Make bamboo tube rice and grilled Maqiu kebabs in the mountainside forest—head to Hsinchu’s Green Destiny Campsite for a unique green getaway!

Text & Photos /The Happy Life of Three and Two Birds

Our camping journey has reached its third year, and more and more friends around us have joined the camping trend. Some dove in on their own, while others were persuaded by yours truly (remember who said they’d never camp?!! Haha). This wave of camping enthusiasm, much like the egg tart or bicycle craze, has been something I’ve felt deeply (I, too, jumped in during this wave). And this time around, we’d been planning to camp together for ages—the group all got to know each other through our leader, and we’ve known each other as long as our kids have been alive!!!

What’s even more heartwarming is that camping has given us more opportunities to get together—we spend time unwinding in the campground, enjoying the beautiful scenery and delicious food, watching the kids play and grow up in nature. It’s such a great feeling to have both adults and kids in good company. Even more coincidentally, we ran into online friends in both Zone B and Zone C, and I was the one who recognized the kids first, haha!

Located in Wufeng, Hsinchu, the “Green Destiny Camping Area” is arguablyfun campingafter which I personally highly recommend the site (it was actually recommended earlier in the year by Shanlin Lingwu). Though the site doesn’t offer sweeping scenic views, you can definitely feel the care and dedication that the camp owner couple put into both the space and their guests. Activities run from Saturday afternoon through Saturday evening and continue on Sunday morning (the owners sure stay busy!)

On Saturday afternoon, there’s a pre-booked, self-paid DIY activity for making bamboo tube rice and grilled Maqiu kebabs—I absolutely love those Maqiu kebabs; they’re incredibly fragrant and super tasty!!! Come evening, the camp owner prepares an exciting welcome cannon experience for campers, but wow, it’s really loud!!! I was too busy covering my ears to even take photos @@ And don’t forget about the 15-minute period from 20:30 to 20:45 when the entire campsite turns off the lights so everyone can enjoy the starry sky. But the activities don’t end there—on Sunday morning, there’s also a rainbow discovery session plus an eco & trap explanation tour, which is very lively, vivid, and fun. We even spotted the rare sight of flowering Ma bamboo!

I really felt our time at Green Destiny Camping was so fulfilling and busy, haha. Then I later found out that the message I sent to the camp owner’s wife back on November 27 last year actually made me the first person to inquire about the campsite. The camp owner couple have remembered that ever since and even gave me a commemorative wooden plaque. How embarrassing—it’s taken me a whole year to come back now!! ((Mopping brow))

I really love this thoughtful campsite filled with laughter, and those unforgettable Maqiu kebabs (just thinking about them makes my mouth water~~~~~~). I’ll definitely be back to camp again!!! By the way, is that commemorative wooden plaque like a reservation VIP card or something? XDDDDDD

[Though not very big, the Green Destiny sign is easy to spot, though the last stretch of the road is a bit rough—please drive carefully]
I love Green Destiny’s signage with its indigenous flair :)

[Upon arriving at the campsite, the fenced area on the right is where the rabbits are kept—kids absolutely love coming over to see them~]

[The gravel area in front of the rabbit zone is currently used as a parking lot]

[Go straight along the small path on the left, and you’ll reach Zone B, where we pitched our tents this week]

[Since we did some research beforehand, we knew the campsite layout includes space for vehicles, so we just brought a standard tent + a tarp—simple and good enough!]

[And then my family’s Jialong dish-shaped tarp was shared among three families, including our friends—Up!]

[But the biggest eye-catcher of the whole week was undoubtedly Emily’s tarp!! Yes—that’s a tarp, not a tent!]
Because the weather turned cold abruptly this week, and due to site conditions, no one dared bring a tunnel tent. So Emily’s family tried setting up the tarp in a Tipi tent style to block wind and keep warm—and it was amazing!

[A shot looking down from the upper level at Zone B—we were on the row on the right side of the photo~]
To leave more open space for activities, we parked all the cars together on one side, and then set up our five tents in the remaining four camping spots—Up!! (There’s one more tent in the photo that hadn’t arrived yet)]

[Panoramic view of the entire Zone B—there’s a lane down the middle and a shared activity area, with a total of 15 camping spots]

[We’re all friends who grew up together, so we quickly started playing together~]

[I took a special photo of these connecting stairs between levels—they’re built from washed pebble stone, and j? [text unclear] feel solid and safe to step on]

[This is the common area at the top of Zone B]
The camp owner’s home, Zone C, the bamboo tube rice and grilled Maqiu kebab DIY activity, the welcome cannon, the rainbow discovery, and the toilet/bathroom facilities are all located in this area.

[The bamboo tube rice and grilled Maqiu kebab DIY is done on the first floor of the building on the left. Also, this is the gravel Zone C, where you can camp and pitch up to 3 tents]

[Next to the camp owner’s home is a splash pool—it’s not filled with water in winter, but do keep an eye on kids playing nearby!]

Clean toilet and shower facilities, with 3 squat toilets and 3 shower stalls. Be prepared to wait during the evening peak bathing hours!

The hot water is heated by burning firewood. The camp host starts boiling it in the afternoon~ Ryan also comes to help in the evening!

On the slightly higher side is the grassy Area A, which gets booked up the fastest and can accommodate 7 tents.

A convenient and well-designed handwashing station.

Before the DIY activities of making bamboo tube rice and grilled Maqiu meat skewers, the camp host first lit the fire for cooking the bamboo tube rice and Maqiu meat skewers using bamboo.
Let my husband handle the job of lighting the gas gun~~~

The camp host has already prepared the bamboo tubes for the rice. We just need to fill them with rice and stuff them with banana leaves. Leave that task to the men!

This photo was mainly taken to capture "the stunned-looking Xiao Jun," and with his freshly cut silly haircut, it’s just hilarious!!!

After the bamboo tube rice is made, please write your name on it as a marker, then you can directly stick it next to the fire to bake Up!

Right after finishing the bamboo tube rice, we moved on to making the Maqiu meat skewers~
Since the camp host couple had already marinated the meat with Maqiu for flavor, the little grains you see are Maqiu—the essence—so don’t pick them off!!!

Then, after being grilled over charcoal and bamboo fire, these Maqiu meat skewers not only have a smoky aroma but also the unique fresh lemon scent of Maqiu. So delicious!!!
Highly recommend everyone to book the Maqiu meat skewers with the camp host in advance!!! (The bamboo tube rice is great too, but I personally prefer noodles, so choose according to your own taste!)

In the evening, as it gradually got dark, the lights in the campsite were lit one by one, and the kids were still playing at this time!!

Emily’s family had a shared dinner with another family tonight, and it wasn’t cold at all staying under the canopy!!!

After dinner, the next activity was lighting the welcome cannon, and the camp host is really funny and humorous!!!

But the moment the cannon goes off is really loud, so parents with young children, please be cautious!! Later, after the camp host explained everything and saw everyone lining up to light the cannon, I walked away. I heard my husband say even the little ones dared to light them!! So impressive!!!

After taking a shower, watching a movie under the warm canopy before sleeping—these kids are just too lucky~~~

On Sunday morning, we were woken up by the warm sunlight~

The rainbow discovery activity at 8:00 AM sharp, but the camp host started broadcasting around 8:00, so those campers who are used to sleeping in might get woken up too XD

Most of the participants were kids, and everyone had a great time watching!!

I took this photo of Area B from the upper level—this week all the spots were fully booked!

Photo taken from Area A looking toward Area B and the camp headquarters.

Just took a short break to have breakfast, and then the eco & trap explanation tour began!!!

Also took a photo from the trail toward Area A—actually, all these camp areas are pretty nice!

The humorous camp host led us through learning about the ecological environment and indigenous hunting traps, all while having fun.

Luckily, we also saw the rare sight of flowering Mosa bamboo (though the camp host didn’t point it out, so I couldn’t really tell XD)

After the activity, we had some relaxing tabletop games and Tracy’s fried snacks—so yummy!!!

Even the adults joined in the fun~~~ Haha!

Love this group photo of the girls—the one on the left is the twin sisters A-Mei from the mountain tribe family we bumped into, and the one on the right is Emily’s QQ. Though they didn’t know each other, they stuck together these two days!!

[ Before settling the bill, the campsite owners specially gave us a commemorative wooden plaque. They’re really so thoughtful!!! ]
Thank you for taking care of us these past two days. I’ll definitely come camping here again!!! (Reserve the Makau skewers in advance~)

[ Also thanks to my old friends who camped with me~ A great campsite, great weather, and great company made for a perfect camping trip!!! ]

Post-Camp Reflections Summary
1. The entire campsite is divided into three zones with a total of 25 tents, consisting of 7 tents in Upper Zone A, 15 tents in Lower Zone B, and 3 tents in Zone C near the camp office.
2. Each campsite is separated by plastic hoses. Please note that the dimensions of 6m x 8m include the tent, living tent, and parking space. It’s recommended to go light or bring a standard tent.
3. There are plenty of lively and fun activities (though the camp owner will make announcements, especially the 8 PM rainbow spotting activity which might even serve as your wake-up call XD)
3. (1) Saturday afternoon: DIY bamboo tube rice and grilled Makau skewers (at your own expense).
3. (2) Saturday evening: Welcome cannon salute (free), and lights-out across the campsite from 20:30–20:45 to enjoy the starry night sky.
3. (3) Sunday morning: Rainbow spotting and eco-& trap explanation tour (free).
4. There are only 3 shower stalls, so you may need to wait during peak hours.
5. Though it doesn’t have a grand scenic view, it’s a warm and thoughtful campsite—highly recommended!!!

[ Family Camping · Record ]
Located in Wufeng, Hsinchu, the “Green Destiny Camping Area” is probably my favorite recommended campsite after Fun Camping. Although the campsite doesn’t have a grand scenic view, you can definitely feel the warmth and thoughtfulness of the fun-loving campsite owners towards the site and their guests!! Whether it’s the DIY bamboo tube rice and grilled Makau skewers (at your own expense), ...

Campsite:
Green Destiny Camping Area (Zone B)
Camping Dates: November 28 (Sat), 2015 ~ November 29 (Sun), 2015 ＜8Y6M+5Y3M＞
Cost: $800

Green Destiny Camping Area
Address: No. 166-15, Pinghe, Zhulin Village, Wufeng Township, Hsinchu County, Taiwan (24.624546 121.110119).
Website:FB Fan Page.
Phone: 0936-309262 (can add LINE ID "aa3545" for reservations).
Elevation: 509 meters.
Weather Forecast:Central Weather Bureau,windguru.

The Happy Life of Three Kids and Two Birds%QCamping．Europe．Family Independent Travel

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