The 70th F.I.C.C. International Rally
In and around the Liyutan
Located 20 kilometers southeast to downtown Hualien, the Liyutan is marked by a crystal-clear body of lake waters that draw large flocks of water fouls numbering to over 20 varieties that frequent the lake. Lake-surrounding trails offer a tranquil walk or biking around the lake, where one could gain a vantage view of the campgrounds located right across the lake.
In close proximity to the west side of the campground is the Zhenan Forest Recreational Zone, where you will find a Forestry Museum that houses an extensive collection of lumbering tools, new and old, and throughout the site there are extensive hiking trails set amid the infinitely enchanting settings.
Adjacent to the campgrounds not too far-off are the dwellings of the Taiya tribe and the Ami tribe, where the quaint hilltop chapel and the innocent smiles of the aboriginal children await you.
The sights and sounds of the Hualien-Taitung Rift
Renowned for its idyllic settings predominantly of a farming culture, the Hualien-Taitung Ravine offers a picturesque tapestry of rice paddies, tea plantations, fields of rape greens and tiger-lily blossoms. And not to be missed is the October harvest of the renowned Wuher pomelo that you could sample while taking a break at the tea plantation and taking in the golden fields of bountiful rice crops swaying along the ravine¡¦s step rice-paddies.
The geology of the ravine, situated in the junctions where the Eurasia plate and the Philippines plate come to meet, has chiseled the region with many of the towering mountains and fault zones that, in turn, cultivated a host of natural wonders, such as canyons, waterfalls, thermal springs, groundwater flows, step riverbeds, alluvial planes, badlands, to name a few.
The Aboriginal culture
The Hualien-Taitung Rift is home to the tribes of Ami, Taiya, Punong, Beinan, an ancestral homeland where generations of tribesmen have been hunting, gathering and farming along the valleys, forest hills and coastlines, peacefully coexisting with nature that blesses them with plentiful.
Off some 35 kilometers south to the campgrounds is the Tahbarung Village, reputedly the ancestral home of the Ami tribe, where the tribesmen¡¦s gathering around every August celebrating their harvests has now become a feature attraction, and everyone is cordially invited to be the guest of honor at the sound of the harvest ceremonial song and dance.
Off to the north of the campgrounds is Shu-Lin Village, home to the Taiya tribe, where the men are achieved hunters and the women natural born weavers; the Taiya is the only Taiwanese aboriginal tribe that takes to tattooing, which is a symbol of appeals and honor.
Activities of interest
For natural wonderments or artistic humanity heritage, the Hualien-Taitung Rift has something for everyone, whether you are looking for the unspoiled, the great nature or simply taking in an eco-tour, for you would be thoroughly delighted with a wide array of firsthand activities right from the campgrounds. Some of the feature attractions include a guided-canyon tour to the Toroka Gorge National Park, cannoning down the Shuguluan Shih, whale watching on the Pacific waters, or a more relaxing visit to the local farming villages and a aboriginal cultural tour, to name a few.
On the campgrounds at nightfall, specially staged aboriginal song and dance repertories proudly presented by the organizer as a tribute to the local culture, together with a variety of folkdances representative of the Taiwanese culture, have been specially selected to delight your senses, bring to you an insightful look to the beauty of Taiwan, and most of all to make you feel perfectly at ease.
