Yilan County
2006 tunnel transformed isolated county to Taipei weekend escape (2+ hrs → 40 min). 70% Taiwan's spring onions. By 2026, property boom vs. local pricing-out and agriculture vs. tourism shape community identity.
The tunnel changed everything—when the Hsuehshan Tunnel opened in 2006 (Taiwan's longest at 12.9km), Yilan transformed from isolated agricultural county to Taipei weekend escape. Travel time to the capital dropped from 2+ hours to 40 minutes, triggering a property boom, tourism surge, and demographic shift.
This accessibility revolution created opportunities and tensions. Hot springs, coastal scenery, and agricultural tourism attracted metropolitan visitors. But property prices rose faster than local wages, pricing out young residents. The county became bedroom community and recreation zone simultaneously.
Agricultural heritage persists: spring onion farming (70% of Taiwan's production), rice cultivation, traditional fishing communities. The Yilan International Children's Folklore and Folkgame Festival and Dongshan River Water Park represent cultural investments that generated tourism infrastructure before the tunnel transformed access.
2026 trajectory: Post-pandemic domestic tourism stabilizes. The county navigates between tourism development and community preservation—longtime residents versus newcomers, agriculture versus hospitality, cultural authenticity versus commercial appeal.