Yilan Children's Festival 童玩節

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Yilan International Children's Folklore and Folkgame Festival (宜蘭國際童玩藝術節) is one of the largest children's festivals in Taiwan, occurring every year during summer break along the Dongshan River in Yilan. It features a large outdoor waterpark as well as musical performances, exhibitions, games, and cultural events. It has become a yearly tradition for many families in northern Taiwan.

Background:
The festival first began in 1996 and has continued every year, except for 2008-2009 due to lack of funds, in 2003 because of SARS, and in 2020 due to COVID. The completion of the Hsueshan Tunnel in 2006 made it much easier for large amounts of people to travel quickly from Taipei to Yilan. The large event attracts many visitors from Taipei. During summer weekdays and weekends the venue can be expected to be totally packed with visitors.

Hours:
10 AM to 9 PM (pool area closes at 6 PM), starting from the begining of July to mid-August every summer. 
In 2023 the festival runs from July 1st to August 13th. 

Price:
350 NT on weekends and 250 NT on weekdays
50 NT parking fee for cars
20 NT parking fee for scooters
You can book tickets for a discount on Klook here or book a day tour on KKday here.
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Website:
https://www.yicfff.tw/index.php?lang=5tKpKqHPsMZQ82iPyZj4TQ

Tours and Activities:
You can purchase tours and tickets for many activities in Yilan such as Su'ao Crayon Castle, Taipingshan, Turtle Island, Lanyang Museum, Toucheng Leisure Farm, Zhang Mei Ama Capybura Farm, Bambi Land, Yinong Ranch, National Center for Traditional Arts, Taxi Museum, Glamping, Camping, ATV / 4-wheeling experience, SUP / paddle boarding, Ximeng Forest Theater, Surfing, Kayaking, Horse Riding, River Tracing, River Rafting, River Tubing, Pack Rafting, Water Biking, Snorkeling, Canoeing, Shrimping and many others through Klook here or KKday here. 

Accommodation:
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation on the islands.
We have stayed at and recommend Ying Shih Guest House, a resort in Datong Township near Taipingshan and Fan Fan Hot Spring (you can book on Agoda here or Booking.com here), and Jiaosi Hotspring Hotel, a hotel with hot springs in each room (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Hotels.com here, Expedia here, or Trip.com here). We have also stayed at Toucheng Leisure Farm, a recreational farm and experience center in Toucheng (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Hotels.com here, Expedia here, on Klook here, or on Trip.com here).
You can also book Wifi and SIM cards for Taiwan on Gigago here.  
Need travel insurance? Compare prices on Insubuy here. 

Just to let you know, if you book using the links above, we get some commission at no cost to you, and you can help support our blog. 
You can click here to receive $5 USD on your first Klook purchase. ​

How to get there:
By car/scooter: From National Highway 5 in Yilan, take provincial highway 7 east to Dongshan River Water Park.​ Looking for scooter rental in Yilan? You can search Klook here or KKday here to look for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. 
If you are looking for car rentals in Yilan, you can also search Klook here or KKDay here. You can also check out our car rental guide here. 
By bus: From Luodong TRA station, take bus GR21 to Dongshan River Water Park. You can book tickets to travel to Yilan via inter-city bus on Klook here. You can book tickets to Yialn via high speed rail (HSR)  on Klook here or KKDay here.  Book tickets via the normal train (TRA) on Klook here.
Bicycle rental: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan's landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can search on KKday here and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. 

Map:
Please see below:

Our Journey:

We have been to Tongwanjie once in 2022 and we loved it. We will probably go back every year we can as long as it is still running. 
You can book tickets for a discount on Klook here or book a day tour on KKday here.

For an overview of the area, see our drone footage above.

Or check out our 360 degree panorama above. 

The parking here is plentiful, so don't worry about not finding a space if you are driving a car here. 

Map of the area. 

At the front of the park, you can see remnants of some concrete play areas that are no longer in use. 

The Donghe River comes into this little bay, and there are some paddle boat rentals here. 

Finding a seat here can be hard. But every table has plenty of shade.

There is also a food stand here, but the biandangs sell out fast.

There are also free showers and lockers inside.

And portable potties. 

And if you forgot your swim gear, you can buy some here. 

We went on a weekday in August, and it was still super packed. 

There are three main swimming areas about two feet deep each, with concrete barriers in between.

One part has a tubing slide, but kids need to be at least 130 CM to ride.

There is also a huge splash area in the middle.

And off to the side is a slide area into the water. 

Along with another giant slide.

Rainbow over the splash area.

At dusk when the pool closes, there is a light and water spray show.

View of seating areas with christmas lights.

View over the river at dusk.

View of the sunset.

Diamond ring and Christmas light setup.

View looking west.

View to the east.

View from the air looking at Turtle Island.

View over the water park from the south.

View of the tight rope area from the south. You can ride a bike across a tight rope or go down a zipline here. 

View of the Dongshan River looking at Turtle Island. 

More complete view of the waterpark. 

You can book tickets for a discount on Klook here or book a day tour on KKday here.

You can purchase tours and tickets for many activities in Yilan such as surfing, kayaking, horse riding, river tracing, river rafting, river tubing, pack rafting, water biking, snorkeling, canoeing, and many others through Klook here or KKday here. 

​You can see our full guide to Yilan here. 
Check out our full guide to Taiwan's Northern Coast here and our full guide Taiwan's East Coast here. 

You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here. 

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