The Yilan Lulan Tea & Wellness Festival offers food and fun all month long

By MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network, reported by Li Xinyi

The Sanxing Lulan Tea Festival is set to kick off this Saturday (the 18th) and run through September 23. This year, the event’s organizer, the Yilan Sanxing District Farmers’ Association, has combined three unique cultural elements—Hakka culture, indigenous culture, and Lulan tea—to specially plan numerous Lulan tea industry activities. These include a tea mountain hiking event where participants can enter a lucky draw simply by signing up—with a 100% chance to win—and a tea fragrance DIY experience that can be redeemed with any tea product purchase, along with sampling Lulan-flavored meals infused with tea. Each weekend also features artistic and cultural performances such as Atayal dance, Hakka tea-picking songs and dances, and guitar performances, allowing music, cool evening breezes, and the fragrance of tea to accompany visitors through the beautiful midsummer nights.

Surrounded by mountains on three sides, Lulan Village is one of Yilan’s main tea-producing areas, leading the region in both yield and quality. This year, the Sanxing District Farmers’ Association has integrated the charm of Lulan tea, launching a series of appealing activities starting August 18. On August 26, the Lulan Tea Mountain Hiking event will not only offer gifts to all participants but also include a lucky draw with prizes such as double occupancy lodging vouchers. Additionally, anyone purchasing tea-related products worth more than NT$500 can exchange them for a tea fragrance experience voucher, limited to 1,000 vouchers and available while supplies last. Photography enthusiasts can also join the Tea Fragrance Photo & Essay Contest, with “tea fragrance” as the theme—capture memories through the lens and share the aroma of tea through photos. Entries uploaded before September 25 are eligible to win a top prize of NT$5,000.

Those who enjoy an in-depth experience of Yilan Sanxing’s rural culture can also join the half-day Tea Culture Tour. Through hands-on tea picking and indigenous beadwork DIY activities, participants can gain a deeper understanding of Lulan tea agriculture and the local indigenous cultural heritage. During the event period, artistic performances such as Atayal dance and Hakka tea-picking songs and dances will also be held at the Lulan Visitor Service Center and the Green Onion Culture Park Plaza.

The Lulan Tea Festival

Date: August 18 – September 23, 2012

Venue: Lulan Visitor Center

Phone: Sanxing Farmers’ Association 03-989-3170

Websites: Sanxing Farmers’ Association www.sunshin.org.tw, Lulan Leisure Agriculture Area www.yulan.org.tw, Tea Mountain Hiking Registration and Original Tea Aroma Day Trip Website shan.sunshin.org.tw.

● Read more: Yilan Handmade Experiences – Fun with Farming Organics

http://goo.gl/SwgEp