Ruisui: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
Most of eastern Taiwan's rivers run straight to the sea, but the Xiuguluan does something no other river here does: it cuts right through the Coastal Mountain Range in a deep gorge. Ruisui is where the rafting starts, and the day follows the water down past Amis villages to the river mouth, then along the coast to the Tropic and the oldest caves in Taiwan. Rafting is half a day; book a trip with a company that drives you back to your car.
A short history of Ruisui
Ruisui is a small town in Taiwan's East Rift Valley, in Hualien County, between the Central Mountains and the Coastal Mountains. The area is home to the Amis people. In the Japanese period iron-rich hot springs, yellowish-brown in colour, were discovered here, and the town has been known for its baths ever since. The Tropic of Cancer passes right by the town, and nearby begins the Xiuguluan River, the only one that cuts through the Coastal Mountains to the ocean, and which is used for rafting.
The ten best sights in Ruisui
1Ruisui Hot SpringIron-rich water that turns rusty yellow in the pool; the old inns here date from the Japanese era
2Hongye Hot SpringClear water in a Bunun village up the valley west of Ruisui; quieter than the main spring
3Antong Hot SpringA sulphur-scented spring in the hills east of Yuli, about half an hour south
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4Xiuguluan River Rafting
The classic trip: about 22 km down to the sea in three to four hours; roughly April to October
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5Kiwit Amis Museum
Small museum in an Amis village in the middle of the river gorge, reached by a narrow mountain road
6Changhong BridgeThe red arch over the river mouth where the rafts end; walk the old bridge for the view
7Tropic of Cancer MarkerWhite tower on Highway 9 at Wuhe marking 23.5 degrees north; south of it you are in the tropics
8Saoba Stone PillarsTwo giant prehistoric stone pillars in a field near the Tropic marker
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9Ruisui Ranch
Dairy farm with cows in the fields and fresh milk and pudding at the shop
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10Liushidan Mountain
In August and September the slopes are covered in orange daylilies; steep road up from Fuli
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Ruisui →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Ruisui:
Free walking tours in Ruisui
The river through the mountains
Most of eastern Taiwan's rivers run straight to the sea, but the Xiuguluan does something no other river here does: it cuts right through the Coastal Mountain Range in a deep gorge. Ruisui is where the rafting starts, and the day follows the water down past Amis villages to the river mouth, then along the coast to the Tropic and the oldest caves in Taiwan. Rafting is half a day; book a trip with a company that drives you back to your car.
- Xiuguluan River Rafting · The Xiuguluan is the only river in Taiwan that crosses the Coastal Mountain Range, which is why it has the island's best-known rafting run. The water is warm and the rapids are gentle enough for beginners and older children.
- Kiwit Amis Museum · Kiwit sits on a bend of the river in the middle of the gorge, and for a long time it was one of the most isolated villages of the valley. The museum shows the village's rituals, fishing and the harvest festival that the Amis hold every summer.
- Changhong Bridge · Changhong means long rainbow, after the red arch that spans the mouth of the river. Beside it stands a newer road bridge, and the old one is kept for walking, with the river meeting the Pacific below.
- Shitiping · The name means stone ladder terraces, after the layers of volcanic rock cut into steps and pools by the waves. Tide pools full of fish and corals form between them at low water.
- Tropic of Cancer Marker, Jingpu · Taiwan is crossed by the Tropic of Cancer, and this marker on the coast road is one of the monuments that show where it runs. On the summer solstice the sun stands directly overhead at noon here.
- Baxian Caves · The caves are old sea caves now raised high above the waves, and in them archaeologists found the Changbin culture, the oldest known human presence in Taiwan, dated to tens of thousands of years ago.
Along the Tropic
Ruisui lies almost exactly on the Tropic of Cancer, in the East Rift Valley between Taiwan's two mountain ranges. The valley floor is rice, the slopes are tea and dairy pasture, and hot water comes out of the ground on both sides. This loop starts with milk, soaks in two different springs, crosses the Tropic and ends with tea on the plateau. An easy day of short drives; leave the baths for whenever it rains.
- Ruisui Ranch · Ruisui is the home of one of Taiwan's best-known fresh milk brands, and the dairy farms here benefit from the cooler air of the valley. At the ranch you can see the cows and drink milk from the same morning.
- Ruisui Hot Spring · This is one of the few iron-carbonate springs in Taiwan: the water comes out clear, salty and hot, and turns a rusty yellow as the iron meets the air. The Japanese built a bathhouse here during their rule, and the spring has been a bathing place ever since.
- Hongye Hot Spring · In 1968 the Bunun boys of Hongye's small primary school beat a visiting Japanese champion team, a victory that set off Taiwan's passion for Little League baseball. The village is still proud of it, and the spring is a quiet place for a soak.
- Tropic of Cancer Marker, Wuhe · The tall white marker on Highway 9 stands where the Tropic of Cancer, 23.5 degrees north, crosses the valley. Step over the line and you pass from the subtropics into the tropics.
- Saoba Stone Pillars · These two pillars are the largest prehistoric stone monuments found in Taiwan, the taller one standing more than five metres high. They were raised about 3,000 years ago by people of a late Stone Age culture, and nobody knows exactly what for.
- Wuhe Tea Farms · Wuhe's honey-scented black tea is made from leaves bitten by tiny green leafhoppers in summer. The plant reacts to the bites with sweet aromatic compounds, so the farmers here leave the insects alone and spray no pesticides.
South to Yuli and the lily hills
South of Ruisui the valley widens around Yuli, a railway town halfway between Hualien and Taitung. The old railway line here has been turned into a cycle path, a Japanese mountain road leads west into the Central Range, and in late summer the hills to the east turn orange with daylilies. This is a day on the way south, for those driving on towards Taitung. If you go in August or September, keep the afternoon for Liushidan.
- Yuli Qiaotou Stinky Tofu · Qiaotou means at the head of the bridge, where the stall began, and it became one of the best-known stinky tofu places in eastern Taiwan. The tofu is fermented in brine, fried until crisp and served with pickled cabbage and chilli.
- Kecheng Iron Bridge · When the eastern railway was straightened and moved, the old line south of Yuli was left behind, and this iron bridge became part of a cycle path along it. You can ride across the river on the old track bed.
- Yufu Cycle Path · The path follows the abandoned railway between Yuli and Fuli through rice fields, with the Central Range on one side and the Coastal Range on the other. It is flat, and bikes can be rented in Yuli.
- Walami Trail · The trail is the eastern end of the Batongguan road, which the Japanese cut across the Central Range from 1919 to control the Bunun villages of the mountains. Today it is a forest walk with suspension bridges and waterfalls.
- Antong Hot Spring · Antong's water is a sulphur-scented spring that rises in a small valley of the Coastal Range. It was developed as a bathing place under Japanese rule, and an old wooden building from that time is kept beside the hotel.
- Liushidan Mountain · The farms on top of the mountain grow daylilies for their flower buds, which Taiwanese cooks dry and use in soups. The fields bloom orange from August to September, and the growers sell the dried buds at the top.
Getting to Ruisui and getting around
- Ruisui Station · On the Hualien-Taitung line, about an hour from Hualien by express; the rafting firms collect from here
- Yuli Station · The bigger town to the south, with more express stops; the base for Walami and Antong
Cheap eats in Ruisui
The East Rift Valley eats from its farms. Ruisui means fresh milk, honey-scented black tea and, in September, the Hegang pomelo; the Amis villages add wild greens, river fish and sticky rice cooked in bamboo. Down the road Yuli has its own noodles and a famous stinky tofu. Restaurants are few and close early, so plan dinner before eight, or eat at your hot spring inn.
- Ruisui Ranch milk · A bottle of milk or a pudding about NT$40-80
- Jizheng Ranch · A second dairy just east of town; milk, soft-serve and milk buns about NT$40-80
- Honey-scented black tea · Tasting is free at the farm shops; a bag about NT$300-600
- Hegang wendan pomelo · Roadside stalls in season, about NT$50-100 a fruit
- Yuli Qiaotou Stinky Tofu · Fried stinky tofu with pickled cabbage, a plate about NT$60-80
- Guangfu Sugar Factory ice cream · Ice bars and ice cream in flavours like red bean and taro, about NT$20-60
Nature and day trips near Ruisui
- Xiuguluan gorge · Half day with a licensed company, about NT$800-1,200 including transport
- Liushidan Mountain · Daylily fields with valley views; go early, before the cloud
- Fuyuan Forest · Paid entry; butterflies best from April to August
- Walami Trail · The first stretch is open without a permit; leeches after rain
- Shitiping · Tide pools at low water; wear shoes on the sharp rock
- Mataian Wetland · Lotus ponds and waterbirds; local Amis guides show the fish traps
Museums in Ruisui
- Kiwit Amis Museum · Small village museum; check opening times before the drive
- Saoba Stone Pillars · Free; a short walk from Highway 9
- Guangfu Sugar Factory · Free to wander; some of the wooden houses are rented as rooms
- Baxian Caves · Prehistoric site in raised sea caves; a short climb on stairs
- Tropic of Cancer Marker · Free roadside stop on Highway 9
Things to do in Ruisui with kids
- Cows at Ruisui Ranch · Free entry; snacks NT$40-80
- Standing on the Tropic · Kids like to stand with one foot on each side of the line
- Family rafting · Life jackets and helmets provided; ask the minimum age when booking
- Ice cream at Guangfu · Ice bars in local flavours in the old factory yard
- Butterflies at Fuyuan · Easy paths along the stream; spring and summer
Holy places in Ruisui
- Yuli Cihui Hall · Visitors welcome; remove hats inside
- Yuli Xietian Temple · Yuli's temple to Guan Yu, the god of loyalty
- Fuyuan Bao'an Temple · Village temple on the road north to Fuyuan forest
- Kiwit village · Festival dates change each year; ask in Ruisui
Frequently asked questions about Ruisui
What is there to see in Ruisui?
The top sights in Ruisui are Ruisui Hot Spring, Hongye Hot Spring and Antong Hot Spring. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Ruisui?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Ruisui without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Ruisui?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Ruisui, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The river through the mountains.
How do you get to Ruisui and get around?
The main ways are Ruisui Station and Yuli Station. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Ruisui, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Ruisui that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Ruisui for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.