Yilan
The Relaxing World of Yilan
Yilan is probably not one of the more “hopping” tourist spots you can visit in Asia, but that’s exactly what makes it so appealing. While bearing its fair share of modernization, Yilan also retains much of its natural gifts, from its stunning coastline to its scenic forests. This is the sort of place you go to in order to be embraced by nature at its most welcoming, to feel the stress blown from you by the gentle salt winds of the sea and to find, amidst your travels, some much-needed time to rest your mind and body.
Yilan is famous among the Taiwanese as a vacation place, and in a sense, it serves the same purpose for many tourists in the country. Most of it is rural, although not precisely rustic: and greenery runs all throughout the county. Imagine rolling hills of grass, romantic bays separated by stunning cliffs and stretches of beach. Imagine islands shaped like turtles drifting over deep blue seas, shrouded in mist in the mornings and peach-colored come the sunset. Imagine a blue sky and stone pathways over which to ride as you traverse the country. This is Yilan in all its glory, a paradise set against the sea.
Yilan’s attractions are thus mostly natural, from its many beaches and bays to its hot springs. It also boasts forest recreation areas at Taiping and the maritime ecological park of Guishan Island. There are manmade attractions as well, of course, like the ever-popular Donshan River Water Park and the festivals and parades held in the county. This may be a place for relaxation but that does not mean there is never anything to do here.
Yilan is a great getaway that you should definitely experience if you love nature or need a measure of quiet to soothe your soul. Yet it is also a great place where one may bring one’s friends or family to have new experiences. It is the county of quiet and nature at its calmest, but never at its dullest.
