Text by MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Network Editorial Team, compiled and reported The Bayan Village in Jinshan District, New Taipei City, is located beside the Yangjin Highway of Yangmingshan National Park and preserves large-scale terraced fields and traditional stone irrigation channels rarely seen in northern Taiwan. Due to its high groundwater level, clear water quality, rich ecology, and abundant mountain stream water, mist often lingers year-round. Coupled with nearby hot spring sources, aquatic plants, and earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris), which create a lush green carpet-like landscape, Bayan's terraced fields, vibrant cultural, and ecological features have become a unique asset of the area.

In recent years, due to a decline in rural labor, most residents are now elderly, lending the village a somewhat desolate and melancholic air, yet also an air of isolation from the modern world. With changes in industrial structure, the irrigation channels and terraced fields have long been neglected, leading to blockages, collapses, and damage that affect farmland drainage—resulting in a waning vitality in the rural landscape.

The city government allocated funds to carry out the Bayan tribal drainage improvement project, giving Bayan the opportunity for revitalization. The project includes the restoration of existing waterways and field ridges in the middle of the water, aiming to enhance local water resource utilization. The construction process used no concrete, significantly reducing carbon emissions and environmental disruption. Local residents used local stones to manually construct porous environments, providing habitats for wildlife. The construction materials blend seamlessly with the surrounding landscape, creating a naturally sustainable appearance.

 

After the project was completed, the local rural environment was revitalized, increasing farmers' willingness to resume cultivation. It is estimated that approximately 20 hectares of farmland can be restored. The ecological engineering approach promotes the revitalization of natural landscapes, supports the sustainable development of traditional villages, and combines with the national park's recreational offerings and the agricultural tourism development of the Jinshan area. This allows traditional rural villages to rediscover their charm under a new tourism mindset, attracting visitors in droves on holidays. During late autumn and early winter, visitors might consider a heritage trip to Bayan in Jinshan and enjoy some hot spring relaxation as well.