Dulan

Taitung in the southeast is the quietest part of Taiwan: rice fields in the East Rift Valley between two mountain ranges, a sparsely developed Pacific coast, and a strong indigenous character. The region is suitable for slow travel by bike, train, or rental car.In the valley lie Chishang with the Brown Boulevard amidst vast rice fields, and Luye, where on the Luye Gaotai plateau, a multi-week hot air balloon festival has taken place every summer since 2011. On the coast north of Taitung City, an arch bridge connects the mainland with the rocky islands of Sanxiantai.

Luye, located in the East Rift Valley north of Taitung, is accessible by train and especially known for its hot air balloon festival, which attracts thousands of visitors in summer. The high plateau Luye Gaotai offers expansive views over the valley. Like Chishang, Luye is well suited as a quiet base in the east.

Chishang, nestled in the East Longitudinal Valley, is a tranquil spot surrounded by rice paddies, just under an hour by train north of Taitung. Rental bikes are available at the station for a tour to Brown Boulevard, and Chishang rice lunchboxes are famous throughout Taiwan. The fields are golden from May to early June and from October to early November.

The East Coast between Hualien and Taitung is Taiwan's wildest part: steep cliffs where the Central Mountain Range drops almost vertically into the Pacific, the Taroko Gorge, and the tranquil East Rift Valley with its rice paddies.There is no high-speed rail here, but Taiwan Railway express trains connect Taipei with Hualien and Taitung. The region is home to many indigenous peoples, especially Amis, Truku, Puyuma, and Bunun. Following the April 2024 earthquake, many trails in Taroko Gorge are closed, but the coast and valley are easily traversable.

The south is warmer, more leisurely, and for many, the culinary heart of Taiwan. Tainan, the island's oldest city, the port city of Kaohsiung, and the beaches in Kenting National Park are only a few hours apart.In Tainan, the Dutch founded Fort Zeelandia in 1624; later, the city was long the island's capital. Kaohsiung is the terminus of the high-speed rail from Taipei and the starting point for buses to the southern tip. There lies the Kenting National Park, founded in 1984, Taiwan's oldest national park.