Text / MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network, Reported by Li Xinyi
The Agar Wetland Forest Park will hold its opening event on the 24th and 25th at the Dongshi Natural Ecology Exhibition Hall in Dongshi Township, Chiayi County. The event will feature renowned folk music legend Hu Defu, pan flute prince Zhang Zhongli, and local performance group Wenxiang Dance Troupe. There will also be an exhibition and sale of local agricultural specialties. Additionally, Dongshi Township’s Gangkou Temple is celebrating the opening by offering 600 servings of seafood congee each day for free to visitors.
Agar Wetland boasts rich ecological resources and is a famous bird-watching destination. (Photo provided by Chiayi Forest District Office / Photo by Chen Jianhua)
The Agar Wetland Forest Park is located in Dongshi Township, Chiayi County, covering an area of approximately 1,470 hectares. The Chiayi Forest District Office has so far completed the development of 5 hectares of artificial freshwater wetlands, 21.5 kilometers of bicycle paths, and 1.9 kilometers of walking trails. The office noted that the park’s overall planning won the first prize in the Analysis and Planning category at the 2011 Professional Awards by the American Society of Landscape Architects. This marks Taiwan’s first time receiving this prestigious international award, joining the ranks of Beijing Olympic Forest Park and Shanghai Expo Bund Park, which won the same honor in 2009 and 2010 respectively.
The Forest District Office stated that to allow the public to experience the ecological beauty of Agar, various booths will be set up around the area during the event, including those for local agricultural products, DIY handicrafts, ecological education, and local snacks. Along the artificial wetland ecological experience trail, there will be community guides providing on-site interpretation as well as impromptu performances by street artists. Each of the eight bird-watching pavilions surrounding the wetland will have bird interpreters stationed.
The two-day opening event also features three free shuttle bus routes. One is an external shuttle from “High-Speed Rail Chiayi Station” to “Dongshi Natural Ecology Exhibition Hall.” The second is an internal shuttle from “Gangkou Temple” to “the end of the Artificial Wetland.” The third is a park tour shuttle that loops around the bird-watching embankment roads within the park. In addition, bicycles can be rented for free at the Dongshi Natural Ecology Exhibition Hall.
● Read more: One-Day Agar Wetland Ecological Tour for NT$200 – Registration Now Open
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