First time seeing rice paddies—Russian participants at the Children's Festival experience "the fun of harvesting rice"

By Chen Tzu-yin / Comprehensive report

The annual Children's Festival not only provides a cool respite from the heat but also carries deeper educational significance. Each year, the organizers invite performance groups from both domestic and international backgrounds, transforming the Dongshan River Park area into a veritable global village. This year, 18 countries and 39 folk music and dance troupes are putting on spectacular performances. Among them, the Youth-children Folk Dance Ensemble Uzoroche from Russia, hailing from the frigid lands of Siberia, was recently taken on a farm outing by the Yilan County Cultural Affairs Bureau to experience the joy of harvesting rice in the fields.


▲Hailing from the cold region of Siberia, members of Russia’s Youth-children Folk Dance Ensemble Uzoroche joyfully experience the fun of harvesting rice in the fields. (Photo / Provided by Yilan County Cultural Affairs Bureau)

Yilan County Cultural Affairs Bureau stated that in Russia’s Youth-children Folk Dance Ensemble Uzoroche, at least seven months of the year have an average temperature below zero degrees. Compared to Taiwan, which lies in the subtropics, there are significant differences in both climate and food. The rice planted in early February this year at the Organic Holiday Farm in the Fairytale Village of Meihua Lake Leisure Agriculture Area has, after five months of growth, now developed into golden, heavy ears of grain, right in the middle of harvest season. Thus, they decided to invite the Russian troupe to come and experience it.

For Russians, whose staple diet mainly consists of wheat-based products, rice is not a familiar crop. The 28 members of the troupe, experiencing rice paddies for the first time today, were extremely excited. Despite the blazing sun, they picked up sickles, donned straw hats and gloves, and got down into the fields to harvest the rice. They then personally took part in drying the grains and milling the rice, experiencing the life of farmers during harvest season. In the end, they took home the freshly harvested and milled white rice as a souvenir—a highly meaningful act of cultural exchange.

In terms of performances, the group offers a rich repertoire, featuring various traditional Russian folk dances, Siberian and Cossack dances, as well as traditional music played on instruments such as the Russian balalaika. They will remain at the Children’s Festival until July 20. Those wishing to catch a glimpse of Russia’s renowned and exquisite dance art should not miss their performances at the outdoor theater.