By MOOK Scenic Spots, reported by Christopher
The endless blue sea is a feast for the eyes, while the boundless expanse of rice fields can make all worries vanish. When these two breathtaking sceneries come together, they create a truly awe-inspiring sight. Located in Xinshe Township, Fengbin District, Hualien, Xinshe Terraces are the largest forest-sea terraces in Taiwan. Usually covered in lush green rice fields, they transform into vast stretches of light golden paddies when summer arrives.
The boundless Pacific Ocean and the rice seas of Xinshe Terraces (Photo by hsuan_4)
Dreamlike Xinshe Terraces (Photo by molly888666)
Xinshe Terraces are located around the 43.5 km mark on Provincial Highway 11. As you drive by, you’ll see farmland right next to the sea. The seemingly infinite beauty of the rice waves, paired with the stunning blue of the Pacific, creates a shoreline where sea and sky blend as if covered with a golden blanket, making passersby stop and admire the view.
Light golden rice paddies at Xinshe Terraces (Photo by yajing.chen)
The coastline of Xinshe Terraces as if covered with a golden blanket (Photo by molly888666)
In the Kavalan language, Xinshe means "a place where all things are nourished." Legend has it that when the Kavalan people migrated here, they missed the vast rice fields and the fragrance of homegrown rice from their native land. So, they transformed this coastal plateau into terraced rice paddies, which is why it's also called the "sea terraces."
Earthwork art “Happiness on the Land” at Xinshe Terraces (Photo by yajing.chen)
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