Creative wellness: Savor a coffee feast in Dongshan

Text and photos by Chi Binghui

Dongshan’s cuisine isn’t limited to Dongshan duck heads—the region’s coffee and longan are also famous across Taiwan. The annual “Dongshan Coffee Festival” promotes local culture, and in recent years, the stretch of Provincial Highways 175 and 174 in Dongshan Township has been developed into the “175 Dongshan Coffee Highway.” The 30 shops that grow their own coffee here maintain traditional methods to produce high-grade beans, while businesses have also created innovative coffee-based wellness meals, showing that coffee can be enjoyed in more ways than just drinking.

The 175 Dongshan Coffee Highway is no stranger to cycling enthusiasts, offering beautiful scenery, pleasant weather, and slopes that are perfect for cycling challenges. Many biking enthusiasts love riding here or holding competitions. At the “Longhu Mountain Eco Farm,” located at the 13.3 km mark on Highway 175, you’ll find flavorful meals that are especially popular. In addition to locally produced agricultural specialties, the farm also sells health-conscious dumplings, while coffee and longan wellness meals must be reserved in advance.

Longhu Mountain Eco Park can be described as a diverse eco-leisure destination, featuring its own ecological pond that offers guided tours and interpretation. The nature-loving owner has planted a wide variety of flowers and trees, as well as proudly growing their own longan and coffee. These are roasted in a wood-fired kiln, presenting healthy and heartfelt products to visitors. From July to September each year, the park offers activities such as longan picking and DIY coffee roasting, combining education with fun.

Having participated in the creative dish presentations at the 2010 Taiwan Culinary Exhibition, Longhu Mountain Eco Park naturally serves dishes you won’t find anywhere else. A full table of about 10 dishes for NT$4,000 showcases the landlady’s exceptional cooking skills—just try the coffee chicken soup. The combination of savory food and coffee might seem unusual, but it works surprisingly well, with each sip leaving a lingering aroma of coffee, and the bitterness not being overly strong.