Our 7 Month Travel Blog

On our next day in Taiwan, we visited the mountainous district of Wulai, known for its hot springs, waterfalls and indigenous Atayal people. Wulai’s name itself comes from the Atayal language meaning ‘hot springs’.

Hot springs in Wulai can be found at the junction of the Nanshi River. The alkaline spring water is said to be able to help nourish the skin and cure gastric ailments.

We arrived in Wulai and first saw the impressive suspension bridge over the river Nanshi.

From here we walked the short distance to Wulai Old Street.

The street has a variety of food stalls where you can eat aboriginal mountain delicacies.

The Atayal people are known for their rich language and culture. Through Old Street you can see traditional Atayal clothing, hats and crafts.

We then headed further in and up the mountain. We decided to get the scenic train up to Wulai waterfall. Although, when we got there the locals called it a ‘log cart’, which was probably a more accurate description! It was originally designed to transport timber and logging materials through the mountains.

We arrived at the top and walked the short distance to Wulai Waterfall. It’s the tallest waterfall in northern Taiwan at 80m high.

The Waterfall is said to drop from the cloud, which is why it is called the “Cloud Waterfall” or “Fairy Waterfall”. The views around the waterfall were impressive.

We then went back to the town and visited the Wulai Atayal Museum, which shows the heritage of the Atayal people.

We also saw traditional Wulai crowns and hunting equipment.

The Wulai people are also known for their face tattoos which are a sign of social status. They get their faces tattooed when they are about fifteen or sixteen years old. Men get vertical tattoos on their foreheads and chins, while women also get vertical tattoos on the forehead, around their lips and between their ears.

In order to qualify for a head tattoo, men must hunt down the heads of their enemies while women must learn how to weave an embossed top.

It is said that those who do not have facial tattoos will be rejected by their ancestors when they enter the spirit world after death.

After the museum we then started the trip back to Taipei City, where we stopped in a really nice cafe.

We then walked back through the city to the hostel as it was a really nice evening!