Taitung Rice Harvest Festival: A Thousand People Reap to Celebrate a Bountiful Year

Text / Compiled and Reported by Li Xinyi, MOOK Travel Life Network

The 2012 Taitung Good Rice Harvest Festival series of events will take place over two consecutive holiday weeks from November 24 to December 1 in the three townships of the Central Mountain Range. Want to experience the taste of Hakka cuisine in the fields? The highlight of the Harvest Festival activities is the “Love for Rice in Guanshan – Harvest Festival Opening Ceremony” held on November 24 at Guanshan Rice Country School. It features a lively celebration of a thousand people reaping to celebrate a bountiful year. From worshiping the God of the Land to pray for favorable weather and smooth work, to guided experiences by Taitung’s rice experts including traditional manual harvesting, threshing, tying straw, rice processing, DIY rice foods, clam digging, and old-fashioned children’s games. Online registration is open now until the 16th, with the first 500 registrants also receiving a NT$50 shopping voucher for the Hakka Goods Street.

The final day of the event will feature the “Rice Aroma Fills the Air – Harvest Festival Closing Ceremony” at the Taitung Hakka Cultural Park. With the spirit of celebrating the harvest through theatrical performances and offerings to the gods, the event invites performers such as Show Lo, Yin Zhengyong, The Ghost & The Fantasy Band, June String Ensemble, New Taipei Symphony Wind Orchestra, and local Hakka music and dance performance troupes for a splendid artistic and musical feast. Surrounding the event are fun Hakka mini-classes and DIY experiences. Additionally, the “Hakka Goods & Bento Street” offers the public a great opportunity to explore Hakka delicacies and appreciate Hakka art and cultural creativity.

In addition, the inaugural HAKKA Bento King selection event, held in conjunction with the Harvest Festival, carefully selects 15 outstanding bento and restaurant operators to launch flavor-packed bento lunchboxes themed around Taitung Good Rice and Hakka cuisine. These bento boxes incorporate traditional Hakka dishes with modern healthy eating concepts, promoting zero-mileage, pollution-free, locally sourced ingredients. Available for sale now through November 30, customers who purchase special Hakka bento boxes at any HAKKA Bento King outlet can also join a lucky draw for prizes, including a deluxe villa stay voucher sponsored by Richi Resort and a 42-inch LCD TV among other major awards. For details, visit the official Taitung Good Rice Harvest Festival website: 2012taitung-hakka.com.tw.

● Read more: Taitung Hot Spring Season – A Zhiben Hot Spring Trip for Just Two Thousand

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