Yilan or Pingdong

I’ve been back home for a while and when I get back to Taiwan, I’m looking for a change. Plan to move to either Yilan or Pingdong. Which would you chose and why?

I chose those two places to be out of the city and more near nature. I’m leaning towards Yilan because it’s closer to Taipei with it’s western resturants!

Thanks for your opinoins or ideas.

Ilan:
plus: close to Taipei as you say, with new roads going up, local real estate coming into fashion with Taipei people, reputation as beautiful region
minus: rainy weather, the region is one of Taiwan’s wettest

Pingtung:
plus: the sunny south, aboriginal culture
minus: yes it’s very far from Taipei

It really depends on what you value most. If you need to recharge now and then by soaking up the lights of Taipei - as I think your posting says - then Ilan would be the best for you. But if you don’t need that, and if sunshine and beach life is important to keep up your spirits, then Pingtung would be better.

Tough choice but remember that Pintung is not as “countryside” as you’d think…

You’d have to live almost in Kenting to escape the Kaoshiung air…Very often the pollution index readings in Pintung county are unhealthy as all that foul industrial air gets trapped against the mountains. Pintung is also very monochrome in it’s scenery, betel nut trees and farms, flat as a pancake. Can’t fault the winter weather though…nice.

Ilan is poised to take off soon. The completion of the number 5 highway next year will make living in Ilan an easier commute than many of the Taipei suburbs. Winters are very wet, with many places exceeding 200cm of precipitation per year. But Ilan is convenient for it’s mountain/ocean access, and of course it’s relative closeness to the Taipei city center. Stay out of Suao though…

If I had to choose between the two, I’d pick Ilan. But my own first choice would be somewhere in the rift valley south of Yuli…

Having set my sights on Chioshi in Ilan and having wound up scouring Ilan and Hualien for housing, I

I lived in Yilan county (Toucheng) for six months and I visited Pingdong for a couple of days. I’d say possibly go with Pingdong.

While Yilan county can be jaw-droppingly beautiful at times, the rain got to me. God, it was raining five days a week towards the end of my stay there. It seriously had a negative impact on my mood. That, and the lack of central heating in the winter. Living in Toucheng has even less to recommend than Yilan city or Luodong, especially considering I can’t surf. But when it was sunny, it was fantastic. I’d also put a recommendation to go with Luodong. There’s some expensive housing near the Luodong Sports Park, but that park is absolutely beautiful, you’re next to some nice bars, there are a few nice foreigners who live in the area, and the night market is pretty decent.

My impression of Pingdong is limited, but I really liked the whole south Taiwan vibe. Yeah, you might have to get a bit outside Pingdong city to get some good air. But it’s probably the one place I want to go to (or Tainan) after I finish my contract here.