- What it is Su'ao Township (蘇澳鎮): the cold spring town by the station, and Nanfang'ao (南方澳), the fishing harbour south of Su'ao Port.
- Getting there TRA train to Su'ao Station, not Su'ao New, which is about 2.5 km from the spring. Nanfang'ao is about 1.8 km from Su'ao Station: taxi, or a bus to the Nanfang'ao stops.
- Status Flooding in November 2025 closed the cold spring park. It fully reopened on 1 April 2026.
Su'ao (蘇澳) is worth the trip for one thing you can't do elsewhere on the plain: sitting in a cold spring that fizzes. Do that first, then take a taxi down to Nanfang'ao for the fish markets and a seafood meal. Half a day covers both. This is where the Lanyang Plain runs into the mountains and the coast road turns south for Hualien, and the two halves feel quite different: the cold springs a few minutes from the station, and Nanfang'ao, a working fishing town of boats, fish markets and temples.
Su'ao Cold Spring (蘇澳冷泉)
The Su'ao Cold Spring Park sits about 300 m in front of Su'ao Station. The spring was recorded in 1928, in the Japanese era. The water stays below 22°C all year, clear and odourless, and it's full of carbon dioxide. Bubbles keep rising from the bottom of the pool, so it feels like sitting in unsweetened soda water. Stick out the cold first few minutes and your body starts to feel warm. The local yōkan (羊羹, sweet bean jelly) was traditionally made with the spring water, and so was a marble-stoppered soda that is no longer produced.
- Foot bath area: free.
- Open-air public pools: separate for men and women. Buy a ticket, and bring a swimsuit and swimming cap: you need both.
- Private bath rooms: traditional and newer rooms, paid.
- Hours Daily 09:00 to 20:00.
- Address No. 6-4, Lengquan Road (冷泉路), at Zhongzheng Road.
- Getting there About a 5-minute walk from Su'ao Station.
After the 2025 flood: heavy rain from Typhoon Fung-wong flooded Su'ao from 11 November 2025. Mud filled the cold spring park and blocked the spring outlets, and the township closed it, along with the Alishi cold spring nearby. On 1 April 2026 the park fully reopened, with the public pool and both private bath areas back in use.
Ticket prices aren't published, so bring some cash for the ticket office. → Hot and cold springs
Nanfang'ao fishing harbour (南方澳漁港)
South of Su'ao Port, Nanfang'ao is one of Taiwan's three main fishing ports, the base for a big fleet of coastal and offshore boats. It has three harbours, each with its own fish market. Time your visit for the afternoon:
- First fish market: the fishermen's association holds its auction at about 14:00 each day.
- Second fish market: fishermen sell their own catch, roughly 15:00 to 17:00.
- Third harbour: Yugang Road (漁港路) beside it is lined with seafood restaurants and shops, and is where most visitors end up.
The arched Nanfang'ao Bridge across the harbour mouth collapsed in October 2019; its replacement opened on 18 December 2022. The new bridge is decorated with mackerel and waves, Nanfang'ao's signature catch, and has a viewing platform at its highest point over the boats.
Getting there: taxi from Su'ao Station, or a bus to the Nanfang'ao (港區) or Jin'an Temple stops in the harbour.
Nantian Temple and its Mazu statues (南天宮)
The fishing town's big Mazu temple, Nantian Temple, was founded in 1956 and stands by the harbour on Jiangxia Road. It is known for three Mazu statues, one on each floor:
- Ground floor: the Meizhou Mazu statues, brought from Meizhou in Fujian.
- Second floor: the Jade Mazu, carved by Hualien carvers from a block of jade weighing about 4,600 kg.
- Third floor: the Gold Mazu, made of pure gold in 1995, about 1.7 m tall and 203.8 kg. This is the one people come to see.
Open daily from 06:00 to 20:30 (to 20:00 on Wednesdays), free, at No. 17, Jiangxia Road (江夏路).
A short walk along the same road, Jin'an Temple (進安宮) has a Mazu adorned with precious coral, donated in 2006. Thieves took several of its jewels in November 2025. Open daily 06:00 to 20:00.
Doufu Cape (豆腐岬)
On the east side of the harbour, Doufu Cape ("tofu cape") is a small sheltered bay behind a sea wall, named for its blocky rocks, with a coastal path above it. There are no staff on site, so don't swim in deep water, and avoid it late at night.
The Nanfang'ao lookout (南方澳觀景台)
The best view of the whole harbour is from the Nanfang'ao Viewing Platform, about 140 m up on the old Suhua Highway (Highway 9 Ding, about km 5.5). From it you see Nanfang'ao and Beifang'ao, the new bridge, Doufu Cape and, on a clear day, Guishan Island. It's open all day, with free parking a minute's walk away but no toilets.
Getting there: car, scooter or taxi from Su'ao Station. It's on the road south, so stop on your way to Hualien.
Yilan Cake Invention Museum (宜蘭餅發明館)
For gifts to take home from Su'ao, this is the stop, and a hands-on one if you have kids with you. The Yilan Cake Invention Museum is the showroom of the company behind "Yilan Bing" (宜蘭餅), the extra-thin version of Yilan's ox-tongue pastry, and you can book a class to make your own: about 60 to 80 minutes, NT$200 a person for six pastries, as listed on the booking page in November 2026. Bookings for the next month open by the 20th, so book early for a weekend. → What to eat in Yilan
- Hours Daily 08:30 to 18:00.
- Address No. 369, Haishan West Road (海山西路), Su'ao.
- Booking DIY classes on the official booking page, or call 03-990-5999.
- Getting there TRA train to Su'ao New Station (蘇澳新站), then about a 14-minute walk. From Su'ao Station and the cold spring, take a taxi.
The road south: the Suhua Highway
Su'ao is where the Suhua Highway (蘇花公路, Highway 9) leaves the plain for Hualien, along one of Taiwan's most dramatic coasts. Sections can close after heavy rain, so check road conditions before you set off. Inside Hualien keeps notes on driving it. By train, Hualien is the easier way. → Hualien from Yilan
→ Three days in Yilan, with a day in Su'ao · Luodong, the nearest base · Yilan's other areas
Sources: Taiwan Tourism Administration, Su'ao Cold Spring; Taiwan Tourism Administration, Nanfang'ao; Yilan County tourism (宜蘭勁好玩): Su'ao Cold Spring Park, Nantian Temple, Jin'an Temple, Nanfang'ao Bridge, Doufu Cape, Nanfang'ao Viewing Platform; Commercial Times on the flood closure (15 November 2025); Liberty Times on the reopening (1 April 2026); UDN on Nantian and Jin'an temples (5 November 2025); Yilan Cake Invention Museum, official site and booking page; Yilan County tourism, Yilan Cake Invention Museum. Checked November 2026.