This is our series’s third and final episode covering the roads connecting the East Coast and the Rift Valley in Hualien and Taitung.
The logical place to start this ride would be from Hualien city, however, the nearest train station to the start of the Hua 38- 1 is Shoufeng, approx’ 15km from the city center. Since the ride to record this was done in the opposite direction, approaching it from the south and counter-clockwise, that is what we have recorded here.
Starting from Ruisui, Hualien on Provincial Highway No. 9 it’s a 32km ride north to the start of the Hua 46 (AKA the Jianying Industry Road) at Fenglin (No. 9, 224km marker). This is the last location to pick up supplies, there are no shops of any description on the 46.
There are several kilometers of flat riding before the climb starts. This is mostly a rough concrete road with very little traffic. It would not be advisable on a road bike in wet weather. The climb over the coastal mountains at this location only ascends to 307m, practically a jungle in this area with the road lined with bamboo forest.
The Hua 46 is only 19km long and pops out on Provincial Highway No. 11 at the 28.5km marker. From this point the rider turns left for the 5km downhill ride to the start of the Hua 38-1 which is entered from the 23.5km marker on the No. 11. This is an excellent bit of coast riding with nice views of the ocean.
This is a more obscure road than the Hua 46 and very few riders do it. As such there are lots of rough dodgy sections of broken concrete. Not to mention moss and leaves. This is definitely a road where a gravel bike or wider tyres would be advised.
From the coast it’s a 10km climb up to 500m to reach the highest point on the road. Again, as rural as it gets in Taiwan, apart from a few farmhouses there is nothing other than forest. A plus side is the views into the Rift Valley with the central mountains making up the backdrop.
On the way down there is a trail head on the right side of the road for Yuemei Mt., a Small 100 peak. This is the only reason people in general would be up here. When you descend the first major road you will come to is the No. 193. A left turn here then a right at the Mizhan Bridge will take you to the No. 11C, left again will take you to the No. 9.
If done as a loop just to cover the Hua 46 and the 38-1 it would be a 55km ride with approx’ 1,000m of ascent.