Four Major Experiences of the Taoyuan Lotus Festival – Magical Floating & Historic Home Tours

By MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Team

Taoyuan’s Guanyin District cultivates numerous lotuses, which bloom vibrantly in midsummer, swaying with the breeze to form a renowned scenic view in the region, also celebrated as “South Baihe, North Guanyin.” The lotus blooming season coincides with the beginning of summer vacation, making it a great time for visitors to plan a lotus appreciation trip. In addition to visiting the 2017 Taoyuan Lotus Festival, travelers can explore local lotus farms to admire the blossoms up close, enjoy lotus-themed meals, and experience an exclusive puppet show performance. The Taoyuan City Government has specially integrated leisure farms, lotus garden-themed restaurants, Shapsu Cape Lighthouse, and Guanyin Coastal Recreation Area to design various all-inclusive lotus-themed travel experiences, aiming to provide fun-filled family outings.

1. Algal Reef Exploration – First Experience of Floating on Giant Lotus
 
The “Explore Algal Reefs, Surprising Lotus Journey” mini-trip of the Taoyuan Lotus Festival plans a one-day nature-close itinerary. In addition to visiting the Taoyuan Lotus Festival venue, travelers can also head to the Lotus Garden to experience the fun of “light-footed floating” on giant lotuses. The tour also incorporates a Pokémon GO activity, allowing participants to learn about various plants in the lotus garden through gameplay, combining fun with education for children. Additionally, local guides will take visitors to explore the Guanxin Algal Reef, getting to know Taiwan’s largest living fossil algal reef community that has existed for thousands of years.

2. Historic Home Tour – The Lin Family Ancestral House
 
The “Happy Lotus Pond Tour · Exclusive Mansion-Style Puppet Show and Face-Changing Performance” is a summer-only itinerary running from afternoon to evening. After visiting the Taoyuan Lotus Festival venue, travelers proceed to the well-known historic residence in Guanyin, the “Lin Family Ancestral House,” to admire its classic one-courtyard-four-wing traditional architecture, lotus fields blooming with flowers, wine jar pathways, red brick archways, and straw doll decorations.

3. Folk Performance – Puppet Show Face-Changing
 
Also part of the “Happy Lotus Pond Tour · Exclusive Mansion-Style Puppet Show and Face-Changing Performance” itinerary, beyond admiring the historic home and lotuses, the highlight is an exclusive interactive puppet show with face-changing performances held in the courtyard of the ancestral mansion by the renowned Xiujiu Puppet Theater. Both kids and adults may be invited on stage to join the show, personally experiencing the wonder of puppetry and savoring a unique blend of ancient lotus homes and face-changing puppet performances.

4. Special Cuisine – Lotus Seed Bamboo Rice & Lotus-Themed Meals
 
Besides admiring the beauty of lotuses, experiencing magical floating, and joining historic home tours, visitors can also savor special dishes featuring lotus seeds as ingredients, and enjoy the fun of shelling lotus seeds and tasting refreshing lotus seed ice cream — all quite unique. The “Happy Lotus Pond Tour · Exclusive Mansion-Style Puppet Show and Face-Changing Performance” offers lotus seed shelling, lotus-flavored meal boxes, and ice cream, while the “Explore Algal Reefs, Surprising Lotus Journey” includes a special lotus seed bamboo rice meal.
 

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