I "like" you, tomato style!

▲The Luzhu Tomato Culture Festival invites the popular "Eye-Catching Girls" to promote the event. (Photo / from the 2013 Luzhu Tomato Culture Festival Facebook page)

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

I "like" you, tomato style – The Kaohsiung Luzhu Tomato Culture Festival kicks off on December 7 at the Luzhu Sports Park. In addition to nearly 100 booths selling tomato-based agricultural products, the festival uses the sweet and tangy taste of tomatoes to symbolize the feeling of romance, hosting a "Sweet & Shiny Couple Activity." It also combines the current trend of rural day trips, allowing visitors to experience the fun of picking fresh tomatoes. At 1 PM on opening day, 500 servings of free light salads will be available for tasting.

The two-day 2013 Luzhu Tomato Culture Festival runs from 8 AM to 4:30 PM. The Luzhu Township Office stated that the soil in the Luzhu area is high in salt content and viscosity, which makes the tomatoes grown there particularly sweet and fresh. Currently, the planting area spans over 260 hectares, making it the largest tomato-producing region in southern Taiwan. December marks the peak harvest season, and now is the best time to enjoy them.

▲One of the “Four Treasures of Luzhu”: the tomato. (Photo / from the 2013 Luzhu Tomato Culture Festival Facebook page)

The township office also reminds visitors that Luzhu has “Four Treasures”: tomatoes, broccoli, iron eggs, and milkfish. On opening day, there will be a lucky grab event where the “Luzhu Four Treasures Fortune Bag” is available for just NT$10. In addition to treating visitors’ taste buds, the organizers have specially invited entertainers Yawei Zhan, Siting Huang, and the much-loved-by-kids MOMO Family to perform.

For convenience, the township office has arranged free shuttle buses from the Metro Qiaotou Sugar Refinery Station, Nangangshan Station, and Luzhu Railway Station. For related event information, please visitthe official website of the“2013 Luzhu Tomato Culture Festival – I Like You, Tomato Style.”