Qixingtan Beach

Qixingtan is a long curve of grey and white pebbles rather than sand, running for several kilometres north of Hualien with the Central Mountain Range coming down almost to the shore behind it. The water shelves steeply and the surf is heavy, which makes it a place to look rather than swim. A cycle path runs the length of it, and the beach is a standard spot for watching the sun come up over the Pacific.

What you actually see

• The pebble crescent - kilometres of grey and white stone rather than sand.
• The mountain backdrop - the Central Range rising directly behind the shore.
• The cycle path - a paved route running the length of the bay.
• The sunrise - the sun coming out of the Pacific, the classic reason to be here early.

When to go

October to April is the most comfortable. Sunrise is the best hour in any season. Typhoon swell makes the shore dangerous in summer and autumn.

Honest expectations

Swimming here is genuinely dangerous: the shelf is steep, the undertow strong and people drown. The pebbles are hard walking. There is little shade along the beach.

Nearby

Hualien city is south, and Taroko is north.