Yilan is the county seat of Taiwan's rainy northeast, close enough to Taipei for a day trip but with a softer, lower-rise feel. The city is not as dramatic as the mountains, hot springs, and coast around it, but it gives the Lanyang Plain a useful cultural centre: old Japanese-era buildings, temples, small museums, night-market food, and local industries that have turned into visitor stops.
The best short visit stays near the centre. Yilan Distillery Chia Chi Lan Liquor Museum explains the city's old wine-making industry, while the Yilan Literary Museum and Yilan Museum of Art make good use of Japanese-era buildings. Taiwan Theater Museum is the most distinctive museum if you want a local angle on opera, puppetry, and performance.
Yilan is also a practical base. Jiaoxi hot springs, Luodong's night market, Wujie's traditional arts centre, and the coast are all close, but the city itself earns a few hours before you rush outward. Come hungry and unhurried; rain is part of the atmosphere here.