We arrived at Hualien after a day’s leisure drive from Taipei. Stopping as and when we liked. After we settled in our 3 bedroom apartment, we were ready to head out to eat!
The apartment was located in the middle of the City and we left the car in the garage. All foods and shops are within walking distances. Of course, the first local activity was to visit the night markets.
Dongdamen (东大门) Night Market
The other Dongdament we have been to was in Seoul. I bet there are a lot more “dongdamens” around Asia because the term simply means “the big East gate”. This Dongdamen was very different from the other night markets in the Cities along the west coasts. This was a lot more spacious, with larger stalls and plenty of sitting for dining. Whereas, the ones in Taipei, for example, were crowded and we have to eat standing and walking around most of the time.
The most interesting and unique part was the food. Most stalls were run by the indigenous Taiwanese (原住民) and sold unique indigenous recipes with a tint of their local culture. For instance, the sausages were very tasty with some added local seafood within. Because it was spacious and not claustrophobic, my kids spent quite some time playing the games.
GongZheng Street Surrounds
We did not bother to “clocked” the touristy areas for sight-seeings. Instead, we walked around the bustling area around our apartment which was located along GongZheng Street where the famous Hualien GongZheng buns (花连公正包子店) were located. We liked it so much that we had it for breakfast every morning.
Day Market @ GongZheng Street 
It was eating, walking, shopping and eating again. Every few steps, there is a bubble tea store. Might as well a the temperature was quite like Singapore – Hot. Hence we were back to the airconditioned apartment to rest. In the evening, we went out to ZhongZheng Street after dinner at the famous Xin Xin Noodle House (not selling noodles but local seafood).
Chisingtan (七星潭) Scenic Area
When the afternoon heat has simmered down, We head out for an late afternoon walk along the Easts coast beaches. The recommended area by the locals was the Chisingtan.
We were pleasantly surprised by the unique stones shoreline. Instead of fine sands like the Gold coast, this beach was filled with smooth stones. It was as though we were witnessing the intermediate process of mother nature (oceans and the waves) grinding the stones into what we see as sands on other beaches.
A little market there for local foods. The BBQ squid was my favourite. The stones were smooth and excellent to play stacking. just like how we did it along the Great Ocean Road in Australia, we had a little competition – who can stake the highest stone tower.
Hualien gave us a relaxed and serene feeling, unlike Taipei when people were rushing from point to point. We were very glad that the weather was permissive and we spent most of the time simply enjoying time with each other.
gobassky
- Join Airbnb. It is still the best choice for a big family like mine.