Hualien's Sixty Stone Mountain Daylily Marathon Opens for Registration

(CNA, Hualien County, May 20, by reporter Li Hsien-feng) With over 300 hectares of daylilies, Hualien's Sixty Stone Mountain is a popular tourist spot during the flower season. The Fuli Township Office is organizing the "Sixty Stone Mountain Daylily Flower Ultra Half Marathon," with registration open from today until July 10. The county government is also expediting the improvement of mountain infrastructure and traffic conditions. Chiang Tung-cheng, Mayor of Fuli Township in Hualien County, stated that the race will take place on September 13, inviting runners from across the country to run into the golden sea of flowers on Sixty Stone Mountain and experience Fuli's most beautiful mountain race course and warmest hospitality. Every year during the daylily season, the mountaintop is covered in a golden carpet of flowers, which, combined with the magnificent landscape of the East Rift Valley, creates a highly recognizable seasonal vista. Chiang said that road races in Hualien have always featured both mountain and sea characteristics. Fuli Township, using "flowers" as its core image, aims to create a unique daylily marathon brand for Sixty Stone Mountain. The goal is to combine sports tourism with local agricultural products, culture, and tourism resources to let more people see the beauty of Fuli. Each category has a unique slogan reflecting its spirit. The 24-kilometer "Daylily Warriors" encourages runners to challenge themselves with "Brave the mountain flower sea, push the warrior's limit." The 10-kilometer "Brave Vanguards" expresses the thrill of running on mountain trails with "Dash towards the golden mountain path, charge with vanguard momentum." The 5-kilometer "Happy Guides" invites families, friends, and beginners to participate easily with "Step onto the golden starting line, welcome a happy Fuli." The Hualien County Government stated that Sixty Stone Mountain is a highly representative mountain tourist attraction in Hualien. With a large number of visitors during the annual daylily season, smooth traffic and road safety are crucial for the event's success. In recent years, some sections of the industrial road on Sixty Stone Mountain were damaged by earthquakes and heavy rainfall from typhoons. The county government has continuously sought and invested funds for improvement projects. Over the past three years, more than NT$140 million has been invested to upgrade road quality, which not only improves local agricultural transport conditions but also enhances vehicle safety for tourists and the overall quality of tourism. Chen Shu-wen, Director of the County's Agriculture Department, said that the Sixty Stone Mountain daylily season is not only a major annual tourist event for Hualien but also a vital brand that drives local agricultural and tourism development. The county government will continue to improve mountain infrastructure and traffic conditions to be fully prepared for the flower season, inviting people from all over to visit Hualien from August to October to experience the captivating scenery woven by the golden flower sea and the valley's mountain towns.