Four Major Experiences: Baa with the Sheep at Yilan Green Expo’s Untouched “Agricultural & Forestry Secret Zone”

▲ The Agricultural & Forestry Secret Zone is situated at the very back of the Wujihkeng Green Expo site and is usually not open to the public, adding to its mystique.

Reported and photographed by Chen Shichang / Yilan

The scale of the Yilan Green Expo site has grown larger year by year, reaching over 50 hectares in 2015. Among them,the “Agricultural & Forestry Secret Zone”still retains its pristine forest appearance, with almost no visitors making it this far, giving it a very mysterious vibe. This year, for the first time, this mysterious area has been opened to the public as an organic farming experience zone.

Organic food is becoming increasingly popular, but what exactly is organic? How are organic vegetables grown? Now, you can find the answers at the Yilan Green Expo. This year, the expo is piloting a paid in-depth tour called the“Agricultural & Forestry Secret Zone – Farm Internship Holiday”, which combines the concepts of organic farming and vacationing, offering a two-day, one-night experience of various farming activities.

▲ The Agricultural & Forestry Secret Zone is surrounded by mountains, forming its own unique world. The building in the photo is the “Farmers’ Youth Station,” which opened in April this year.

The Agricultural & Forestry Secret Zone is located just across the Wujihkeng Stream.“Park Manager” Huang Wenxiongexplained that since the area is usually not open to the public, participation is limited to a one- to two-hour guided tour through registration for the Green Expo events. Now, it has expanded to a two-day, one-night workation experience here.

Huang Wenxiong emphasized, “The entire zone is managed organically, which is truly great—this is the direction we hope Yilan agriculture will move toward.” As the mountain forest remains in its natural state, the area occasionally sees the presence of monkeys, muntjacs, and wild boars. The park adopts a peaceful coexistence approach, and it's tacitly agreed that they can eat some of the crops.

▲ Weed-pulling experience.

Although the workation is primarily focused on leisure, all staff are agricultural experts. Dr. Zhang, retired from the Council of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Institute, will teach participants about organic farming—from digging beds, preparing soil, seedling cultivation, transplanting, watering, and weeding to harvesting and cooking. He noted that many young people participate because the farm work is not too strenuous, making it a form of vacation and organic farming experience.

▲ A highly entertaining sheep-feeding experience, where the fodder is right behind you—you cut it yourself and feed the sheep.


To enrich the experience, the Yilan County Agriculture Department has added several facilities, such as a sheep pen, chicken coop, mushroom cultivation, and beekeeping experiences. These fixed activities allow visitors to learn about various aspects of farming life and basic agricultural knowledge, with the most popular being the hands-on experience of cutting grass to feed the sheep.

The sheep in the park are extremely friendly. When you’re about to leave after feeding them, they start bleating mournfully—the farther you go, the louder they get, as if begging you to come back and play.

%Beekeeping experience, with tens of thousands of bees buzzing around you.

▲ Chicken-raising experience (left), log-cultivated mushroom-growing experience (right). Mushrooms are grown on acacia logs, and during harvest season, fresh mushrooms can be picked for dinner.

Agricultural & Forestry Secret Zone – Farm Internship Holiday
1. Location: Yilan Green Expo Agricultural & Forestry Secret Zone
2. Experience Content: Farming Activities, Eco Experiences, DIY Projects
3. Registration Method: All registrations are done viaonline registration, with sign-ups closing three days before each session.
4. Registration Fee: NT$2,999 per person


%Inside the “Farmers’ Youth Station,” which opened in April 2015, there is no air conditioning or TV, offering the most rustic farm environment.



% of families experience a dead silence ┝ Set up a trial farm work holiday