Hua-lien

Hua-lien: railway station

Hua-lien

Hua-lien, shih (municipality) and seat of Hua-lien hsien (county), eastern Taiwan, the largest settlement and principal harbour on the island’s east coast. Hua-lien is situated on a major fault line at the northern end of the T’ai-tung rift valley, which separates the main Chung-yang Mountain Range of the interior from the rugged and steep coastal ranges between Hua-lien and the smaller port of T’ai-tung. A narrow-gauge railway follows this valley, which is about 4 miles (6 km) wide, and the bustling port is joined to the western parts of the island by a remarkable mountain highway. Located in a highly volcanic region, the city is severely affected by seismic disturbances; it was almost destroyed by a major earthquake in 1951.

Although the settlement at Hua-lien was founded in the late 19th century, it was not until 1910, during the Japanese occupation (1895–1945), that a local administration was set up. Numbers of Japanese farmers settled in the area, which produces rice, sugarcane, jute, and camphor. The Japanese initially planned to establish a major port and city on the site, but they found that conditions were poor because of heavy seas, frequent typhoons, and generally poor communications. In the 1970s the port underwent major improvements, as fishing harbours were upgraded to accept cargo ships. It is now one of Taiwan’s major international ports. Pop. (2007 est.) 109,847.