Written/Compiled and Reported by Wei Ruyu
Starting December 3–4, Wujie Township in Yilan County will host the Golden Sprouted Rice Travel Experience Trial Tour. The itinerary includes trying out a duck mother boat ride, DIY rice burgers, learning about local Yilan opera, joining the Wanggong Temple celebration, cycling, tasting Wujie duck rice clay pot rice or rice rolls, strolling through the old street... .
Wujie Township Mayor Jian Songshu personally promotes the “Sprouted Rice Golden Tourism.” (Photo provided by Wujie Township Office)
Since the development of the Lanyang Plain, Wujie Township has been known as the “Wujie Rice Granary,” serving as a major hub for rice production in the Lanyang region. With a cultivation area of 1,100 hectares, it accounts for over one-ninth of Yilan County’s total rice planting area (9,100 hectares), yielding 6,600 metric tons annually. In addition, the local farmers' association successfully introduced and cultivated Koshihikari rice from Japan, which is now available on the market.
This travel experience event coincides with the Yilan Wanggong Cultural Festival. On the evening of December 2 at 7 PM, there will be a “Cultural Erjie: Forty Years of Celebration” performance by traditional parade troupes. From December 3–4, from 8 AM to 9:30 PM, there will be a series of exciting folk celebrations and experience activities, including the Yilan Local Arts Festival, the Wujie Township Local Culture and Agricultural Specialties Exhibition, performances by the Wanggong God Drum Team... . Highlights include the Wanggong Fire-Walking Ceremony and the Car-Bottom Crawling Ritual starting at 1 PM on December 4, culminating in the Lanyang Drama Troupe’s Gezaixi opera performance at 7 PM — the climax of the entire event!
The area offers a wide variety of local agricultural specialties, making them great souvenir choices. (Photo provided by Wujie Township Office)
Beyond this tour, the local government also plans to launch a Wujie packaged tour around mid-January 2012. Interested individuals can join the Facebook group “Wujie YUMMY Sprouted Rice Fan Club” to stay updated on the launch date, or take advantage of the weekend holiday on December 3–4 to join in the fun in Wujie Township. For more information, visit the Wujie Township Sprouted Rice website at www.wujieyummy.com, or call the Wujie Township Office at 03-950-1115.