Optional Tour

Xinse Rice Terraces (新社梯田)

The village of Xinshe, with a sharp-slope mountainside serving as its “back wall,” is perched atop a large flat-topped headland which is espied from many kilometers away while motoring along Highway 11. This is a tribal community, Taiwan’s largest Kavalan settlement. The Kavalan motherland is Yilan County, but most members moved down along the Hualien/Taitung coast in the 1800s to escape Chinese-settler pressure. The headland is beautifully contoured, with sun-reflecting rice paddies fitting perfectly together. The blue of the ocean, green of the paddies, and colorful scarecrows combine into a photographer’s dream come true. (Reference from https://taiwaneverything.cc/2018/06/11/hualien-taroko-valley-coast/#Xinshe)

LalaBan XinShe XiangJiaoSi GongFang (新社香蕉絲工坊)

At the same time as the breeding of the Kavalan people and the cultural rejuvenation movement, the older generation of ethnic groups revived the techniques of traditional weaving. Banana silk is the wisdom of ancestors using natural resources. From the cultivation, cutting, shaving, drying, dividing, twisting, winding, warping and weaving of bananas, it has accumulated a profound technical culture. (Reference from http://wata-art.com/?c=artist&m=detail&artist_id=38)

Dashibishan Trail (大石鼻山步道)

Also located close to Jiqi Beach is the Dashibishan Trail, a pleasant walk up and around the mountain close to the beach. It is an easy trail, suitable for all ages and abilities. There are two car parks from which walkers can start and the route will take them in a loop around this small mountain. On the way are several gazeboes where you can stop and enjoy the views along the coast and out into the Pacific Ocean. Despite it’s proximity to the number 11 Highway, the walk is peaceful and there is plenty of flora and fauna to enjoy in addition to the sea air and lovely views. (Reference from https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3294772)