Yilan Travel Review: A Road Trip through Nature and Taipingshan

Yilan, Taiwan, let’s set aside the typical cityscape, brimming with lights, colors, and sounds. This Yilan trip is all about taking everyone on an adventure. While we might not be engaging in adrenaline-pumping activities, we’re going all out with the sea, trekking trails on mountains, and even waterfalls. All of these can be experienced in Yilan alone. If anyone’s worried about where I’m going to take you, don’t be. We’re not going to go extreme adventuring, just a touch of beautiful exploration is enough.

For those who don’t know, Yilan is renowned as a hub of natural relaxation spots, too numerous to count on fingers. If you’re visiting the city, it’s a must-see. For those who are fascinated by geotourism, and who love to see the beauty and wonder of rock formations and sea soil, you’ve come to the right city in Taiwan. Especially if you love trail walking and exploring forests, Yilan has some of the quietest forests in the world called Taipingshan. The silence here is profound, to the point where you can only hear the sounds of nature. Or if you love visiting waterfalls, and being captivated by the cascading water, Yilan has the Wufengqi Waterfall, ranked number one among the eight most beautiful natural spots in the city.

Apart from the popular natural attractions that I’ve mentioned, Yilan is also a hit among tourists, both Taiwanese and foreigners, who love nature-based tourism. So, let’s try reading this full travel review, I believe many of you might fall in love with this city. Or if anyone wants to try visiting other cities apart from Taipei or New Taipei but doesn’t know which city to visit, give Yilan a try.

As for the trip to Yilan, it’s a road trip. We drive leisurely, stopping to rest when we’re tired. This is the second city road trip we’ve taken, following the one in New Taipei City. If you haven’t read the full review, you can click here to read it.

Getting to Know Yilan

As I mentioned at the beginning, this trip is a road trip to Yilan. To make the city tour more atmospheric and immersive, let’s get to know the city first. Yilan, or as some people pronounce it, Eelan, is one of the cities in the Lanyang Plain of Taiwan. It’s located on the northeastern coast of Taiwan. It’s a city that is very convenient to travel to from Taipei because they have the Hsuehshan Tunnel, which is the second-longest highway tunnel in Asia. This tunnel was built to help shorten the travel time between Yilan and Taipei from the usual 1.10 hours to just 50 minutes.

The beauty of Yilan that I want everyone to experience is its geographical features. One side of the city faces the sea, while the rest of the city is surrounded by mountains on three sides. The city is filled with streams and rivers flowing through, making the land of Yilan fertile. Anything planted here yields results, any seeds thrown into the ground grow beautifully. To the point that Yilan is known as the granary of Taiwan.

And if anyone still doesn’t see the fertility of Yilan clearly, I will introduce you to Taipingshan, located in the northern part of Yilan and is one of the three most important national forest reserves in Taiwan. The weather here is humid and it rains frequently, making this forest reserve rich in environmental resources. Inside, there are many valuable trees in Taiwan, such as the Taiwan Cypress, Japanese Cypress, and Taiwan Hemlock. In addition, in Taipingshan, they also have the Cuifeng Lake Circular Trail, which has been certified as the world’s first silent trail on July 18, 2022, which coincides with World Listening Day. The lowest noise level measured is less than 25 decibels, which is considered almost completely silent.

That’s not all. If anyone visits Taipingshan and still doesn’t feel satisfied with the greenery, I recommend going to the Cilan Forest Recreation Area. Inside, there are forest zones, walking trails, and resorts for visitors. But what I want to present is one of the gardens of the park that is popular among tourists, the Qilan Sacred Trees Garden. This green garden is filled with native trees that are over a thousand years old, and there are many sacred trees. So much so that people have nicknamed it “The Land of Sacred Trees”. It also has Formosan Red False Cypress and Taiwan Hinoki False Cypress. Each tree is said to be named after famous individuals and ancient philosophers. The advantage is that when tourists visit here, they can learn about history through the names of the trees.

In addition to the vast forest for tourists, Yilan also has other natural and geological attractions, including the sea, waterfalls, and strange-looking rock formations on the seashore that can’t be found anywhere else but here. It’s another city that holds the title of being a nature-based tourist city of Taiwan. For those who enjoy slow-life tourism, truly relaxing and living amidst nature, no city can meet our needs as much as Yilan. So, let’s go on a road trip together. Let’s start the journey.

Taiwan Road Trip Plan: New Taipei City – Yilan

I must tell you first that this Taiwan road trip of mine will be a road trip with three friends, making us a group of four. We will be driving around leisurely. We do have a real travel plan, but we follow it sometimes and sometimes we don’t, depending on the weather and the time we wake up, haha. Our road trip plan will start with driving from Taipei to tour the north in Keelung City, then we will drive to tour New Taipei City, and then continue to Yilan before ending at Taipingshan. I have divided this Taiwan road trip review into 2+1 parts. This part will take everyone on a tour of New Taipei. The other separate reviews I have are for Yilan and the last day at Taipingshan. If you are interested in reading any reviews, feel free to click and read!

Continuing our Taiwan road trip!
Day 2: Beiguan Tidal Park

After spending half of the day at Sandiaojiao Lighthouse, my friends and I drove out of New Taipei City, with our destination being Yilan. The first stop in Yilan was Beiguan Tidal Park, a coastal park that seems to be the starting point of the Lanyang Plain (or Yilan Plain), where Yilan City is located. During the Qing Dynasty, the Beiguan area was used as a front-line defense and a military camp, and even today, we can still see two ancient cannons within the park. From then until now, it has been transformed into a public park for nature exploration and a place for Taiwanese people and tourists to relax.

Our visit was mainly to walk around and explore the natural rock formations along the coast. There are paths that lead us along the coastline where we can see various rock formations before we pass through the “Heaven’s Gate”, a large rock with a hole in the middle. Seeing it, we couldn’t help but laugh because it looks so much like something that you may know, haha.

After passing through the gate, the view in front is my favorite part of Beiguan Tidal Park. The path stretches along the rock formations with waves constantly crashing against the shore. If you observe the geological features of the coast, you’ll see that it slopes at an angle of 30-40 degrees toward the shore. This is because these rocks have been battered by waves more violently for over six months during the monsoon season every year.

Throughout the walk along the coast, we could see Guishan Island, also known as Turtle Island, in the distance. And if you visit here in the evening, don’t forget to watch the sunset. It’s said to be one of the most beautiful sunset spots in Yilan.

Wufengqi Waterfall

Next, we drove further into Yilan and made our way to Wufengqi Waterfall, which is known as one of the eight most beautiful natural spots in the Yilan Plain. The name of the waterfall is derived from the five sharp peaks located behind the waterfall, resembling five triangular flags often seen on the back of a Chinese general’s uniform (Wufengqi means “five peak flags”). To visit Wufengqi Waterfall, we had to hike a trail and climb some stairs up the mountain. The atmosphere along the path was cool and lush with vibrant green trees.

Wufengqi Waterfall has about three levels. The first level is easily accessible, with a small waterfall nestled among the trees, giving a gentle, moist feel. For the second level, we had to climb some stairs, but the trail was relatively easy to navigate.

The second level of the waterfall is quite impressive, with a large waterfall and a Chinese-style viewing pavilion, reminding us that we are indeed in Taiwan. The view from this second level allows us to see a tall waterfall surrounded by lush green mountains, with mist from the large waterfall cascading down the steep cliff, making us feel tiny in comparison. And because the waterfall is located in a closed valley, if you come when the rain has just stopped or when clouds cover the entire valley, the atmosphere here is enchanting and beautiful at the same time. It’s another beautiful and captivating mood that has earned it the title of one of the eight most beautiful views in the Yilan Plain.

If you want to continue, you can walk to the third level. I just found out later that there was another level, and when I visited, I couldn’t find the path to continue, so I’m not entirely sure. But if anyone wants to go, I recommend continuing because, from the pictures I’ve seen on the internet, the third-level waterfall is even more spectacular than the second one. In conclusion, if you like visiting waterfalls, I recommend trying this one. I would rate Wufengqi Waterfall as one of the most magnificent waterfalls in Taiwan. The nature here is truly stunning.

Accommodation in Yilan before heading to Taipingshan

In the evening, we drove back from Wufengqi Waterfall to our accommodation for the night in Datong Township, Yilan, before our trip to Taipingshan the next day. This area is the closest to the route to Taipingshan, with a driving time from here to Taipingshan of about 40 minutes. The accommodation we chose was Sun Hola Villa.

When staying overnight at Taipingshan, there are two options. The first, which I highly recommend, is to stay at the top of Taipingshan, at the park’s own accommodations, Taipingshan Villa and Cueifong Villa. They offer everything from hostel-style accommodations to private rooms and even houses. They only open bookings two months in advance through the park’s website, so you need to be quick as the rooms fill up very quickly. I didn’t manage to book in time as the rooms are limited.

Sun Hola Villa 

Sun Hola Villa is a large vacation home located on the route to Taipingshan. The atmosphere of the accommodation is excellent, with views of Yilan and the mountains. It’s another accommodation that I think is suitable for those who couldn’t book a room in Taipingshan but still want to stay in a natural setting outside the city. The cost of a room here was $NT3,799 per night, divided by four people, which is quite reasonable.

The room I stayed in was a large duplex that could accommodate four people, with two large beds that were very comfortable. It also had all the necessary amenities: a sofa, TV, refrigerator, coffee table, and a large bathroom. It was excellent.

As for breakfast at Sun Hola Villa, there was a limited selection, and the taste was average, but it was enough to fill our stomachs.

Overall, Sun Hola Villa is a homely family-run accommodation. It’s like a large vacation home where the owner has divided the interior into separate floors for guest rooms, giving it a feeling of staying at a friend’s house.

Day 3: Taipingshan

Taipingshan is another destination that gives you the same vibe as Alishan. If you’ve ever visited Alishan, or if you’re a nature lover, especially of mountains and lush forest trails, I’m confident you’ll fall in love with this place. Most of the area is an old forest that used to be a major logging site in the past. Even though many years have passed, we can still see remnants and old logging equipment, such as old forest railway tracks, aerial tramway remnants for uphill transportation, engine-powered winches, and more. It’s quite a sight to behold!

For my Taipingshan trip, it was a day trip where I hiked along the Jianqing Huaigu Trail and Maosing Reminiscent Trail, which are absolutely beautiful. The old railway tracks are covered with moss, turning them into a vibrant green, nestled in the midst of a damp, dense forest. In addition, we got to ride the iconic Bong Bong Train, a highlight and symbol of Taipingshan. As for the Taipingshan review, due to its length and detailed nature, I’ll separate it into another review. You can read and follow the journey there.

⚡️ If you want to read the full review of the forest trail exploration at Taipingshan, click here to read.

I spent the day at Taipingshan until the evening, then drove straight back to Taipei and returned to the rental car the next day. This marked the end of my self-drive trip to Taiwan this time. For Yilan, if you love nature trips, both coastal and rocky, and want to hike in the green forest, if you come to Taiwan and get to visit the right side of Taiwan Island, I’d like to cheer everyone to try visiting Yilan at least once. I guarantee that the city is beautiful and charming, not inferior to other cities in Taiwan at all.

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