For the Wulai vistors to enjoy the cherry blossoms, the enchanting sceneries, the Atayal culture, and hot springs, this year, there will be not only magnificent cherry blossom, delicious cherry-flower meals, but also the aboriginal dances and signings as well as the valley concert for better appreciation of the Atayal culture. Besides, there will be hot-spring health-promoting bathing which is fun to join. There will be an ecological photography contest and a sketch contest, among many others, for the general public to gain a deeper knowledge and feeling of Wulai from diverse activities.
Exit at Second Northern Freeway (National Highway No.3) Xindian Interchange (along Beihsin Road and Hsinwu Road）→Feitsui Reservoir→Nanshih Creek→Wulai Atayal Museum→Wulai Shopping Street→Hot-spring Bathing→ Lansheng Bridge→Lovers' Lane→Tour Vehicle →Waterfall Road Shopping Street→Wulai Waterfall→Sky Train →Waterfall Park→Cherry-blossom Viewing→Forest Recreational Area at Neidong→Forest Bathing→Fushan Tribal Village→Cherry-blossom viewing
Hot Springs
Legend has it that 300 years ago, the aboriginal Atayal warriors hunted and chased their preys to this place. Discovering the hot steaming water coming boiling from the valleys, they exclaimed, "Uraikirofu!" "Urai" means "hot springs" and "Kirofu" "steaming." Thereafter, the aborigines have taken as their bathing area the river beds where hot springs issue from the Nanshih River shores.
Hot springs in Wulai, transparent without nose-irritating sulfur smells, are used for various purposes such as keratin softening, inflammation relief, scar removal, blood circulation promotion, nerve sedation, and pain relief. Hot-spring experts call them the "Beauty-enhancing Hot Springs."
Cherry Blossoms
In spring, starting from February, the cherry flowers bloom one after another in Wulai. Shaped like the hanging clocks, the cherry flowers are of the crimson- or light crimson-colored Taiwanese breed, signaling the start of the Wulai Cherry Blossom Festival. The colorful Taiwan cherries growing throughout the Wulai town are the major type of cherry blossom in Wulai. Then, the light red Fuji cherry blossoms and crimson-red Prunus Iannesiana Wils bloom in March. In April the white Prunus Yedoensis flowers pose a beautiful ending to the Cherry Blossom Feast in Wulai.
Nanshih Creek and Tunghou Creek, the two main rivers in Wulai, possess crystal clear water. The wide variety of trees makes unique the scenery with every waterfall forms in the park. Walking along the trails and passing by the quiet areas in the park, once in a while one can see white-eared thrushes and bamboo partridges; chickens chasing in the dense forest; sometimes squirrels and mice dancing on the treetops. In early spring, when cherry, plum, peach and azaleas flowers are in full bloom, visiting photographers wandered amidst the flowers and looked afar at the falls and cable cars to capture the thrills of Wulai.
Formally known as "Yun Lai Zhi Lung" (waterfalls from the clouds), the Wulai waterfalls are formed by the waters flowing from the mountains into Nanshih Creek. When abundant in water volumes, two hot springs, like two rainbows, will descend swiftly from the valleys down to the ponds or the rocks, generating sounds of falls and recurring echoes. The high-rising mountains invite dense fogs and clouds. Almost every morning and evening, through the thickening mists waters fall straight from the clouds, as if silvery never-returning water descending from the sky into the creeks, which is quite a magnificent view. It is a unique experience to tour from the bridge to the waterfall in a car which passes through the forest, makes the uneven sounds, and greets the breezes.
In Wulai the local eateries are typically Atayal foods. The specially flavored "Dama Noodles" made of marinated fish or mountain pork is commonly known as "the Mountain Sashimi." The banana rice, bamboo rice, rattan cores, salted creek shrimps, and wild vegetables are all natural dishes that can not be found in the urbanity. The bamboo rice is the recommended specialty which includes such commonly known flavors as mushroom flavor, the black glutinous rice, and red bean. The Ma Gao energy soup cooked with pepper and chicken broth is a recommended specialty. The sweet rice balls are made by first grounding in a stone mortar the steamed millets into thick and sticky rice balls.
