Yilan City is located at the center of the Lanyang Plain in northeastern Taiwan and serves as the county seat of Yilan County. It is also the most populous city in the county. Covering an area of about 29.4 square kilometers, it is the smallest county-administered city in Taiwan by area, yet its geographical location and historical background give it significant importance in political, economic, and cultural development.
Formerly known as “Wuwei,” Yilan City began to grow rapidly after being incorporated into the Qing Empire in 1810. An administrative office was established in 1812, and Yilan City was built the following year, gradually becoming the administrative and cultural center of the Lanyang Plain. Through the urban development of the Japanese colonial era and postwar administrative changes, Yilan City has remained the core of Yilan County. Today, it houses key county-level institutions such as the county government, county council, and county history museum, and it is regarded as the county’s educational and cultural hub.
Geographically, Yilan City lies on part of the alluvial fan of the Lanyang River and belongs to the coastal plain geological zone. Its strata, consisting mainly of sand, gravel, and clay, form a Holocene alluvial layer. The terrain is flat, and the fertile soil supports both agriculture and urban development. Yilan City is bordered by Zhuangwei to the east, Wujie to the south, Yuanshan to the west, and Jiaoxi to the north. With convenient transportation and developed external connections, it is a regional hub.
In terms of climate, Yilan City has a subtropical maritime monsoon climate, with warm and humid weather throughout the year. The annual average temperature is about 22.2°C, with July being the hottest month at around 28°C, and January the coldest, still above 15°C. The city experiences about 210 rainy days annually, with an average annual rainfall of about 2,776 millimeters. Rainfall is unevenly distributed, with the main rainy season occurring from May to September, influenced by the plum rain and typhoons, with September being the peak of rainfall.
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