10 Best Things to Do for Families in Yilan

Have you ever fed sharks? You'll get your chance if you visit King Car Biotechnology Aquaculture Science Centre in Yilan. King Car Biotechnology Aquaculture Science Centre covers a large indoor area. You can bring the kids here to see Nemo the clownfish on rainy days when you can't do outdoor activities. There are many rare and fascinating marine creatures in the aquarium exhibition area. Just watching them swim around in the water has an instantly calming effect. If watching the fish isn't enough to satisfy your curiosity, you can take part in the shark and stingray feeding. You'll need to buy the food and there'll be a guide on hand to provide feeding instructions. There's a suspended transparent viewing platform above the huge breeding pond, giving you a great vantage point of the sharks and stingrays swimming under your feet. Frozen shrimp is available for sale and you can have it cooked for free on site. In addition, there are kids' playgrounds and creative workshops. A wide range of goods and meals are available to buy. Parents can relax with a cup of coffee while the kids are playing. It's a great choice for a family-friendly day out.

Yilan is well known for its mountains and rivers. However, if you want to stay out of the hot sun or can't engage in any outdoor activities due to bad weather, you can visit one of the many special tourist factories in Yilan to enjoy creative fun with your kids. If you love bubble tea, you can attend a bubble tea workshop and learn how to brew it yourself. If you want to taste Western-style desserts, sign up for the cake-making workshop, where you'll get to bake baumkuchen. Or you can learn how to make your own candied fruit. You can eat as you cook, satisfying your appetite for food and fun. Yilan offers workshops covering lots of other themes apart from food. Take the kids to explore the world of microorganisms, make your own skin care products or create beautiful crystal seals in a fairytale atmosphere. Want to express your creativity through graffiti? There's a variety of workshops in which kids can create their own coloured pens and crayons.

If you and your kids love animals, Yilan is a great place to visit. There are many tourist ranches throughout Yilan, where you can get close to the animals. Buy animal feed to feed the cute lambs, white rabbits, pigs and parrots. Or try your hand at milking goats, making goat's milk soap and other activities for a fun-packed family day out. Most tourist ranches cover a large area, and inside you'll find shops selling snacks and beverages. Some ranches offer special goat's milk ice-cream with a distinctive mellow flavour that lingers in your mouth. In addition to the adorable animals, there are amusement facilities for kids, such as slides, swings and balance beams. Kids will want to keep playing long after it's time to go home, and it's a place they'll definitely want to return to.

Luodong Sports Park is located on Gongzheng Road in Luodong Township, Yilan County. Its Feng Shui planning is said to be based on The I Ching. The park occupies a vast area and provides rich and diverse plant landscapes, such as Maple Leaf Valley and Black Cypress, nearby water landscapes such as Hongming Lake and Turbulent Splash Island, and sports facilities such as swimming pools, football fields and basketball courts. The park is suitable for a leisurely picnic, with trees and large grassy areas dotted everywhere. Bring the kids here for a family-friendly outing, where they can get in touch with nature, run and jump around, and feed fish and watch ducks by the lake. You could also consider renting a bicycle to cycle through the green tunnel known as Sunset Forest Boulevard. There are water fountain shows throughout the afternoon and evening, making the park an ideal place to relax on autumn and winter evenings. The themes of water, nature and health are evident throughout Luodong Sports Park and enhance its appeal to visitors.

Lanyang Museum is located in the Wushigang District of Toucheng Township, Yilan County. The design of the main building is inspired by the cuesta rock formations commonly seen along the north coast. The museum was purposely built on the northwest side of the Wushijiao historic site to completely preserve the natural ecology of the wetland. The building's unique architecture, symbiotic with its natural surroundings, has made it a famous landmark in Yilan. The museum interior presents the unique geographical environment and cultural landscape of Yilan on four floors. The Mountains floor creates the feeling of walking through mountains and forests, the Plains floor offers a glimpse into the lives and customs of farmers on Lanyang Plain, the Oceans floor presents the marine ecosystem of Lanyang Plain, while the Time Gallery tells the story of Lanyang Plain through art installations. There's an exploration area for kids under 10, with lots of interactive games to help them understand the marine ecosystem. Lanyang Museum is completely integrated into Lanyang Plain from the inside out, and is designed with meticulous and ingenious details everywhere you look. It makes a great family day out and is a fun way to get to know this unique area.

Located on the banks of Dongshan River in Yilan County, the National Centre for Traditional Arts has a vast hinterland and is ingeniously laid out with various themed areas aimed at preserving Taiwan's traditional arts. Wenchang Street has a quaint red brick street facade. Here, you can take part in various creative workshops, such as making oil-paper umbrellas, handmade soaps and dough figurines. You can also sample traditional delicacies, including candied spring onion rolls, candied haws and marshmallows. Luban Street has more modern buildings. Here you can take part in workshops such as hand-dyeing, leather carving and metal carving. On Linshui Street you'll find river cruises, coffee shops as well as escape rooms, which have become extremely popular in recent years. Another popular attraction here is the drawing of lots. Performances are often held in front of Wenchang Temple. Art installations, including Misty Forest and Tunnel of Leaping Fish, were added in 2017. When lit up at night they make the venue even more charming. You can enjoy food, have fun and experience Taiwan’s unique ancient flavours here. It's an ideal place for families and couples to visit.

Dongshan River Water Park, located on the banks of Dongshan River, is a tourist and leisure park whose slogan is "Near water, have green". Since the successful hosting of the International Children's Festival in 1996, the park has become a popular attraction for parents to visit with their kids in summer. The International Children's Festival is held every year from July to August. Many large amusement facilities and stages are only available during this period. Take advantage of the summer holidays to bring the kids here for a great day out. While these facilities may not be available all year round, you can cycle alongside Dongshan River to enjoy the surrounding nature at any time of year. The park is also the venue for dragon boat racing during the Dragon Boat Festival and the International Universities Rowing Race (IURR). You can go windsurfing and boating or take a water bus to Chuanyi Centre. A romantic magpie bridge is built for Niulang and Zhinv on Chinese Valentine's Day. Even if water sports aren't your thing, the park is a great place to come for a walk, run or cycle when you fancy getting outdoors.

Changpi Lake Scenic Area, located in the Sanxing Township of Yilan County, is on the edge of the 7C Provincial Highway of Taiwan. There are no entrance or parking fees, and the camping areas and kids' playgrounds attract many tourists during the holiday season. The visitor centre provides simple meals and there are cafes dotted around the park. You'll find vendors selling peanut ice-cream rolls, spring onion pancakes and other typical Yilan snacks. Adults and kids will have a great time riding the bumper go-karts and feeding the cute rabbits and lambs in the animal area. You can see cherry blossoms in late winter and early spring, golden sunflowers in autumn and winter and fireflies from March to October. Take a walk along the trail around the lake to admire the beautiful mountains and breathe in the fresh air. If you think one day isn't long enough to really relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery, you have the option of camping here. The park provides tent and bicycle rental services, dedicated bathroom facilities and water, but no electricity. Booking is required for camping.