With the summer vacation approaching, Yunlin County Government has guided local communities to launch 15 tour routes along mountainous, coastal, and plain areas, all available year-round, including seasonal farming experiences such as radish pulling, peanut harvesting, and soy sauce cooking.
Modern life is hectic, and getting close to nature is the most healing. As Taiwan’s agricultural production hub, Yunlin County’s Cultural Affairs Bureau, based on three years of positive feedback, has introduced rural experience tours this summer. These are perfect for family trips, subtly promote food and agriculture education, and deeply showcase the charm of rural life.
The 15 rural tours include one in Douliu titled “Flowering Plum Forest”; three in Huwei — “Beixi Rural Culture & Deep Living,” “Quaint Charm in Jujintou,” and “Peanut Happiness Farming Experience”; one in Dapi Township — “Century-Old Sanshou Showcasing Its Glory”; and four in Litong Township — “Leisurely Farm Strolls,” “Stories in Shuzaijiao,” “Painted Time Rural Tour,” and “Old-World Garlic & Hemp Garden.”
There is one in Xiluo Township — “Xiluo Leisure Agriculture Experience”; one in Sihhu Township — “Eco Experience in a Dreamy Fishing Village”; two in Kouhu Township — “Summer Fun: A Foodie Journey” and “2018 Sea Breeze Micro Trips”; one in Tuku Township — “A Day as a Little Farmer”; and one combined route through Ershui Township, Lubei Township, and Taihsi Township titled “Climb to Yunlin’s Heights: e-Tour Together.”
Take the “Zhuzitongxin Leisure Farm Tour” as an example — visitors will explore chicken eco-farms, pottery workshops, organic farms, cafes, pastry shops, and temple street food.
Meanwhile, the 10,000-ping garden “Sanshou Garden” in Yiran Village, Dapi Township, which dates back to the Qing Dynasty and is usually closed to the public, will open specially for this rural tour. The experience also includes DIY activities such as grass rope making, essential oil production, straw knife weaving, and straw flail crafting — all for just NT$300.
Chen Mei-yen, deputy director of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, said that this year’s farming experiences, specially organized with communities and farmers’ associations, offer urbanites a chance to see what they’ve only heard about. Last year’s rural tours sold out instantly, and this year’s 15 routes are sure to satisfy visitors from other counties and cities.
For details, visit the “Yunlin Cultural Tourism Network” at http://tour.yunlin.gov.tw/.
(China Times)