The quake hit at 9.21pm GMT and was originally reported as being 5.6 in magnitude.
There are no tsunami warnings or casualties reported.
Shock waves from the natural phenomenon were felt across the whole of Taiwan.
One local, who was woken up by the quake, said on Twitter: “That felt like a big earthquake despite being only a 5.6 on the Richter Scale.
“I was shaken awake by the big shake at the end – that was positively terrifying.”
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Another said: “I’m in Taiwan right now, an earthquake just struck.
“It wasn’t very strong but still concerned.”
The epicenter of the quake was located 40 kilometers southeast of Hualien County Hall.
It struck at a depth of 26km according to CENC.
Taiwan is located in the Ring of Fire – the largest and most active fault line in the world.
The Ring of Fire is responsible for more than 90 percent of the world’s earthquakes.
It stretches from New Zealand, all around the east coast of Asia, over to Canada and the USA and all the way down to the southern tip of South America.
Earlier this year, John Vidale, director of the Southern California Earthquake Centre, warned of the risk of a magnitude 5 earthquake.
He told the LA Times: “A 5.3 could be damaging if it was right under our feet.
“It’s right on the edge of being an earthquake that could be dangerous. It’s a reminder that we need to be ready in the future.”