With kids on a warm day, this is where we'd send you. The Dongshan River Water Park (冬山河親水公園) was built to bring people down to the water: banks that step into the river, shallow pools to paddle in, and wide lawns along the Dongshan River. It's 17 minutes from Luodong on the same tourist shuttle that goes on to the Traditional Arts Center, so it's easy to do both in a day.
- Hours Park 08:00 to 22:00 every day (the Tourism Administration lists 07:00 opening in summer). Visitor center 08:00 to 17:30, closed on Lunar New Year's Eve.
- Entry Free outside the summer festival. Parking NT$50 a car, NT$20 a scooter.
- Address No. 2, Section 2, Qinhe Road, Wujie (宜蘭縣五結鄉親河路二段2號)
- Phone 03-950-2097. Boats: 03-960-0013
- Getting there G21 Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Dongshan River Line (Green 21) from Luodong Transfer Station to the Dongshan River Water Park stop, about 17 minutes
What's there
The first thing you'll see is the Lizejian Bridge (利澤簡橋), a bright red arch over the river. It's the photo of the park, best from the riverbank where it reflects in the water. Then:
- The wading area (涉水區), pools set at different levels, only ankle-deep. Look for the big white stones and the low curved stone walls: they stand for ducks and the bamboo fences of Yilan's old duck farms.
- A children's water play area (親子戲水區). Bring swimwear and a change of clothes in summer.
- The rowing area (划船區), where dragon boat and canoe crews train. Kayaks, pedal boats and stand-up paddleboarding are offered on the water too. Prices aren't published, so ask at the park.
- The riverbanks, laid out as steps and ramps that run down into the water, and the "dragon slopes" of river pebbles set with blue, green, yellow and orange tiles, with mosaics made by Yilan schoolchildren on the steps.
- The outdoor theater, with a stage on the water and five cone-shaped pebble mounds. Look out to sea from the middle of it and you're lined up on Guishan Island.
- Bike paths and walking paths along the river, out toward the farmland and Lize Old Street (利澤老街).
Every year on the Dragon Boat Festival the river hosts an international dragon boat race.
Boats on the river
Small electric boats run on the Dongshan River between the park and the Traditional Arts Center, a calm way to see the river, and the county suggests one toward sunset. It doesn't publish the times or fares online, so call the boat office on 03-960-0013. Groups of more than 30 must book three days ahead.
Good to know: the boats stop when the river runs high after heavy rain. In November 2025, after the rain from Typhoon Fung-wong, the county stopped the boats here, at the Dongshan River Ecological Ark (冬山河生態綠舟) and at Meihua Lake while the floodwater went down. After a storm, call before you plan around a boat ride.
The summer children's festival
Every summer the park becomes the ground of the Yilan Children's Festival (宜蘭國際童玩藝術節), with water play, games and folk dance and music groups from around the world, plus dragon boat, windsurfing and kayak tries on the river. In 2026 it ran from July 4 to August 16, 09:00 to 21:00. While it's on, the festival fills the park and you need a festival ticket to go in, so a quiet summer visit to the park isn't possible in those weeks.
The festival's only official site is yicfff.tw. Fake festival sites have been used for ticket scams, so type the address yourself and buy tickets only through links from it. Next year's dates go up there first.
Getting there
- G21 The Dongshan River tourist shuttle (Green 21) leaves Luodong Transfer Station, beside the train station, every 30 to 60 minutes from 08:30, and reaches the water park about 17 minutes later. It carries on to Lize Old Street and the Traditional Arts Center, and on the way into town it stops at the Luodong Forestry Culture Park.
- BUS Kuo-Kuang 1797 (Luodong to Yueming) stops at the Water Park stop (親水公園).
- TRA Train to Luodong Station, then the G21 or a taxi.
- BIKE It's a good one to see by bike, along the river paths from Luodong.
- CAR There's a car park in the park, NT$50 a visit.
→ The Traditional Arts Center, further along the G21 · Yilan with kids · Yilan's festivals · More things to do
Sources: Yilan County tourism (宜蘭勁好玩), Dongshan River Water Park (hours, areas, boats, boat office, parking, phone); Taiwan Tourism Administration, Dongshan River Water Park (bridge, wading area, theater, summer hours, address); Taiwan Tourism Administration, visitor centers (visitor center hours); Yilan County Department of Business and Tourism, boats suspended, November 2025; Yilan International Children's Folklore & Folkgame Festival (2026 dates, hours, river activities, buses); Taiwan Tourist Shuttle, Dongshan River Line timetable. Checked November 2026.