Exploring the Magic of Hualien’s Coastal Charm and the Energy of Fali Fall Music Festival
Written by Kaelie Piscitello
Hualien’s tranquil and quiet air washed over me, contrasting with the bustling noises I have become accustomed to in Taipei over the past few months. While I can see mountains in Taipei, the eastern peaks of Hualien beckoned to me differently, offering refuge from the crowded streets and busy days of teaching children at work.
My friends and I decided to visit Hualien to see their large indigenous music festival, Fali Fali, and learn more about the Taiwanese indigenous populations. We came away from the weekend well-fed, talking nonstop about the music we heard, and wishing we could have stayed longer than a weekend.
Ruisui, Hualien
My friends and I arrived in Ruisui, a small town in southern Hualien, late Friday night to take the bus from Ruisui Station to the musical festival. After sleeping in, we went to a brunch place on Saturday morning.
Since arriving in Taiwan, I’ve eaten lots of dan bing, a crispy Taiwanese egg pancake, which has become my favourite. However, this restaurant had a unique take on it. Usually, the dan bing tortilla wraps around some kind of meat or veggie. However, in Dream Taste Handmade Egg Pancake’s creative spin, the meal’s bread had dragon fruit, charcoal, and basil flavors infused into them. I loved mine wrapped in charcoal and filled with squid patties. It tasted savory while the dragon fruit ones had a sweeter flavor.
Ruisui had many other small businesses I would have loved to explore if I had more time. I visited the Museum of Zoology, and the lady running it kindly gave my friends and me several free stickers and postcards. The decorators did a great job making the place adorable with animal cutouts for photos.
In general, Ruisui had lots of great local businesses to visit, and great food finds. I also appreciated the grocery store’s size. It felt like a perfect medium compared to the contrasting tiny shops and huge stores with multiple floors in Taipei.
The Fali Fali Festival
After exploring Ruisui, my friends and I hopped onto a free shuttle bus that drove us into the middle of nowhere near a town called Yuli. First, we searched the food stands and savored all the options.
One of the stalls offered some salted barbecue wild boar, some of the best pork I’ve ever had. It tasted juicy and salty and had so much flavor. I also tried an egg roll stuffed with ham, cheese, and a special Taiwanese yam. This steak and cheese roll reminded me of steak and cheese, which I ate back home.
Besides the food, my friends and I explored several great jewelry stands. One young girl handmade bracelets and necklaces and sold them to us. When one bracelet was too small for my roommate, she fixed it for him. I was impressed by the professionalism she had at such a young age!
Then, the show began with many different performances to watch. One man from the Philippines sang “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley, one of the few songs I recognized all evening. The Taiwanese boy band Ozone made an appearance, and the teenage girls in the audience lost their minds. They all pulled out some of the largest high-tech cameras I’ve ever seen and zoomed in on their favorites. In some ways, they had more entertainment value than the boy band.
Of course, I also loved watching the Indigenous performances, including several Polynesian dances and groups that sang ethnic songs.
Music festivals often have hot weather, high prices, and long lines. Fali Fali didn’t have any of these pitfalls, and the shuttle buses waited for everyone when the show ran late, making it the easiest concert I’ve ever had to leave.
Tranquil Hualien City
Many people would think they should not go to Hualien City right now because the Taroko Gorge will remain closed for the next year; however, you can still see beautiful nature outside of the gorge.
On our second day in Hualien, I couldn’t help but gaze at the gorgeous, gorgeous views of the mountains all over. From the incredible views on the train ride from Ruisui to Hualien City to the towering peaks peering down at me as I walked around the city, I couldn’t help but feel small in the best way.
My friends and I ate at a steak place for lunch, and it was such a steal. I ordered a delicious piece of filet for only $300 NTD (around $9 USD), and it came with noodles, a buffet of sides, drinks, and ice cream.
Gorgeous, Interesting Parks
We spent time in Hualien CIty’s wonderful cultural parks, including the Railway Cultural Park. This green space had one huge, interconnected store with various products at reasonable prices, including Taiwanese jade and other precious gems.
We also visited the Cultural and Creative Industries Park. It had fresh art displays, and I loved looking at all the paintings they had in one place. They featured lots of great local artists’ work, including jewelry and crocheted goods. I purchased a hand-dyed indigo bag as a birthday gift for my friend with a beautiful design! Some of my other friends got scarves from there, and others got cute crocheted characters.
After shopping, my friends and I decided to take our friend’s recommendation to go see her favorite park, Taipingyang. A few weeks ago, a typhoon brought in hinoki wood, a valuable tree bark. It looked like men dumped it there, but it arrived naturally.
It recently opened to the public because the Indigenous people and government had first dibs, but it smelled so good, like a nice husky cologne or earthy candle. When I visited, people still scoured it, looking for the valuable wood people use to make furniture and other precious objects. I loved getting to see it as the hinoki wood does not always come to Hualien and climbing through it felt very unique.
A Sunset Bike Ride
After carefully trudging through the hinoki wood, my friends and I rented bikes for $300 NTD (around $9 USD) for three hours. We took a peaceful sunset bike ride all around the park. I don’t always like to ride bikes, but I loved sailing through an empty bike road between the oceans and mountains. The ride felt very peaceful and both sides of me had equally gorgeous views.
Before catching the train home, my friends and I took a short stroll through the Dongdamen Night Market. While we didn’t stay long, we saw incredible views of the mountains, and the sky turned purple! What a wonderful way to end the trip!
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