Discover Taitung

Discover Taitung – Oriental Hawaii

Taitung County is the third largest county in Taiwan by area. The county covers an area of 3,515 square kilometers. It is located south of the Tropic of Cancer and east of the Pacific Ocean. It has a population of around 105,000 people. It is the country’s least populous county, and half of the county’s population lives in Taitung City.

Regions

Taitung can be divided into six regions: East Rift Valley Area, East Coast Area, South-Link Area, Southern Cross-Island Line, Taitung City Area, and Offshore Islands Area.

• The East Rift Valley Area is relatively high, with wide high plains, and consists mainly of agricultural land;
• East Coast Area is located to the east of the Coastal Mountains, with a total length of 90 kilometers from north to south facing the Pacific Ocean. Many places in the area are mountainous;
• South-link Area is located to the south of Zhiben River, also facing the Pacific Ocean to the east. In addition, it is a settlement of many indigenous ethnic tribes;
• The Southern Cross-Island Line along the Central Mountain Range is a good place for hiking and hot springs;
• Taitung City Area is the most populous area in the county, with many cultural and historical buildings. There are also various delicious foods in the city;
• Green Island and Orchid Island are famous islands with rich natural landscapes, and are also world-class diving and holiday destinations.

Activity

Taitung is a good place for outdoor activities, including world-class surfing and diving spots! You can also take part in mountain climbing, camping, hot springs, triathlon races, paragliding and other activities here. Taitung also hosts major international events every year, including Taiwan International Hot Air Balloon Festival, Taiwan Open of Surfing, and Taiwan East Coast Land Arts Festival.

Weather

Taitung has a tropical climate and is a southern tropical mountain climate area.

• Taitung has a warm to hot climate all year round. Except for Orchid Island, Taitung has 8 to 9 months of summer, and the temperature is about 0.5 degrees higher than that of western Taiwan on average.
• Taitung has abundant rainfall. The average annual humidity in the flat area is 76%. The rainy season is from May to October, and the dry season is from November to April. The rainfall in the rainy season is 4 times that of the dry season.
• Precautions: Taitung often has typhoons from July to September each year. Rain and wind speed will suddenly increase at that time. Special attention should be paid to one’s itinerary and personal safety. In addition, there is sometimes the Foehn wind phenomenon in summer, which causes the temperature to rise immediately. Beware of heat stroke.

Economics

Taitung County’s economy is dominated by agriculture. Due to its location in the tropics and the geographical advantages of the mountains and the sea, there is an abundance of crop types.

Famous products include: The agricultural products include custard apples, pineapples, Summer Snow mangoes, and rice. Fishery products include sailfish, Mahi-mahi, bonito, etc. In addition, Luye Red Oolong, orange daylily and Roselle Flower are also well-known throughout the country!

Culture

Taitung is the county with the highest proportion of indigenous people in Taiwan. The seven ethnic groups in the county include the Amis, Paiwan, Bunun, Rukai, Puyuma, Kavalan, and Yami (Tao). With the encouragement of the government, the culture of the indigenous peoples have been perfectly preserved, and the cultural traditions (language, festivals, residence) of the tribes have been highly respected and maintained. In Taitung, you can taste different varieties of indigenous cuisine, enjoy celebrations such as the Harvest Festival in July every year, and you can also participate in tribal tours.