Early history Modern-day Hualien City was originally called
Kilai (), after the
Sakizaya Taiwanese indigenous peoples' settlement. Spanish settlers arrived in 1622 to pan for gold. Picking up the sounds of native words, these settlers called the area
Turumoan ().
Han Chinese settlers arrived in 1851.
Qing dynasty records give the name of the region as
Huilan () due to the whirling of waters in the
delta.
Empire of Japan During Taiwan's
Japanese colonial period (1895–1945) the island's Japanese governors opted not to
transliterate the name "Kiray" because the Japanese pronunciation of the word resembled the Japanese word for . The official name became . Karenkō Prefecture consisted of modern-day Hualien County. Toward the end of World War II the
Governor-General of Taiwan moved many Japanese residents of Taiwan to the area to develop agriculture. The county was named after lotus flowers.
Republic of China After the
handover of Taiwan from Japan to the
Republic of China in October 1945, Hualien was established as a
county named
Hualien County of
Taiwan Province on 9 January 1946. In 1951, Hualien was the first county in Taiwan to be governed according to the ROC local autonomy law. Today the Hualien area serves as the key population center on the east coast it is one of the five main 'life circle' regions in Taiwan, together with
Taipei,
Taichung,
Tainan and
Kaohsiung.
2021 train derailment On 2 April 2021, a
Taroko Express derailed at the north entrance of Qingshui Tunnel after striking an unattended
flatbed truck that had fallen onto the tracks. The incident is the deadliest train accident in Taiwan since 1948, with at least 50 passengers reported dead and more than 150 injured.
2025 severe flooding On September 23, 2025, severe flooding caused by
Typhoon Ragasa left 19 people dead and 5 missing. The Taiwanese government stated that each family that suffered from the flooding would obtain at least 50,000 Taiwanese dollars (approximately 1,800 USD) in compensation. ==Geography==