Wulai District

Wulai District is a [District |mountain indigenous district] in southern New [Taipei City] in northern Taiwan. It sits near the border with Taipei and is famous for its hot springs. It is the largest district in New Taipei, as well as the most mountainous, and is home to the indigenous Atayal people.

Name

The name of the town derives from the Atayal phrase kilux ulay meaning "hot and poisonous" when an Atayal hunter hunting by a stream saw mist coming from it.

History

Formerly classified as an "Aboriginal area" under Taihoku Prefecture during Japanese rule, Wulai was organized as a rural township of Taipei County after the History of [Taiwan since 1945|handover of Taiwan from Japan] to the Republic of China in 1945.
On June 22, 2001, President Chen Shui-bian visited a local school and hosted a graduation ceremony there.
On December 25, 2010, Taipei County was upgraded to the special municipality of New Taipei City and Wulai was upgraded to a district.
In August 2015, Wulai was devastated by Typhoon Soudelor, wiping out several hotels and destroying hot springs in the region. The course of the Nanshi River that passes through the district has since changed, with the riverbank eroded heavily by surging water. Heavy landslides were attributed to the overdevelopment of the mountain areas around the river which damaged the soil and watershed along the slope lands.

Geography

Elevation:
Area:
Population: 6,300 people
Administrative divisions

Wulai District is divided into five urban villages:

Zhongzhi/Jhongjhih, Wulai, Xiaoyi/Siaoyi, Xinxian/Sinsian and Fushan Village.
Tourist attractions

Wulai is a tourist town most renowned for its hot springs, sightseeing, and aboriginal culture. Other activities include hiking, camping, swimming, fishing, and birdwatching. During the spring, visitors come see the cherry trees bloom. According to locals, bathing in the odorless hot springs can cure skin diseases.

Fushan Botanical Garden
Neidong National [Forest Recreation Area]
Wulai Atayal Museum
Wulai Forestry Life Museum
Wulai Old Street
Yun Hsien Resort
Wulai Hot Spring – visitors often go to the numerous hot spring hotels, public baths, as well as the Nanshi River.
Waterfalls – Several waterfalls exist in the Wulai gorge, but the largest is Wulai Waterfall.
Wulai Gondola – the gondola takes visitors to the top of Wulai Waterfall, where it accesses the Yun Hsien Resort.
Atayal aboriginal culture – many shops in Wulai specialize in aboriginal foods, arts, crafts, and clothing.
Transportation

Road

Wulai District is accessible by Xindian Bus from Xindian Station of Taipei Metro to Wulai Bus Terminus.
The 9A branch line of the Provincial Highway 9 passes through the district.

Rail

The district also has the Wulai Scenic Train, a converted mine train built during the Japanese era that takes visitors from downtown Wulai to the attractions at the base of Wulai Waterfall.

Notable people

Tony Coolidge, Atayal-American filmmaker