In 2009, while celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area welcomed some 4 million visitors, who were drawn to its natural beauty and cultural heritage. With the East China Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the east, the scenic area is noted for its reefs, rivers, terraced rice paddies, rolling green hills, lighthouses and some of Taiwan’s best beaches. It also boasts a rich diversity of marine life and migratory birds, as well as a number of small fishing villages, each with its own characteristics.
Chen Xin-fu, a lecturer in the Department of Leisure and Recreation Management of Jinwen University of Science and Technology in Taipei County, notes that Taiwan’s domestic tourism really started to develop during the decade following the late 1960s. During that period, the Tourism Bureau was set up under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications; research on tourism resources was conducted; and a number of transportation links were completed such as the Sun Yat-sen Freeway, the north-south route that runs almost the entire length of Taiwan’s western coast.
The establishment of an appropriate legal framework for the industry was also a factor that helped the development of domestic tourism. The Act for the Development of Tourism was promulgated in 1969 to facilitate the growth of the tourism industry and to achieve sustainable management of ecological and cultural characteristics unique to Taiwan. Relevant laws and regulations governing the industry, national parks and designated scenic areas were drafted accordingly. The Regulations Governing the Management of Designated Scenic Areas were promulgated in 1979, the same year that the initial research was conducted for the Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area. The area was set up in 1984 as Taiwan’s first national scenic area. “It takes something very special to be the first,” says Eric Lin, director of the scenic area’s administrative office.
Nanya to Neipi
The jurisdiction of the scenic area, Lin explains, initially stretched from Nanya Village of Ruifang Township, Taipei County at the northern end to Toucheng Township, Yilan County. It was expanded to cover Guishan Island (also known as Turtle Mountain Island) in 1999 and then further down the coast to Neipi Beach near Yilan’s Suao Township at its southernmost end in 2007. Currently, the jurisdiction of the scenic area stretches 102.5 kilometers along the coastline that straddles Taipei and Yilan counties, covering a land and sea area of 17,421 hectares.
A unique rock eroded into a shape said to resemble an ice cream cone along the Northern Coastal Highway at Nanya Village marks the northern gateway to the national scenic area. In addition to taking in the extraordinary rock formations and sea cliffs, visitors can walk along Nanya Harbor—a small fishing harbor completed in 1963—or hike the trail on Mt. Nanya, before they hit the road to explore more of the scenic area.
An abandoned house built from local stone at the small fishing village of Maoao (Photo Courtesy of Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area Administration)
From Nanya, a short drive along the coastal highway leads to Bitou Cape. The name, meaning the tip of the nose, comes from the local landform in the shape of a nose that protrudes into the junction of the East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The Bitou-Longdong Geopark is popular for its dramatic landscapes. Visiting the park is like sitting in on a science class as it exhibits geological specimens such as eroded cliffs standing like enormous beached vessels and soldier-like “mushroom” rocks, which have rounded caps on top of slender bases and formed some 6 million years ago. Close by the geological park lies an outdoor ocean swimming pool, one of a number of such pools in the area that were originally used for farming abalone.
Bitou Cape is also a good spot for bird watching and fishing, but visitors with other activities on their agenda will also find plenty to like. A 3-kilometer trail at Longdong takes visitors further back in geological time. Longdong, which means dragon’s cave in Mandarin, got its name from the shape of the region’s coastline, thought to look like a dragon lying down. Some 35 million years ago, hard, steep sandstone was uplifted, resulting in joints, or fractures, in the rock. Longdong can be divided into two recreational areas that are separated by the Longdong Tunnel: the Longdong Bay Park with diverse geological views, and the Longdong South Ocean Park with recreational water activities including an ocean swimming pool suitable for both children and adults.
There are several other interesting spots in the Bitou-Longdong area if time is plentiful, but for most tourists on a day trip to the national scenic area the next stop would be Fulong Village in Taipei County’s Gongliao Township. Fulong was one of the earliest tourist destinations to be developed in the region, with a swimming beach that has been popular since the period of Japanese colonial rule (1895–1945). Located at the mouth of the Shuang River, the area is also good for boating, surfing and windsurfing, snorkeling and a host of other activities. Today, the scenic area’s administrative headquarters are located in Fulong and since 2001, the Hohaiyan Rock Festival has been held there for three to five days during the summer. Not far from the beach is Longmen Campground, one of Taiwan’s finest camping areas.
Beach Life, Driftwood Art
Before heading straight for the beach, which by some reports is “shrinking” as a result of the wharf built for the nearby Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, visitors might want to spend a little while at the tourist center where a variety of information about the scenic area can be found. The Museum of Wood Sculpture located at the Fulong tourist center next to the scenic area’s headquarters, for example, is well worth a visit. The first floor showcases artworks made by sculptors from driftwood found on the beach. On the second floor, a collection of art pieces ranging from paintings to photos features the beauty of the scenic area.
While many visitors come for the beach and the water sports, there are other activities waiting in Fulong. Rising almost directly from the sea are mountains offering great hikes, in particular the remaining section of the Caoling Historical Trail, which connects Gongliao and Dali in Yilan County. The original trail was constructed in 1807 and provided an important transportation link between Taipei and Yilan, when the only alternative at the time was to travel by sea. In fact, the Caoling Historic Trail is one of the most popular hiking routes in Taiwan. “If you can only do one hike during your stay in Taiwan, make it this one,” the Lonely Planet Taiwan travel guide says.
Fulong offers opportunities for hiking and cycling and is home to the scenic area’s headquarters. (Photo Courtesy of Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area Administration)
Cycling is also a popular activity in the area. Transporting bikes to Fulong is not a problem since the scenic area administration works with the Taiwan Railway Administration to allow passengers to take their bikes on the train. Visitors can also rent them from any of the numerous shops surrounding the train station. Eric Lin of the scenic area administration estimates that there are at least 3,000 bikes available for rent in the Fulong area alone.
The most popular bike path among several the administration has mapped, according to Lin, is a ride through the Old Caoling Tunnel. At the time of its construction by the Japanese in 1924, it was the longest railway tunnel in Taiwan, but was abandoned by 1986. The scenic area administration reopened the tunnel to hikers and cyclists in 2008. Visitors entering at the northern end exit a little more than 2 kilometers later to find a breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean. The combination of cycling, hiking, beach and water activities, as well as camping has made Fulong the most popular spot in the scenic area, as it was visited last year by more than 60 percent of the scenic area’s 4 million guests.
Approximately 5 kilometers south of Fulong is San Diego Cape, the north border of the San Diego Cape-Dali Geopark. The scenic area has three geological parks: Bitou-Longdong, Guishan Island and the one at San Diego, each with different geological characteristics. Eric Lin says that San Diego Cape is the best location from which to view Guishan Island, explaining that on a clear day, when one looks toward the island, a visitor will see a “giant turtle” quietly floating on the surface of the water. Near San Diego Cape is the small fishing village of Maoao. There are no famous sights here—except perhaps for the villagers’ houses built from local stone—but the simple, casual atmosphere never fails to help tourists from the city relax and unwind.
Sights of Two Counties
There are a few more spots south of San Diego Cape for visitors to try rock fishing or enjoy the views before they leave Taipei County and find themselves in Yilan County. Shicheng Village is a good first stop on entering Yilan as the scenic area administration has built a small café, Shicheng Coffee, for visitors to take a break and enjoy the sea views or watch the local fishermen deploy their fishing nets. Hikers may also explore the Longling Historical Trail that connects Shicheng and Gongliao and runs parallel to the Caoling trail.
South of Shicheng along the coastal highway is Dali Village, at the southern end of the Caoling Historical Trail. Next come Daxi and Beiguan villages—each with its own geologic characteristics and history—before the town of Toucheng, which in Mandarin means “first city,” a reference to its being considered the first town travelers encounter upon entry to the Lanyang Plain to the south. Visitors can take whale- and dolphin-watching cruises from Toucheng’s Wushi Port or an ecotrip to Guishan Island if weather permits. Yilan’s Zhuan River empties into the sea at Toucheng, creating a wetland area that is popular for bird watching. In the past, more than 190 different kinds of birds were recorded there during their annual winter migration. In recent years, however, there has been a drop in the number of species visiting due to the development of the surrounding land. According to local bird-watching groups, only about 80 species still pass through the region on a regular basis.
Fulong has been a popular swimming beach since the period of Japanese rule in Taiwan. (Photo Courtesy of Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area Administration)
There is plenty to enjoy between Toucheng and the scenic area’s southern gateway at Neipi Beach near Suao Township. Places of note include the coastal bike path in Zhuangwei Township, Taiwan’s first water bird sanctuary at the Wuweigang Water Bird Refuge in Suao, and the Tofu Cape Recreational Area, to name a few. Visits to the Jiaoxi hot springs and Suao cold springs—both outside the scenic area but still very close by—are also some of the “musts” in the region. And of course, no coastal trip is complete without a seafood feast at one of the many harbor restaurants.
More than 3 million people visited the Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area in each of the past five years. Eric Lin believes that in addition to its natural tourism resources, the various activities and festivals throughout the area are also contributing to the steady increase in tourist numbers. “Holding festivals and special activities has been a popular approach in tourism marketing and we’ve seen quite some success doing those things,” he says. In addition to the Hohaiyan Rock Festival in July, the scenic area administration organizes a sand sculpture festival and various cycling and hiking events. It also works with the county governments to hold seasonal festivals based on agricultural products and cultural or religious events.
90 Minutes Away
Convenient transportation also plays a key role in attracting tourists to the scenic area. “Within 90 minutes, you can get to either [the northern or southern] gateway, by train or by car, from downtown Taipei,” Lin says. “Our proximity to Taipei and other densely populated areas of northern Taiwan makes us the most intensively used national scenic area.” Convenient transportation routes, however, are sometimes stymied by heavy traffic. Those who visit by car or bus are often frustrated by the congestion during weekends and holidays on both the Chiang Wei-shui Freeway connecting Taipei and Yilan and the Coastal Highway from Keelung City to Yilan. Since its opening in 1979, the Coastal Highway has also been a major road used by dump trucks, which are prohibited from traveling on the Chiang Wei-shui Freeway. Lin admits that the trucks loaded with sand and other construction materials pose something of a threat to other drivers, but currently there is not much the administration can do about them other than ask for help from local police.
Alternatively, a train ride via the North Link Line is also a popular way to make a trip to the scenic area. To fix the “missing link” in the system, as there is no rail service to scenic spots north of Fulong, Taipei County runs the free Ocean Bus service from Ruifang to Fulong, stopping at major scenic spots in between. The bus line has been available only in July, which is the busiest month for the scenic area, but the area’s administration, according to Lin, has been working on establishing a regular bus line that will provide transportation throughout the year. As of October this year, the launch of services had yet to be finalized.
Since tourism attractions all through the scenic area center on beach and coastal activities, another “weakness” is the strong seasonal wind. Nearly half of all tourists visit during the summer months, while less than 20 percent visit in winter when the wind is strongest. In fact, one reason the scenic area has paid attention to facilities for cycling and hiking is to attract tourists during colder seasons, which it also does by organizing events for special occasions.
Tourists learn an old fishing technique known as qiangu, or pulling the net, at Toucheng Township. (Photo Courtesy of Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area Administration)
Such an event was the “Be the First to Embrace the Sun” party held on January 1 this year at Fulong. Shortly past midnight on New Year’s Day, free train tickets to Fulong were distributed at Taipei Main Station and Songshan Railway Station in Taipei. Waiting in Fulong were a series of activities, which started at 4 a.m. A dazzling fireworks show was held at the nearby Rainbow Bridge, and a number of popular singers and bands performed music nonstop until sunrise. There was also a prize-drawing activity, with participants eligible for grand prizes including two return flight tickets between Taipei and Hong Kong and the latest computer game consoles. After the sun came up, visitors could rent a bike at a discount rate and enjoy a ride in the area before hopping on a return train to Taipei. The event was first held in 2009, but this year was the first time that free train tickets were offered. Lin considers the event a success, as between 20,000 and 30,000 visitors were drawn to Fulong to welcome the new year this year.
While fulfilling the role of a space for recreation, a scenic area is also a place for the conservation of nature and culture. Lin explains that scenic area land designated as reserve areas, even if privately owned, is barred from any development.
Improvement Plan
This has given rise to a fair number of complaints from landowners in the area, and following an inspection visit in November 2009, Premier Wu Den-yih promised to look into the land development situation. In response, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications drafted the three-year Northeast Scenic Area Improvement Plan, which was approved by the Council for Economic Planning and Development in March this year.
The project covers 688 hectares of land, including 283 hectares of privately owned land that is prohibited from being developed. Under an exchange program, owners will receive land in areas that have been approved for further development. Currently, the project is still in the process of land expropriation and most landowners, according to Lin, are glad to see it happening. “This is the first large-scale improvement project in a national scenic area,” he says. “If it works well, the model can be applied to Taiwan’s other national scenic areas where residents are facing the same problem.”
The plan includes a 14-hectare hotel area that could accommodate the construction of up to five large-scale hotels to form a holiday resort village. Currently, about 70 percent of all tourists visit the scenic area as a day trip. “Convenient transportation is bringing tourists in, as well as taking them out,” Lin says. “There are plenty of different levels of accommodation in larger cities within a reasonable distance, so there is no need to stay for the night.” Lin believes a holiday resort village with properly designed activities would encourage visitors to stay longer.
A quarter of a century has seen little change in the waters and mountains along the national scenic area, but has certainly left quite a few battle scars on areas of human development. It seems that the plans for a facelift are timely, so that the national scenic area can continue to serve its role as one of Taiwan’s premier tourist destinations.
Write to Jim Hwang at jim@mail.gio.gov.tw