The Tourism Bureau yesterday launched an exhibition — featuring 50 vendors from Hualien and Taitung counties — at the Songshan Cultural and Creative Park in Taipei to promote tourism to the east coast.
The “East of Taiwan” project was established last year by the offices of the East Coast National Scenic Area and the East Rift Valley National Scenic Area, offering 13 bundled tours, the bureau said.
The tours are experiences revolving around the natural scenery, culture and history of places on the east coast, including the townships of Shoufeng (壽豐), Fengbin (豐濱) and Changbin (長濱), and Siouguluan River (秀姑巒溪) in Hualien County, it said.
Photo courtesy of the Tourism Bureau via CNA
The tours include trips to Chenggong (成功) and Donghe (東河) townships, attractions along Provincial Freeway No. 9 and Green Island (綠島) in Taitung County, among others, it said.
The Green Island tour features night fishing from a boat, stargazing, exploration of endemic species and local culinary experiences, including fried millet cake, the bureau said.
Tours in the Rift Valley include an overnight stay in a Bunun village, mountain climbing and hiking for all levels of fitness and a culinary tour of Taiwan’s “rice basket,” it said, adding that until Feb. 28 there are discounts of up to NT$1,500 for the trips.
Videos introducing the tours would be uploaded to the East Coast National Scenic Area’s YouTube channel, @eastcoastnsa0501, while a multimedia Web site is expected to be launched next month, the bureau said.
Workshops, regional products and dishes, and live music by local bands including Bloom Reed Music Studio, Nuka and Mafana — all of which are features of the East of Taiwan tours — are in the exhibit, in addition to a raffle offering two coupons for a three-day trip, it added.
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