Yilan City, County seat in Yilan, Taiwan.
Yilan City sits on the Lanyang Plain in a low-lying area surrounded by mountains and crossed by rivers flowing toward the northeast coast. The city spans 38 villages, connecting rural areas with a central urban core.
The region was originally home to the Kavalan people before becoming a Qing administrative center in 1810. This transformation made it the governing hub of the Lanyang Plain and established its role as a central settlement.
The name Yilan comes from the Kavalan word "Ilan" meaning river, and this connection to water remains visible in local festivals and markets throughout the city. Daily life here still reflects the influence of indigenous heritage mixed with later Chinese and Japanese traditions.
Yilan Railway Station connects the city to Taipei in under 50 minutes via the Hsuehshan Tunnel. Local buses serve all villages and neighborhoods regularly, making navigation and getting around straightforward for visitors.
The Former Yilan Prison, the Memorial Hall of Yilan Administration's Founding, and Yilan Confucian Temple together form a historical circuit in the city center. This complex displays different layers of urban history in a concentrated location.
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