Toucheng is the old front door of Yilan, a coastal township where Taipei day-trippers meet fishing harbours, black-sand surf beaches, and the view out to Guishan Island. It is close enough to the capital for an easy escape, but the mood changes quickly once the sea and Lanyang Plain open up.
The town's identity has three parts. Toucheng Old Street keeps the memory of the old trading settlement, Lanyang Museum gives the county its best cultural introduction, and Wushi Harbor sends boats toward Guishan Island for volcanic scenery and whale- or dolphin-watching trips.
Toucheng is not polished in the way some Taiwanese resort towns are, and that helps. Come for a day of museum, seafood, beach, and boat plans, or use it as the softer coastal side of a wider Yilan trip.