr. Brown Castle Café

Perched on the mountainside, Mr. Brown Castle Café in Yilan boasts a fairy-tale setting with far-reaching panoramic views across the valley to the distant Wushi Harbor, Waiao Beach and Turtle Island. Designed with inspiration of a classic European manor, this rustic, elegant restaurant overlooks the picturesque landscape and attracts a significant number of visitors especially on weekends.

Two castles can be found here: one is more traditional while the other has a modern touch. Visitors can enjoy a cup of nice coffee as well as some delicious desserts inside the café; outdoor seating is also available, which captures a perfect commanding view of the surrounding scenery. Many would choose to spend the whole afternoon appreciating the beauty and serenity on the rooftop.

Mr. Brown Castle Café sitting on top of the mountain seems to keep itself aloof from the rest of the world, and visitors get to indulge themselves in absolute peace and unparalleled magnificence.

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National Center of Traditional Arts

National Center of Traditional Arts is the largest exhibition and performance site for traditional arts with rich collection of cultural antiques in Taiwan. The life of the past of Taiwan has been recreated here along with historic streets, traditional stages and houses with a brick kiln in the center. Visiting National Center of Traditional Arts can be like traveling on a time machine. Visitors will have a basic understanding of various types of traditional arts such as dough figurines, handmade soaps, glassmaking and glove puppetry, even if they don't have the slightest idea about any of these before.

Located in the Wujie Township of Yilan, National Center of Traditional Arts is a definite crowd magnet, where the traditional folk culture has been well preserved and represented with performing arts (puppetry, ballads, acrobatics and repertoires of traditional narrative) as well as handicrafts (weaving, fragmented ceramic art and metalworking). Guided tours are available for groups and can be reserved in advance. The outdoor opera performances (the so-called yetaixi) are held every day, and the whole crew will travel from the commercial street all the way to the main stage. It is a spectacle of traditional Taiwanese theatre that serves as a great cultural experience for international visitors. For some natural fun, you may either hop on the cruise or rent a bike to have a scenic tour around the adjacent Dongshan River. Accommodation is also available within the art center — a quaint hotel whose architecture and its surroundings are reminiscent of a traditional village homestay.

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Toucheng Farm

Toucheng Farm is a leisure farm that offers very well-organized packages covering from one to three days, which include outdoor activities, hands-on experiences, meals and accommodation. If you are into wine tasting, a two-day package with a winery tour won’t disappoint and will add to your rural experience at Toucheng Farm.

Covering an area of 1km2, the farm is in fact a small village itself. The rustic accommodation area is cozy and clean, and the activity area combined with natural landscape is a heaven especially for families with the little ones. While being outdoors, visitors are able to take their time to go fishing or for a quick dip in the water to keep themselves cool and active all day long under the Taiwanese sun. The hands-on experiences such as flying lantern making and leaf printing on fabric will also keep your minds busy and engaged. Did anyone say food? The restaurant here is a healthy eating option that shuns processed food and features fresh, organic and free-range fare, which is authentic and pretty darn tasty. If you feel like doing it yourself, why not make your own pizza and BBQ in a wood-fired oven and share some lovely time with family and friends?

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Linmei Shipan Trail

Yilan has an abundant natural landscape. In holidays, Five-peak Flag Waterfall is always crowded with tourists; Taipingshan is remote from urban area, but it is still hard to seek a room there during high season. Lots of Taipei-ers drive to hot spring at Jiaoxi and spend their weekends there. If you are searching for a place to escape from hustle and bustle of crowd and daily burden, Linmei Shipan Trail might suits your need. This place is rarely known by non-residents, but it could provide you a chance to get close to dear nature in 1.5 hours hiking. Although the trail would not cover any stunning and fascinating geological landscape, instead hikers could project themselves into the song of chirping birds and babbling brook. The wooden walkway in absent of lamppost and throng leads coming hikers away from modernized civilization and to the embrace of mother nature - trees grown in the wood, waterfalls pounding on the river, rocks resting along the stream. While walking on this trail, the stress living in a concrete jungle seems to be released as well.

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Five-Peak Flag Waterfall

Made up of three waterfalls found close to the township of Jiaoxi, Five-Peak Flag Waterfall has long been a popular destination for those who want to escape the heat and humidity in the sweltering summer. The trail that leads to the waterfall will only take you one to two hours to finish and is ideal for all.

The very well-established trail is made of stone steps, so there is no need to worry that your shoes might get messy and muddy during the hike. However, when rain approaches, watch your footing as it can be quite slippery. In merely thirty minutes’ time, you will be reaching the first two waterfalls of the three, while the third one is still twenty minutes away. Your hard work climbing those steps will pay off when you finally hit the end of the trail — the stunning waterfall with an elevation difference of 42 meters between the highest and lowest points will take your breath away. It might seem challenging, but the route is well equipped with pavilions and benches for hikers to rest their weary feet whenever they feel like having a break on the way. It is highly recommended to complete the hike as it is truly rewarding.

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Renshan Botanic Garden

As a vast green oasis in Yilan, Renshan Botanical Garden has been a popular destination for hikers, where there are several hiking trails allowing the exploration of the garden itself. It’s also said to be the most accessible botanical garden in Yilan, which has several themed gardens, including Chinese, Japanese, English and French. In winter and spring, you will be welcomed by an array of cherry blossoms and tung blossoms, and many photography enthusiasts come here to capture the beauty of these dazzling blooms. The lookout point hidden deep inside the garden and overlooking the lush Lanyang Plain with Guishan Island in the distance provides the best view of the area, which is bathed in golden hour hues at sunrise while dominated by the skyline twinkling with light at sunset.

The abundance of butterfly and insect species in Renshan Botanical Garden makes it a place for leisure, biodiversity, education and most of all enjoyment. Above all, the admission to the garden is free (parking fees applied) to encourage participation.

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