Colorful Paddy Fields in Obsidian Gold Edition — The Most Scenic County Road Redefines Impressions

Text by MOOK Scenic Spots Christopher | Compiled & Reported     Photos Provided by Big Girl’s Floral Tales

Hualien’s County Highway 193 is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful roads in all of Taiwan. Stretching narrowly from Xincheng Township to Yuli Town, it spans approximately 110 kilometers, making it the longest county road in Taiwan to date. Cruising along County Highway 193, you’ll occasionally be amazed by stunningly beautiful scenery, which takes on a different charm in each season. Around the 98K mark, amidst a sea of lush green rice paddies, you’ll be startled to find a field of black rice that shimmers like obsidian gold under the bright sunlight, adding an even more unique landscape to this most scenic of county roads.

This variety of black rice is Hualien Variety No. 23, officially named “Hualien No. 23 Rice.” Initially, its leaves are green, then turn into a rich deep purple, but the rice ears remain green when they come into spike. Unlike other commonly cultivated varieties in Taiwan, Hualien No. 23 Rice is the first domestic variety specifically named for the purpose of rice paddy art. This allows rice cultivation to serve not only as a traditional food source but also as a means of landscape beautification, further integrating the rice industry with tourism.

Along Hualien’s County Highway 193, you’ll encounter diverse seasonal landscapes and flower seas. In summer, there are golden shower trees, flame trees, lilies, and daylilies, and with the wide-open views, the rural scenery is fully on display. Cycling under the trees, you can almost feel nature’s vitality conversing with you.