Text by MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Network, compiled and reported by Chen Guanxin
The annual Taoyuan County Shimen Sightseeing Festival will be held from November 24 to December 2 at Shimen Reservoir. In addition to admiring the autumn foliage and enjoying folk music reunions, street music shows, and classic performances by Teresa Teng, this year’s event also features free activities such as solar-powered electric boat rides, reservoir tours, family-friendly mini train rides around the dam, guided tours of Hakka villages, and more. There's also a “Eat Fresh Fish, Get Great Deals” check-in promotion: simply download the iQtao app, visit participating fresh fish restaurants during the event period, make a purchase, and check in to receive instant discounts, plus a chance to win bicycles, fresh fish meal vouchers, and Chocolate Republic merchandise.
The Shimen Sightseeing Festival on November 24 offers a variety of free experiences to help the public gain a deeper understanding of the reservoir and the culture of Longtan Hakka villages. (Photo provided by the Northern Region Water Resources Bureau)
Among the free experiences planned for the 2012 Taoyuan County Shimen Sightseeing Festival and Soil and Water Conservation Carnival, the solar-powered electric boat rides are available every Saturday and Sunday during the event period at 10:00, 11:00, 13:00, 14:00, and 15:00—five sessions per day, 40 people per session, each lasting about 40 minutes. Boarding tickets are distributed 15 minutes before each departure at the Dam Pier. In addition to the quiet, new experience of lake boating, there will also be live demonstrations on water quality testing and ecological education.
The reservoir tour series includes an ecological park tour, a Shimen Power Plant tour, and a mini train ride around the dam. The ecological park tour and power plant tour each have four sessions per day at 10:00, 11:00, 13:00, and 14:00, with 40 people per session, lasting 30–50 minutes. Participants can sign up 15 minutes before the tour at the Huan Cui Lou Service Desk or at the entrance of the Shimen Power Plant. The mini train ride around the dam runs every Saturday and Sunday during the event period from 10:00 to 15:00, traveling between Yi Shan Ge and Huan Cui Lou. Family experiences are available on-site, and visitors can queue up for a ride at either location.
The Hakka village tour centers around Longtan, a key Hakka settlement in Taoyuan. On November 25, December 1, and December 2, events are planned in Daping Village, Ji’an Village, Sankeng Village, and Sanlin Village, featuring activities such as a Hakka maze pig race, rural farming fun, a stroll through the historic streets of Sankeng, and mussel-catching and tea tasting in Qingshui Pit. Except for the Ji’an Village activity, which takes place from 14:00 to 15:30, all other tours are scheduled from 9:30 to 11:00 AM. Each tour has four half-hour sessions, lasting one hour per session. Sign up at the service desk before departure to experience traditional, authentic Hakka rural life.Detailed event information can be found at the website:travel-taoyuan.tycg.gov.twSearch.
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