Known as the main gateway to Taroko National Park, easy-going Hualien offers plenty of its own attractions, but the surrounding natural beauty has a way of stealing the limelight. It’s hard to ignore the soaring marble valleys, cascading waterfalls, suspension bridges and mountain vistas that await in the nearby national park – not to mention the largest marble canyon in the world. Those who prefer to stay in town might visit the Hualien Railway Culture Park for a look at the history of train travel in Taiwan; Gangtiangong, an immense Matsu temple with lavish shrine rooms; and the peaceful Martyrs’ Shrine, dedicated to soldiers who died during the Chinese Civil War.
