Eco-experience × Popular Attractions: Pingtung Promotes In-depth Travel with 4 Itineraries

By MOOK Travel & Lifestyle / Reported by Chen Guanxin

 

Pingtung County has been developing ecotourism for eight years, with 15 communities across the county now engaged in ecotourism initiatives in the indigenous regions and Hengchun Peninsula. The Pingtung County Government has specially collaborated with National Pingtung University of Science and Technology and Lion Travel to launch the “Pingtung In-depth Travel” series starting in August. Drawing on insights from industry, government, academia, and research sectors, four exciting itineraries have been planned: “Northern Pingtung Ecotourism + Farms + Mountainside Wanjin + Pingtung City,” “Alangyi + Sihchongxi + Mudan,” “Southern Pingtung In-depth Travel,” and “All-Pingtung In-depth Travel.” Options include one-day and two-day tours, with 15 one-day sessions totaling 525 spots, and 8 two-day sessions with 280 spots. Prices start at NT$499.

Chen Meihui, associate professor in the Department of Forestry at National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, has led her team in guiding local ecotourism development for eight years. She noted that Pingtung is the Taiwan locality with the greatest number and most mature ecotourism sites. These can generally be divided into three ecotourism zones: along Provincial Highway 24, Provincial Highway 26, and the Alangyi area. Currently, 15 communities are involved in ecotourism development. In addition to those mentored by Pingtung University of Science and Technology—such as Sheding, Alishi, Shuìwākū, Dala, Dewen, Lide, Daguang, Longshui, Gangkou, Manzhou, and Dawu—ecotourism efforts around the Alangyi Ancient Trail in communities like Xuhai, Dongyuan, Gaoshi, and Gangzi are also bearing fruit. Each community develops its own unique features to attract more visitors, using ecotourism to promote the importance of culture, ecology, conservation, and heritage. This also helps boost the local economy.

 

For example, the Southern Pingtung In-depth Tour includes a visit to Longshui Community for a DIY rice experience, where participants learn about farmers’ hard work and the value of rice, or a trip to the Linyan Stream Waterfall in Lide Community to enjoy summer coolness. The two-day All-Pingtung In-depth Travel itinerary takes travelers from Dragon’s Bench Park in Hengchun, through the rolling of hay at Shuìwākū Tribal Village and night wildlife viewing at Sheding Park, all the way north to Sandimen Township to see the Dala Church built by villagers, whose stone murals depict tribal migration stories and legends.

 

Furthermore, these four itineraries were pre-tested by teams composed of scholars, experts, NPOs, and travel agencies who conducted on-site visits to help review and evaluate the tour arrangements, services, and resource conservation aspects—ensuring that participants in the Pingtung In-depth Travel series enjoy a high-quality travel experience. The four itineraries will be launched gradually according to the season, with the first departure scheduled for August 10. For details, visit: www.liontravel.com/kaohsiung/taiwan.aspx.

 

 

● Read More: Lovely Taiwan, Kawaii Light Travel

http://goo.gl/RYxyYL