Internationally Certified！ Miaoli’s Dual Slow Cities Promote In-Depth Tourism

By MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Team

The concept of "Slow City" originated in Italy, initially focusing on "Slow Food"—preserving local culinary culture and promoting regional ingredients. It later evolved into the broader Slow City movement, which prioritizes environmental conservation and the protection of local traditional culture, supports local agricultural specialties and handicrafts, and encourages the use of alternative energy to achieve sustainable urban development. Slow City tourism, centered around in-depth local exploration, is gradually attracting attention from domestic travelers.

Miaoli’s Sanyi and Nanzhuang are the latest townships in Taiwan to receive international certification from the Cittaslow organization. The Miaoli County Government and Yu Da University of Science and Technology have jointly launched a Miaoli Dual Slow Cities tourism route. When Stefano Pisani, President of the International Cittaslow Organization, visited Taiwan, he praised Taiwan’s well-developed slow city tourism. He noted that leisurely exploration of these areas allows visitors to deeply experience vibrant culture and green ecology. Sanyi Township and Nanzhuang Township in Miaoli County have recently passed the Cittaslow organization’s 72 slow city criteria. Rooted in Hakka and indigenous cultures and integrated with the local ecological environment, they offer a unique in-depth tourism route.

To explore the distinctive handicrafts of the dual slow cities, a must-visit destination is the Sanyi Wood Carving Museum. With over a century of history, it is Taiwan's only public museum dedicated to wood carving, featuring nine major exhibition areas where visitors can admire the exceptional craftsmanship.

Additionally, the Penglai Workshop in Nanzhuang showcases numerous works by Awai 'Dacin 'Sawan, a nationally renowned bamboo and rattan master. The workshop carries on the Saisiyat weaving culture, producing pieces that combine tradition and innovation—such as the thunder-woman weaving technique inspired by Saisiyat totems and the snowflake-like hexagonal star patterns—thus preserving indigenous rattan weaving traditions.

As for eco-tourism, visitors are recommended to explore the Sanyi West Lake Resort, whose scenery rivals that of Hangzhou’s West Lake in China and attracts crowds during the May tung blossom season. The Nanzhuang Penglai Stream Ecological Park offers a renowned fish-viewing trail about 1.6 kilometers in length. Thanks to local conservation, the waters are pristine, offering views of the Taiwan shovel-jaw carp, known as the “fireflies of the water.” On summer nights, fireflies can also be spotted in light-pollution-free areas.