#hualienwowyouthhostel

[houseoftravellers]

Long Weekend spent in Hualien

This past weekend was a pretty big hype for the Taiwanese locals and expat dwellers in town. It was “Tomb Sweeping Day” aka 清明節 (Chinese) aka Qing Ming Festival. I learned that everybody gets the same time off of work so the traffic is nuts everywhere, and big events happen (Spring Scream Festival in Kenting) around the country. Same time because everyone’s too scared to take vacation days or sick days due to fear of replacement. 

What: A national holiday, you get a day off for it. It is one of the oldest holidays on the planet.  When: April 5th Why: An important day of sacrifice for most people to go and sweep tombs and commemorate their ancestors. If you want to visit and respect your ancestors, this is the best time to do it. It’s also the time to put down your phones, go outside and start enjoying the greenery of spring. Qingming (清明) is the second of 24 solar terms on the traditional Chinese solar calendar. I didn’t know what it was but I almost stayed home to catch up with myself and work on designs but I saw how beautiful it was out so I decided to hop on board a group of adventurers going to Hualien for 3 days. I’ve never met them before so that was pretty exciting. I let them do all the planning since I’m not familiar with the place and they were. 

Day 1 Getting to Hualian

8am We met up at Taipei Main Station at the TRA Station located in B3 which can be found when you go up the escalator from the MRT train. 

Follow the signs. 

Since there was 4 of us, 1 was in Banqiao where the train starts, 1 got lost trying to find where the TRA platform was. He ended up at the main TRA platform with the checkered floors on Floor 2. 

Ticket Cost: $440NT

We took the 8:47am train and got there at 12pm. 

Upon arrival, we went to scout some hostels. First place we checked out was Chantai Hotel - 2100/night for 4 people -- private room. Pictures looked pretty rusty so we went across the street to Hualien WOW Youth Hostel. 

Hualien WOW Youth Hostel:

Young friendly staff who could speak English pretty well

$600/night per person in a 4 person dorm

$2760/night per person, private room for 4

Breakfast included - probably the best breakfast I’ve had offered in a hostel. Eggs, Ham, Cheese, Toast, Oranges, Tea, Jam, Butter. They don’t keep track how many you take

Has boardgames and books

They offer toothbrush, snacks, tampons, and other things which you can purchase in the lobby by honour system

Very worth it, I’d go again

Right across from the Hualien Train Station

Clean, modern, looks pretty new

Bed was hard but it was your own space, it wasn’t a bunk bed. The room was set up really cool.

Once we were settled, it was too late to take the bus anywhere. Places are 1-2 hour bus rides away unfortunately so we took the bus to the Chishingtan Scenic Area which took 10minutes for $25NT. 

Big waves crashing in. 

Spent the evening playing boardgames.