The "2016 Taiwan Coffee Festival" kicks off on December 17 – Learn free latte art from professional instructors

▲ The 2016 Taiwan Coffee Festival kicks off on December 17 (Photo / Screenshot fromthe 2016 Taiwan Coffee Festival Facebook page, the same applies below).

By Travel Center / Comprehensive report

Not sure how to get started with coffee? The "2016 Taiwan Coffee Festival" might just give you some inspiration.To coincide with the marketing campaign for the 2017 Taiwan Lantern Festival, the 14th edition of the "2016 Taiwan Coffee Festival" has been postponed to open on December 17 and will run until December 25. The six-day event will be held in the Green Tunnel. This year, young coffee entrepreneurs have teamed up with coffee farmers from Gukeng to offer free coffee-themed courses every day from December 19 to 23.

▲ One of the 2016 Taiwan Coffee Festival instructors – Liao Siwei.

The theme for 2016 is "My Coffee Flavor," focusing on starting locally while looking globally. The workshop content is diverse, covering everything from coffee flavor sensory evaluation and café management to European coffee aesthetics. Even the currently popular creative latte art and artistic fruit carving workshops are all free of charge. Interested participants need to register online in advance.

Huang Yiling, Magistrate of Gukeng Township, said that on the opening day of December 17, there will be a hundred-person bean roasting event, on the 18th there will be a coffee festival marathon, and on December 24 there will be a fun ceremony where the Gukeng Coffee Prince marries the Shuilinxian Sweet Potato Princess, along with a Christmas coffee-themed amusement park. The closing ceremony on December 25 will feature an award presentation for special flavor beans, a lucky draw, bean roasting experiences, specialty booths, and musical performances, making for a rich and varied program.

In addition, the Douliu Xingqi Memorial Hall is currently hosting the "Amber Memories – Yunlin Coffee Time" photography exhibition, on display until December 25. Through 50 vintage photos — including a giant roasting machine imported from Germany, technicians at the Douliu Coffee Factory hard at work, and researchers from Academia Sinica collecting specimens in the Gukeng coffee fields — visitors can experience the evolution of coffee history.

▲ 2016 Taiwan Coffee Festival

2016 Taiwan Coffee Festival
Time: December 17 to December 25, every Saturday and Sunday from 10:00–17:00
Venue: ns-zi Green Tunnel, Gukeng Township, Yunlin County (Gukeng Green Tunnel)

2016 "My Coffee Flavor" Workshop Courses
Time: December 19 to December 23, daily from 10:00–12:00 and 14:00–16:00
Location: No. 12, Guangchang Road, Gukeng Township, Yunlin County (Yongguang DIY Classroom, Gukeng Farmers’ Association)
Workshop Fee:Free
Registration URL:2016 Taiwan Coffee Festival Workshop Courses