The "Green Living Taiwan Ecotourism Promotion Project" jointly launched by Citibank and the Seven Star Ecological Conservation Foundation is entering its third year. In addition to the previous 12 ecotourism routes, this year will see the addition of two new routes — the Gaoshi Community in Hengchun and the Gangzi Community. The project will also promote local specialty cuisine from Smangus and hold training courses. Starting from August this year, through guided tours led by local residents, group visitors can expect more professional insights into the area’s ecology and culture.
Through explanations by local residents, visiting tourists can gain a richer and deeper understanding of the local ecology and culture. (Photo provided by the Seven Star Ecological Conservation Foundation)
This year, the Citibank Foundation is once again investing $100,000 to continue promoting ecotourism in Taiwan. The third-year plan focuses on deeper community engagement, emphasizing the support of local ecotourism industries and economic development. It is hoped that training courses will enhance professionalism, and starting from August, local residents will serve as guides to introduce the ecological and cultural landscapes to group visitors.
This year, two new ecotourism routes are planned in Pingtung County — the Gaoshi Community and the Gangzi Community. The Gaoshi Community, home to the Paiwan people, currently has 46 households within the post-Typhoon Morakot designated disaster area. The community features folk plants used for children’s toys and herbal medicine, historical grain transport paths used by ancestors, and ancestral spirit temples, showcasing the local culture of coexisting with nature and venerating ancestral spirits. The Gangzi Community’s natural desert and Gangzi Stream highlight the diversity of the area’s natural scenery and ecology.
Additionally, Smangus in Jianshi Township, Hsinchu County — often referred to as the "Black Tribe" — attracts many visitors with its approximately 5-kilometer-long Giant Tree Trail, offering a chance to experience the serenity of pristine forests. This year, besides continuing to promote the captivating scenery of Smangus, there is also a focus on developing locally distinctive cuisine, aiming to achieve the vision of a community-friendly environment while boosting the economy.
Website of the Gaoshi Community Development Association: www.kuskus.org.tw
Website of the Gangzi Community Development Association: gangzai168.blogspot.com
Website of the Smangus Tourism Service Center: www.smangus.org
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