Yilan — Hot Springs, Rice Paddies
& Taiwan's Best Night Market

The Sanxing (三星) scallion is unusually sweet and crisp — a product of Yilan's volcanic soil and abundant rainfall. The simplest preparation, the scallion pancake (蔥油餅), is the benchmark dish. Every night market stall has one; the quality gap between them is enormous.

A restorative hot pot featuring mutton braised with angelica root (當歸) and Chinese medicinal herbs in a pale, rich broth. The dish dates back to Yilan's Han Chinese settler communities who kept goats on the plains. Available year-round but perfect on cold evenings.

Yilan's cherry duck (bred for pale, delicate meat) is cold-smoked over wood chips and served sliced with a sweet dipping sauce. One of the signature products at Luodong Night Market and at Yilan specialty restaurants. Order it as a main or sliced cold at a stall.

Yilan's largest night market and many Taiwanese people's favourite in the whole country. More local, less tourist-curated than Shilin or Raohe in Taipei. The braised pork rice, taro balls, and grilled seafood are the benchmarks here. Go hungry and go slow.

An Yilan novelty that you will either love or strongly dislike: vanilla-style ice cream rolled in a wafer cone with a large sprig of fresh cilantro (香菜). The aromatic herb against the sweet cream is surprisingly pleasant. Available along Toucheng Old Street and at several Luodong stalls.

Taiwan's largest Pacific fishing port, where the morning catch is sold directly from the boats. The seafood restaurants around the harbour serve outstandingly fresh bluefin tuna, mackerel, and flying fish. Worth a half-day trip for anyone who takes seafood seriously.

Yilan is Taiwan's primary kumquat (金棗) growing county. The small citrus is candied, brewed into tea, made into jam, or infused into liqueur. You'll find it packaged as gifts throughout the county — the candied version makes an excellent and very packable souvenir.

A thin, wide, oval cracker — the shape gives it its name — made with sesame and a faint sweetness. A Toucheng Old Street institution that dates back several generations. The freshly-baked version from a street-side oven is incomparably better than the packaged variety.

Instant noodles cooked in Su'ao's naturally cold carbonated spring water — the bubbles keep the water slightly acidic, changing the texture of the noodles. It sounds gimmicky; it actually tastes different. Part of the full Su'ao cold spring experience.

The heart of Jiaoxi's hot spring culture — a public park with steaming channels and foot-soaking pools fed by the town's signature sodium-bicarbonate spring. Completely free, open all day, and one of the most pleasant ways to spend an hour in Taiwan.

Three tiers of waterfall dropping a combined 100 metres through forested mountains above Jiaoxi. The lower tier is an easy 10-minute walk from the trailhead car park; the upper tiers require a moderately strenuous 45-minute hike. Rewarding and rarely overcrowded before 10am.

Yilan's tea-growing slopes glow a deep jade green in spring and early summer. The Dongshan (冬山) area tea gardens offer a quiet antidote to the tourist circuit, with small teahouses serving freshly-picked Yilan oolong and views across the Lanyang Plain to the sea.

A striking Pritzker Prize-associated building whose form echoes the tilted rock strata of the local coastline. The exhibition inside covers Yilan's natural history, indigenous Kavalan heritage, marine ecology, and the county's rice and tea farming traditions in unusually thoughtful depth.

The distinctive volcanic island 10 km offshore that forms the visual centrepiece of the Yilan coastline. Dolphin and whale-watching boats depart from Wushih Harbour (Wai'ao) in the morning from April to October. Bottlenose dolphins are reliable; sperm whales are occasionally seen.

The go-to surf spot for Taipei's wave-riders — consistent swells, board rental shacks, and a much less crowded environment than beaches closer to the capital. Not ideal for swimming (rip currents present), but surfing lessons are available from the beach operators for beginners.

A preserved Qing dynasty commercial street flanked by traditional shophouse facades, temples, and small family businesses. Famous for the cow tongue biscuit bakers and its historic Dongshan River lantern festival connections. Quiet compared to Luodong — pleasant in the morning.

Yilan City's beloved public park celebrating the illustrated works of Jimmy (幾米), one of Taiwan's most treasured picture-book artists. Large bronze sculptures from his most famous stories dot the park. Genuinely touching whether or not you know the books — a favourite with all ages.

Taiwan's most celebrated whisky distillery, producer of bottles that have beaten Scotch benchmarks in international blind tastings. Free guided tours run throughout the day with tasting samples. The on-site shop has expressions not sold anywhere else. Book ahead for weekend tours.

A large, well-maintained living museum of Taiwanese folk arts — traditional opera, puppetry, craft workshops, and old-street architecture on a riverside setting. More engaging than it sounds; allow 2–3 hours. Conveniently located next to Silks Place Yilan hotel.

A flat, scenic cycling route that traces the Dongshan River through rice paddies and along the riverbank, passing the National Center for Traditional Arts and connecting to the Luodong Forest Park. Bikes are easily rented from shops near Luodong Station. Best in the golden-hour light of late afternoon.

One of only two naturally-occurring cold carbonate springs in the world (the other is in Italy). Water stays at around 22°C year-round — bracingly cold in summer, surprisingly appealing in comparison to the county's hot springs. Public pools and private tub options are available in town.