By MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network, reported and compiled by Li Xinyi
The 2012 Taitung Good Rice Harvest Festival series of events will take place over two consecutive holiday weeks from November 24 to December 1 in the three towns of the East Rift Valley. Want to experience the taste of Hakka cuisine in the fields? The highlight of the Harvest Festival is the “Love for Rice in Guanshan – Harvest Festival Opening Event” to be held on November 24 at Guanshan Rice Country School. It features a lively celebration with a thousand people reaping the harvest to mark a bountiful year, starting with a prayer to the God of the Land (God of the Soil) for favorable weather and smooth work, followed by experiences led by Taitung’s rice experts — including traditional manual harvesting, threshing, tying straw, rice processing, DIY rice foods, clam digging, and old-fashioned children’s games. Online registration is open from now until the 16th, with the first 500 registrants receiving a NT$50 shopping voucher for the Hakka Goods Street.
The vast rice fields of Guanshan can best be appreciated for their endless fragrance and leisurely charm while cycling along the bike path. (Photo by MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network, Li Xinyi)
The final day of the event will feature the “Fragrance of Rice in the Air – Harvest Festival Closing Event” at the Taitung Hakka Cultural Park. With the spirit of thanksgiving performances and rituals for a bountiful harvest, the event invites performers such as Show Lo, Yin Zhengyong, The Strikers, June String Orchestra, Hsinchu Symphony Wind Orchestra, and local Hakka music and dance troupes to deliver an exciting artistic and musical feast. The event surroundings will also include fun Hakka elementary school lessons and DIY experience activities. Additionally, the “Hakka Goods & Bento Street” offers a great opportunity to explore delicious Hakka food and appreciate Hakka cultural and creative arts.
This year’s Harvest Season also introduces a Hakka bento selection featuring Taitung rice and Hakka cuisine. (Image provided by Taitung County Government)
In addition, the inaugural HAKKA Bento King selection event, held in conjunction with the Harvest Festival, has carefully chosen 15 outstanding bento and restaurant operators to offer flavorful bento meal boxes themed around Taitung’s good rice and Hakka cuisine. These bentos incorporate elements of traditional Hakka dishes along with modern healthy eating concepts, promoting zero-mileage, pollution-free, locally sourced ingredients. The HAKKA bentos go on sale from now until November 30. Customers who purchase Hakka specialty bentos at any HAKKA Bento King outlet can also join a lucky draw for great prizes, including a private villa stay voucher sponsored by Rihpy Resort and a 42-inch LCD TV, among other major awards. For details, visit the official Taitung Good Rice Harvest Festival website: 2012taitung-hakka.com.tw.
● Related Reading: Taitung Hot Spring Season – A Zhiben Hot Spring Trip for Just Two Thousand
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