On the Pacific side of the great Central Range,
 which bisects Taiwan from north to south, lies the island’s rugged eastern coast, unsurpassed for its contours of land, sea and sky. Insulated by a wall of mountains from the industrial and commercial developments of the western plains, eastern Taiwan remains an enclave of old fashioned island culture, a refuge where the flavor of human feelings retains its natural taste. Farming and fishing, the fruits of sun and sea are the pillars of the east coast economy. A good place to begin exploration of the eastern coast is Suao, Taiwan’s fifith international harbor. A convenient springboard between northern and eastern Taiwan, Suao is located south along the coast from Toucheng, and is linked directly to Taipei through modern highway. It is also the major link on the railway that connects Taipei to Hualien. Suao is an orderly Asian seaport that looks a lot like Hong Kong’s fabled harbor did half a century ago. The international port facilities occupy the northern part of the harbor town, but the local ambience is concentrated two kilometers south , in the quaint coastal enclave called Southside Suao. Here is the island’s enchanting fisherman’s wharf. Some of the best seafood in Taiwan can be found in the restaurants along the wharf’s main street, a lane distingusihed by its digital - clock tower in the shape of a small lighthouse.

 A roller-coaster highway of 110 kilometer built in 1920, lies between Suao and Hualien. The highway is literally a cliff-hanger, with the crashing breakers of the Pacific Ocean eroding the rocks 300 to 500 meter below the highway. Hualien ia a pleasant and cheerful town. Travelers visiting Hualien by air for the first time are startled by the world’s only marble airport terminal. Hualien even boast marble temple. Hualien is the home to Taiwan ‘s largest ethnic minority, the Ami, numbering about 150,000. During the annual Ami harvest celebration, in late August and early September, the town is particularly festive. Other times, authentic performances of traditional tribal dances are staged for visitors in the Ami Culture Village about 15 minutes drive from the downtown.

One of many attractions in Hualien is the Martyr’s Shrine, built into a hillside on the northern outskirts of Hualien is an impressive architectural complex that reflects classical Chinese concepts of balance and proportion.

Taroka Gorge located about 15 kilometer from Hualien, is one of the most spectacular nature wonders of the world. Taroka which means beautiful in the Ami dialect is a gorge of marble cliffs, through which flows the torrential Liwu River, Taroka winds sinously for 20 kilometers from the coast to its upper end at Tienhsiang.
The first scenic points along the route are the Light of Zen Monastery and the Shrine of Eternal Spring. The Shrine of Eternal Spring is a memorial to 450 retired servicemen who lost their lives constructing this road, known as the Rainbow Treasure Island. The shrine is perched on a cliff overlooking the boulder-strewn river, with a view of a waterfall pouring through a graceful moon bridge. At Swallon’s Grotto, the cliffs tower so tall on either side of the road that direct sunlight hits the floor of the gorge only around the noon. The Tunnel of Nine Turns is a remarkable feat of engineering. It cuts a crooked road of tunnels and half tunnels through solid marble cliffs. The Bridge of Motherly Devotion is worth a stop to explore the rocky river bed, a jumble of huge marble boulders tossed carelessly down the gully by some ancient convulsion. A small marble pavilion stands on a hillock. The final stop on the Taroko Gorge is tour is Teinhsiang.

Taitung, the sleepy seaside city is pleasant and airy. At about the same latitude as Kaohsiung on the opposite coast, Taitung is the economic hub for the lower portion of the east coast. Taitung do not offer much tourist attraction. The most popular attraction is Carp Hill, with its Dragon and Phoenix Temple providing fine views of the city and the sea.

South of Taitung, tucked against the mountain-side at the mouth of a rugged canyon, along the rocky Chihpen River is Chihpen, one of Taiwan’s oldest, quaintest and most remote hot spring resorts. The village of Chihpen lies on the coast 12 kilometers south of Taitung. The hot spring is another two kilometers inland. The Chihpen Valley, which cuts into the steep mountains behind the spa, is reminiscent of the gorgeous wild gorges hidden deep within the remote mountain ranges of western Sichuan province on the mainland. Here are thick forests and clear streams, steep cliffs and cascading waterfalls, bamboo groves and fruit orchards, robust mountain dwellers and exotic flora and fauna. The valley is worth a thorough exploration by foot. A few hundred meters beyond the resort village, a sign points left towards the White Jade Waterfall, which lies about one kilometer up a winding paved path, which echoes loudly with the full-throated calls of birds and insects. The waters of White Jade tumble down a jumble of strewn boulders, dense growths of fern, bamboo and gnarled roots. A few kilometers up the road from the falls stands the arched entrance to the Chihpen Forest Recreation Area. The biggest treat in the Chihpen Valley is the Chinghueh Temple, located steep hill about a kilometer from the lower hot spring area.

Taimali is a town on the south of Chihpen. A 100 meter wide beach gray sand and smooth pebbles runs for about 15 kilometers along the shoreline. The sparkling blue water is completely free of pollution, the surf is gentle, and privacy is abundant. Taimali is principally a fishing town, and its fishermen use unique motorized rafts. They are built by lashing together a half - dozen six meter long plastic water pipes, bracing them with bamboo and binding them with bailing wire. Nosiy outboard motors provide the needed power.

Lanyu, or Orchid Island, is the most unlikely jewel in the waters surrounding Taiwan. An island of 45 square kilometers, it is 60 kilometers east of Taiwan’s southern tip and 80 kilometers southeast of Taitung. Lanyu is home to 4,250 Yami, Taiwan’s smallest minority tribe, With colorful costumes and a strongly-matriarchal society, the Yami are often regarded as the northernmost extent of Polynesian ancestry. These people live simple from the fruits of the sea, supplementing their daily catch with taro and a few fruits. The entire island can be driven around in a little over two hours. The coastal rock formations, eroded by weather and water, are particular impressive. One thing conspicuosly missing, given the island’s English name are wild orchids. They have all been dug up and sold.