Community, capitalism, and calamity in Hualien

At 3:44 a.m. I woke up to an earthquake shaking my world -again! This one felt way stronger than any so far during our visit to Taiwan. I never did get back to sleep – again!

With our Airbnb unit on the 7th floor in Hualien City, I’d previously decided my flight from the building will be determined by circumstance. Thankfully, in this latest quake, the shaking stopped after about 20 seconds.

It was only a 4.4 magnitude, but it was centered a mere six miles from where we slept. A stronger 5.1 quake happened the day before.

*Our Hualien City Airbnb is on the 7th (top) floor.*

Earthquakes are no joke here. We had been hoping at least some hiking trails in Taroko National Park would be open – famous for its spectacular gorge and marble canyons – but they’re all still closed from a truly devastating quake long before our arrival.

April 2024 earthquake:

7.4 magnitude measured by U.S. Geological Survey
1,400 aftershocks measuring 6.4 to 5.1
18 people killed
1,145 people injured
442 people stranded
2 people missing
tsunami warning

Most people died in Taroko National Park, including 10 hikers killed by rockfalls — five from the same family. Boulders killed others on roadways, others died in mining areas and at home during aftershocks.

That April quake also caused damage in Taipei – 100 miles away. A factory and several buildings collapsed or were heavily damaged, injuring many more people. An archway at the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall suffered damage.

Today in Taipei, you can’t see any earthquake damage from April. (We felt many quakes in Taipei during our month-long stay — on the 11th floor — a few at night that also woke me up.) The major damage is inside Taroko Park, where I saw some work crews at the park gate.

If we had a car, we could drive through the park (no stopping for any hiking of any type at any place) on a ‘highway’ that’s opened to through traffic three times a day. People who’ve done the drive report plenty of devastation remains, with skillful driving necessary in spots. A local man told us car insurance is through the roof if you go that route.

The Taroko Park Visitor Center is the only spot still open to tourists. Inside, one photo shows a gigantic stone statue of an indigenous grandmother nearly shaken off its stand by the quake.

*Before (top) and after (bottom) photos of Taroko National Park earthquake damage on display at the visitor center.*

The visitor center has wildlife and geography info, and there is a short walkway to take in a few views – but it is nothing compared to the majesty I had hoped to see inside the park. Locals hope some trails will reopen sometime in 2025, but parts of the park won’t open until 2031 (!).

The only hotel inside Taroko Park off the main road reopened in October – briefly. It had to close almost immediately when Typhoon Kong-rey whipped through Hualien, dumping sheets of rain that further loosened shaken earth. Officials deemed it too risky to remain open.

That typhoon left every beach in Hualien County awash with giant tree stumps and branches. Forestry officials estimate 13,000 tons of driftwood landed on the coast.

On a morning walk to watch surfers, a local woman told me most of the heavy machinery is up in Taroko, and so the wood sits on the beaches. People – including herself – come down and remove bits of it at a time, to use it in their homes for fires, cooking, or crafts. It’s their small way of helping the greater good with their bare hands. A communal effort. That’s cool.

In fact, one local entrepreneur makes furniture from the driftwood. He proudly brought his goods to the local Sunday morning flea market. That’s capitalism, and that’s cool, too.

And that’s really what all of Taiwan is: a mix of community, capitalism, and calamity.

Life is now.

Thanks for reading, “Community, capitalism, and calamity in Hualien.”

About Ellen

Ellen and spouse Tedly started a budget slow travel lifestyle in 2015. She was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer while traveling in Europe in 2018 through an annual mammogram. She had a double mastectomy in Croatia, recovered from surgery, and kept traveling.

As a recovered alcoholic, Ellen seeks out spiritual growth opportunities in a variety of ways during her travel life, including service work, volunteering, and the occasional silent meditation retreat.