Spend your summer vacation outside the city and explore beautiful new rural villages

By Chi Bing-hui / Compiled and reported

Although there are beautiful rural villages across Taiwan, urban dwellers rarely get the chance to experience life in the countryside. However, activities such as catching fish by the stream, baking sweet potatoes in an earthen oven, and catching crickets in the fields are no longer out of reach for city folks. The Council of Agriculture’s “Beautiful New Rural Villages” seasonal feature has collected leisure agriculture areas and special attractions from all over Taiwan, encouraging people to step out of the city and plan an unforgettable rural trip.

The “Beautiful New Rural Villages” section on Agri-Travel Net features 71 distinctive leisure agriculture areas, over 300 attractions, and more than 30 tour routes. Each month offers different activities you can follow according to the “Agricultural Calendar,” helping you quickly find the perfect rural trip. July and August are the jujube harvest seasons. Miaoli County’s Gongguan Township is the only place in Taiwan that produces jujubes. The Golden Town Jujube Picking Tour lets you pick jujubes by hand and enjoy the rural scenery by bike. For those wanting to experience farming, visit the Tongxiao Chengnan Organic Farm in Miaoli to learn how to grow organic vegetables, then head to the Flying Cow Ranch to milk cows and feed calves — become a farmer for a day.

The “Farm Fun” section offers six themed experiences across Taiwan: flower viewing, fruit picking, ecology, cycling, hiking, and gourmet food, providing targeted ways to play. Want to admire lotus flowers? The Matai’an Wetlands in the Matai’an Leisure Agriculture Area of Guangfu Township, Hualien, features various species and colors of lotuses. Want to explore nature? The Taomi Leisure Agriculture Area in Puli, Nantou, boasts diverse wetland landscapes, making it the perfect outdoor nature classroom. Love cycling? The Wanluan Cycling Trail in the Wanan Leisure Agriculture Area of Pingtung features stunning scenery and clear streams, offering a delightful ride with beautiful views. Other sections include “Special Agricultural Products” and “Explore the Countryside.” Visit the “Beautiful New Rural Villages” section on Agri-Travel Net (http://ezgo.coa.gov.tw/suggest_dispatch.php?issue=48) for more.