Wulai District

Wulai

烏來區
Wulai 烏來區
Mountain Indigenous District
	Wulai District
	Wulai District in New Taipei City
Country	Taiwan
Municipality	New Taipei City
Boroughs	List 5 villages;
Government
• Type	District government
• District chief	Kao Fu-kuang (Ind.)
Population (January 2016)
• Total	6,182

Wulai District (Chinese: 烏來區; pinyin: Wūlái Qū; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: U-lai-khu) is a mountain indigenous district in southern New Taipei City in northern Republic of China (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 was formerly classified as "Savage Land" under Taihoku Prefecture during Japanese rule.^[1]

Name

The name of the town derives from the Atayal phrase kilux ulay meaning "hot and poisonous" when an Atayal aborigine was hunting by a stream and saw mist coming from the stream.^[2]

History

In August 2015, Wulai was devastated by Typhoon Soudelor, wiping out several hotels and destroying hot springs in the region. Course of the Nanshi River that passes through the district has changed and the riverbank was eroded heavily by surging water.^[1] Heavy landslides were attributed to the overdevelopment of the mountain areas around the river which damaged the soil and watershed along the slope lands.^[3]

Geography

Elevation: 250 meters (820 ft) (average)
Area: 321.13 square kilometers (123.99 sq mi)
Population: 6,165 People (December 2014)

Administrative divisions

Zhongzhi Village, Wulai Village, Xiaoyi Village, Xinxian Village 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 (such as ringworm, eczema, and herpes).

Wulai Atayal Museum
Wulai Old Street
Wulai Tram Museum
Yun Hsien Resort
Wulai hot springs – visitors often go to the numerous hot spring hotels, public baths, as well as the Wulai 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 Falls, where it accesses a hotel, conference center, and the Yunxian playground.
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.^[4]

The 9A branch line of the Provincial Highway 9 passes through the district.^[5]

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.