A tour bus carrying mainland Chinese tourists collided into the hillside and rolled over in Hualien yesterday, injuring 34, according to the Hualien County Fire Department.

Rice farmers in Hualien County were reminded not to begin planting their first rice crop of the season earlier than normal to avoid losing their crops to unexpected cold snaps.

After much drama in a two-hour confrontation, police yesterday arrested a wanted man who shot and killed the taxi driver when he was told there was no road ahead.

A Hualien County middle school academic director has come under fire for reportedly facilitating an attack on a 13-year-old male student by the family of a girl he had rejected, all of which occurred in a bizarre group confrontation at their house last Friday night.

From Nov. 5 to 11, Hualien County (花蓮縣) hosts the latest installment of the central government's centennial programming series.

More than 10,000 local and foreign runners on Saturday took part in the 12th Taroko Gorge Marathon, a government-supported annual race that takes place in Hualien County, eastern Taiwan.

Eastern Taiwan has had a rough start to the long National Day weekend, with two falling rock accidents leaving a couple injured on the Suao-Hualien Freeway and about 600 tourists trapped in the mountains near Taroko Gorge.

The Cabinet-level Council for Cultural Affairs yesterday signed a pact with the Hualien Cultural and Creative Business Alliance to consign the latter to develop the Hualien Cultural and Creative Park on an ROT (rehabilitate, operate and transfer) basis.

Those interested in visiting Hualien now have a new, exciting itinerary with the help of the new book published by the O'rip group.

The 2011 Hualien International Stone Sculpture Festival will open Oct. 1 in eastern Taiwan with the participation of hundreds of artists from home and abroad.