Hualien City (; Wade-Giles: Hua¹-lien² Shih⁴;

Hokkien Hokkien ( , ) is a Varieties of Chinese, variety of the Southern Min group of Chinese language, Chinese languages. Native to and originating from the Minnan region in the southeastern part of Fujian in southeastern China, it is also referred ...

POJ: ''Hoa-lian-chhī'' or ''Hoa-liân-chhī'') is a

county-administered city A county-administered city is a third-level administrative divisions of Taiwan, administrative division in the Taiwan, Republic of China (Taiwan) below a Counties of Taiwan, county, which in turn is below of a Provinces of China, province. Under t ...

and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

Hualien County Hualien () is a County (Taiwan), county on the east coast of Taiwan. It is Taiwan's largest county by area, yet due to its mountainous terrain, has one of the lowest populations in the country. The county seat and largest city is Hualien City. Hu ...

, Taiwan. It is located on the east coast of Taiwan on the Pacific Ocean, and has a population of 99,458 inhabitants.

Name

Hualien County annals () record that the city was called "Kilai" () until the early twentieth century. This name refers to the Sakiraya

Taiwanese aborigines Taiwanese may refer to: * of or related to Taiwan **Culture of Taiwan **Geography of Taiwan ** Taiwanese cuisine *Languages of Taiwan ** Formosan languages ** Taiwanese Hokkien, also known as the Taiwanese language * Taiwanese people, residents of ...

and their settlement. After Taiwan came under Japanese rule in 1895 its governors sought to change the name because "Kilai" is pronounced the same as the Japanese word for . The name was eventually changed to . After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

the incoming

Kuomintang The Kuomintang (KMT) is a major political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was the one party state, sole ruling party of the country Republic of China (1912-1949), during its rule from 1927 to 1949 in Mainland China until Retreat ...

-led

Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

retained the

Kanji are logographic Chinese characters, adapted from Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script, used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese and are ...

spelling but shortened the name to just , or ''Hualien'' via

Chinese romanization Romanization of Chinese is the use of the Latin alphabet to transliterate Chinese. Chinese uses a logographic script and its characters do not represent phonemes directly. There have been many systems using Roman characters to represent Chine ...

History

The

Spaniard Spaniards, or Spanish people, are a Romance languages, Romance-speaking Ethnicity, ethnic group native to the Iberian Peninsula, primarily associated with the modern Nation state, nation-state of Spain. Genetics, Genetically and Ethnolinguisti ...

s built mines for gold in Hualien in 1622. Permanent settlements began in 1851, when 2,200

Han Chinese The Han Chinese, alternatively the Han people, are an East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Greater China. With a global population of over 1.4 billion, the Han Chinese are the list of contemporary ethnic groups, world's la ...

farmers led by Huang A-fong (黃阿鳳) from

Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...

arrived at Fengchuan (now the area near Hualien Rear Station). In 1875, more farmers, led by Lin Cang-an (林蒼安) from

Yilan Yilan may refer to: China * Yilan County, Heilongjiang (依兰县), county of central Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China * Yilan Town, Heilongjiang (依兰镇), seat of Yilan County * Yilan, Jilin (依兰镇), town in Yanji Taiwan ...

, settled at Fengchuan. Settlements in the area remained small by the start of Japanese rule. The city was expanded circa 1912 by its Japanese governor to incorporate ''Guohua'' () and ''Guoan'' () Villages, a region later known as . In 1920, was established, and around 1923 it was extended to , today known as "New Port" (), including the Guowei and Guoji Villages. In 1940, the town was upgraded to Karenkō City,

Karenkō Prefecture was one of the administrative divisions of Taiwan during Taiwan under Japanese rule, Japanese rule. The prefecture consisted of modern-day Hualien County. The prefecture was named after lotus flowers. Population Administrative divisions Cit ...

. On 25 October 1945, Taiwan was handed over from Japan to the

under

government. In January 1946, the incoming

designated Hualien City a

and to be the

. On 3 April 2024, a major earthquake struck near Hualien.

Subdivisions

The 45 villages () of the city are divided into six village unions (): (in

Hanyu Pinyin Hanyu Pinyin, or simply pinyin, officially the Chinese Phonetic Alphabet, is the most common romanization system for Standard Chinese. ''Hanyu'' () literally means ' Han language'—that is, the Chinese language—while ''pinyin'' literally ...

) # The first union: Minyun (), Minle (), Minxiang (), Minyi (), Minxin (), Minli (), Minde (), Minzheng (), Minqin (), Minxiao () # The second union: Minsheng (), Minquan (), Minzu (), Minyou (), Minzhu (), Minzhi () # The third union: Zhuji (), Zhuyi (), Zhuxin (), Zhuqin (), Zhushang (), Zhugong () # The fourth union: Zhuxue (), Zhuquan (), Zhunong (), Zhuhe (), Zhuli (), Zhu'an (), Zhumu () # The fifth union: Guofeng (), Guofang (), Guozhi (), Guoguang (), Guohun (), Guo'an (), Guowei (), Guohua (), Guolian (), Guosheng () # The sixth union: Guofu (), Guoyu (), Guoqing (), Guoqiang (), Guofu (), Guoxing () The newest villages from 2002 are Guosheng, Guoxing, Minxiao, and Minzhu.

Government institutions

Hualien County Government The Hualien County Government () is the local government of the Republic of China that governs Hualien County. Organizational structure * Department of Civil Affairs * Department of Finance * Department of Public Works * Department of Urban/Ru ...

Hualien County Council The Hualien County Council (HLCC; ) is the elected county council of Hualien County, Republic of China. The council composes of 33 councilors lastly elected through the 2022 Taiwanese local elections, 2022 local elections on 26 November 2022. ...

Demographics

As of 2020, Hualien City had 12,855 aboriginal people, account for 12.48% of total population of the city. The majority of the aborigines that reside in Hualien include the Amis,

Atayal Atayal may refer to: * Atayal people, of Taiwan * Atayal language The Atayal language is an Austronesian language spoken by the Atayal people of Taiwan. Squliq and C’uli’ (Ts’ole’) are two major dialects. Mayrinax and Pa’kuali’, two ...

, Truku and Bunun. Hualien City is also the most densely populated area in Hualien county.

Climate

Hualien experiences a

tropical monsoon climate An area of tropical monsoon climate (occasionally known as a sub-equatorial, tropical wet climate or a tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate) is a tropical climate subtype that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category ' ...

(''Am'') with frequent cyclones, as it borders the Pacific Ocean. It closely borders on a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(''Cfa'') with the average temperature of the coldest month being just above 18 °C, as well as a

tropical rainforest climate A tropical rainforest climate or equatorial climate is a tropical climate sub-type usually found within 10 to 15 degrees latitude of the equator. There are some other areas at higher latitudes, such as the coast of southeast Florida, United States ...

(''Af'') with the driest month's precipitation narrowly missing the 60 mm mark. The city experiences significant rainfall year-round and the temperature there averages . Precipitation in the city averages . January is the city's driest month, while September tends to be the wettest.

Education

There are 3 universities, 12 senior high schools, 4 junior high schools, 16 elementary schools. Hualien City Office

Universities

National Dong Hwa University National Dong Hwa University (NDHU) is a national university, national research university located in Hualien County, Hualien, Taiwan. Established in 1994, NDHU offers sixth widest range of disciplines in Taiwan, including the sciences, engine ...

, Meilun campus *

Tzu Chi University Tzu Chi University (TCU; ) is a private university in Hualien City, Hualien County, Taiwan. It was founded by the Tzu Chi Foundation ( NGO). TCU has strong ties with Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation as well as five teaching hospitals in ...

High schools

* National Hualien Senior High School * National Hualien Girls' Senior High School * Tzu Chi High School

Industries

Hualien City is the center of politics, economy and transportation of Hualien County.

Medical care

Hualien Tzu Chi Medical Center
(First Medical Center in Eastern Taiwan)

Hualien Hospital, Department of Health, Execusive Yuan
Taiwan 2009 HuaLien City JingSi Hall FRD 8410

Taiwan 2009 HuaLien City JingSi Hall FRD 8410

Tourist attractions

Hualien is most famous as the jumping off point for Taroko Gorge National Park. Taroko Gorge is billed as the largest marble canyon in the world. Tours from Hualien City are available in large bus tours or smaller group or private tours. Taroko Gorge features suspension bridges, trails, rivers, waterfalls and more. * Dongdamen Night Market * Hualien Al-Falah Mosque * Hualien Baseball Stadium *

Hualien County Stone Sculptural Museum The Hualien County Stone Sculptural Museum () is a museum of stone sculpture in Hualien City, Hualien County, Taiwan. History The museum was opened in 2001 as the first stone sculpture museum in Taiwan. Architecture The museum is a two-story b ...

* Hualien Cultural and Creative Industries Park *

Hualien Martyrs' Shrine The Hualien Martyrs' Shrine () is a martyrs' shrine in Hualien City, Hualien County, Taiwan. History The site was originally established as Karenkō Shrine during the Japanese rule of Taiwan on 19 August 1915. Due to the switch of diplomatic ...

* Hualien Railway Culture Park *

Pine Garden The Pine Garden () is a former Japanese military office in Hualien City, Hualien County, Taiwan. History The area was built in 1943 during the Japanese rule as a military office. The building used to be located inside a pine forest, thus earn ...

North Beach Park (Beibin Park)
* South Beach Park and Night Market (Nanbin Park)
Meilun Mountain Park

Hualien Fish Market

Old Railroad Cultural Shopping Street
* Rock Street *

Whale Watching Whale watching is the practice of observing whales and dolphins (cetaceans) in their natural habitat. Whale watching is mostly a recreational activity (cf. birdwatching), but it can also serve scientific and/or educational purposes.Hoyt, E. ...

Jing Si Hall (Meditation Hall)
of the

Tzu Chi The Buddhist Tzu Chi Charity Foundation ( zh, t=佛教慈濟慈善事業基金會, l=Buddhist Compassionate Relief Charitable Foundation) is a Taiwanese international humanitarian and nongovernmental organization. Its work includes medical ai ...

Foundation *Gong Tian Temple

Transportation

Air

Hualien City is served by

Hualien Airport Hualien Airport (; ; Seediq: ) , also referred to as Hualien Chiashan Airport, is a commercial airport located in an civilian area of Chiashan Air Force Base in Xincheng, Hualien County, Taiwan. With flights to Taipei, Kaohsiung and Taichung, ...

located at the neighboring Xincheng Township of

. The airport is about 10 minutes drive to the city.

Rail

Hualien Station Hualien () is a railway station in Hualien City, Hualien County, Taiwan served by Taiwan Railways Administration. It is the terminal station of North-link line and the starting station of Taitung line. Overview The station has two islan ...

TRA Tra or TRA may refer to: Biology * TRA (gene), in humans encodes the protein T-cell receptor alpha locus * Tra (gene), in ''Drosophila melanogaster'' encodes the protein female-specific protein transformer * Tra gene, a transfer gene * Triple rel ...

North-Link Line and Hualien–Taitung Line

Sea

The

Port of Hualien A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...

is an international port in the city with liners sailing to Japan, Middle East,

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...

and

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

Road

* Provincial Highway No. 9 * Provincial Highway No. 11 * County Road No.193

Notable natives

* Hsieh Chia-hsien, baseball player * Huang Teng-hui, artist and entrepreneur * Lin Man-ting, football and futsal player *

Yeh Kuang-shih Yeh Kuang-shih (; born 7 January 1957) is a Taiwanese politician and management scientist. He was the Minister of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (Taiwan), Ministry of Transportation and Communications from 18 February 2013 unt ...

, Deputy Mayor of

Kaohsiung Kaohsiung, officially Kaohsiung City, is a special municipality located in southern Taiwan. It ranges from the coastal urban center to the rural Yushan Range with an area of . Kaohsiung City has a population of approximately 2.73 million p ...

(2018–2020) *

Yang Mu Yang Mu ( zh, t=楊牧, p=Yáng Mù, September 6, 1940 – March 13, 2020) was a pen name of Wang Ching-hsien (), a Taiwanese poet, essayist, critic, translator, Professor Emeritus of Comparative Literature at the University of Washington, and fo ...

, poet, writer

Gallery

Image:HuaLien-Temple.jpg, Martyrs' shrine in Hualien Image:TRA Formosa Express on Mugua River Bridge 20091121.jpg, Formosa Express tourist train Image:Taiwan 2009 HuaLien City Residential Community FRD 6061.jpg, Residential community Image:Taiwan 2009 HuaLien City YuanYeh Resort Overlooking CiSingTan Bay FRD 8295.jpg, Yuan Yeh Resort Image:Taiwan 2009 HuaLien City Roadside Cemetery FRD 8181.jpg, Roadside cemetery

Twin towns – sister cities

Hualien City is twinned with: *

Ulsan Ulsan (; ), officially the Ulsan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's seventh-largest metropolitan city and the eighth-largest city overall, with a population of over 1.1 million inhabitants. It is located in the south-east of the country, neighbo ...

, South Korea (1982) *

Yonaguni , one of the Yaeyama Islands, is the westernmost island of Japan, lying from the east coast of Taiwan, between the East China Sea and the Philippine Sea. The island is administered as the Towns of Japan, town of Yonaguni, Okinawa, Yonaguni, Ya ...

, Japan (1982) *

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), also known as ABQ, Burque, the Duke City, and in the past 'the Q', is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Bernal ...

, United States (1983) *

Bellevue Bellevue means "beautiful view" in French. Bellevue or Belle Vue may refer to: Places Australia * Bellevue, Queensland * Bellevue, Western Australia * Bellevue Hill, New South Wales Canada * Bellevue, Alberta * Bellevue, Newfoundlan ...

, United States (1984) *

Oudtshoorn Oudtshoorn (, ) is a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa, located between the Swartberg mountains to the north and the Outeniqua Mountains to the south. Dubbed the "ostrich capital of the world", Oudtshoorn is known for its ostric ...

, South Africa (1985)

Friendly cities

Hualien City has friendly relations with: *

Takachiho file:TakachihokyoWithManaiFalls.JPG, 270px, Manai Falls file:Mt.Sobo.jpg, 270px, Mount Sobo file:Yokagura.jpg, 270px, Yokagura is a List of towns in Japan, town in Nishiusuki District, Miyazaki, Nishiusuki District, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. , t ...

, Japan (2005) *

Saipan Saipan () is the largest island and capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, an unincorporated Territories of the United States, territory of the United States in the western Pacific Ocean. According to 2020 estimates by the United States Cens ...

, Northern Mariana Islands, United States (2007)

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Populated places in Hualien County