On weekends, many people take the two-hour train ride or tour bus to Ilan County (宜蘭縣) from Taipei to soak in hot springs, eat fresh seafood and hole up in hotels. Come Sunday, the visitors head home refreshed, perhaps, for the start of a new work week.?
This is one part of Ilan. But beyond the neon lights of hotels and the din of city life is yet another Ilan, one that is tucked away in the recesses of mountains and valleys along a winding road called Route 7 (台七線). It is this picturesque land that gives visitors a glimpse into Ilan's long history of agriculture, a history that dates back more than two centuries, when farmers from China's Fujian and Guangdong provinces first began settling there.
One of the biggest activities promoted by Ilan's county government is called "recreational agriculture" (休閒農業). Introduced more than a decade ago, it has become popular, gaining even more momentum following Taiwan's entry into the WTO in 2002.
An almost immediate effect of entering the WTO was a drop in prices on many imported goods, including vegetables, fruits and fish. As a result, farms across Ilan County found it increasingly difficult to do business. They had neither the manpower nor the resources to tackle foreign competition. Some were forced to fold.
Those that didn't had to change course and begin promoting their fisheries and farms, in part, as centers for agricultural exploration. One such place, at the beginning of Route 7, is the Bajia Recreational Fishery (八甲休閒漁場).
Opened in 1990, Bajia emerged as a recreational fishery in 2002, with the support of the Ilan County government. Bajia owner Huang Yu Ming (黃玉明) beams when he talks about the fish he raises, especially his xiangyu (香漁), a popular species in Asia. Almost 80 percent of Taiwan's xiangu comes from Ilan, he said. Xiangyu, naturally enough, is a favorite at his restaurant, just across from his fishery.
Fish aside, arguably the most popular attraction among his visitors is a beast called the "garbage turtle" (垃圾龜). It's name says it all: it eats up the garbage along the ocean floor, keeping the environment clean for the fish. How does it do it?
"Does anyone have a pen?" Huang asked a group of people during a tour of the grounds one recent Sunday afternoon. A pink, plastic one emerged. He lowered it slowly into the turtle's mouth, which ordinarily remains open as if the turtle suffers from lock-jaw. As soon as the turtle sensed the pen, its mouth clamped shut, reducing the pen to pieces.
A five-minute drive from Bajia's fish farm is the Shengyang Aquarium Center (勝洋水族中心). Shengyang opened in 1967, raising eel that was processed and sold to Japan. Over the next few decades, though, Taiwan's changing environment, as well as competition from other Asian countries, made it increasingly difficult for Shengyang to stay afloat.
So in 1992, Shengyang shifted its focus away from fish and directed it toward water plants (水草). The center boasts more than 400 varieties of vegetation, many of which can be eaten. Shengyang's guides know what is what, so it's best to let them do the plucking and you do the tasting.
About 15km from the Shengyang Aquarium, just outside Datong (大同), is the Happy Cherry Tea and Coffee Garden (櫻悅山泉咖啡休閒茶園). Perched atop one of the many tall mountains in the Yulan Tea District (玉蘭查區), Happy Cherry not only gives visitors a peek at how tea leaves are grown and processed but also provides one of the best views of Ilan county.
"It's always cool and comfortable up here all year round," said Zhong Yong Xing (鍾永興), owner of Happy Cherry. Zhong has been harvesting Oolong tea (烏龍茶) for decades, a trade passed down from his father. Just a few months ago, he opened his tea and coffee house to accompany a tea processing plant he had built on the mountain the year before.
For the newcomer, Zhong will demonstrate how to pour the perfect cup, which can be enjoyed on a patio that overlooks layer after layer of symmetrical tea fields.
Route 7 is more than 80km long, with many signs pointing out dozens of similar recreational farms. After stopping at a few key spots, self-exploration on a motorbike is your best bet. Map in hand, pick a direction and drive.
"Anyone can call up the Yilan County Farmers Association, and we'll help you plan a trip here," said Lin Tsai Kun (林蔡焜), a spokesman for the association.? "It's important that we show visitors the beauty that Yilan has to offer."
Getting to Ilan:
● Take the Taiwan Railway Eastern Main Line (台鐵東部幹線) to Ilan Station.
For prices and scheduling information, visit http://www.railway.gov.tw, or call Ilan Train Station at (03) 932 3801.
● Take the Dayou Bus (大有巴士) from Taipei to Ilan City. Buses leave 24 hours a day. One way ticket is NT$200. Visit http://www.airbus.com.tw, or call (08) 0008 8626.
● Take the Guoguang Bus (國光客運) from Taipei Station to Ilan City. One way ticket is NT$200. Visit http://www.tbus.com.tw, or call (08) 0001 0138.
Scooter Rentals: There are several shops directly across the street from the train station. On average, a one-day rental is NT$350.
Places to stay:
● Zhuangjiao Suozai Bed and Breakfast (庄腳所在民宿). Doubles availabe for NT$2,200 per night. Rooms for more than six people are available for NT$3,000 at 69-9 Zhenshan Cunpocheng Rd, Yuanshan Village, Ilan County (宜蘭縣員山鄉枕山村坡城路69-9號). Call: (03) 922 7292.
● Tea Village (茶之鄉). Doubles available for NT$1,500 per night. Rooms for more than six people are available for $3,600, at 2, Songluo Cunluchang Rd, Datong, Ilan County (宜蘭縣大同鄉松羅村鹿場路2號). Call: (03) 980 1118.
Useful addresses:
● Yilan County Farmers Association (宜蘭縣農會), 155, Linsen Rd, Ilan City (宜蘭市林森路155號). Call: (03) 938 5963.
● Bajia Recreational Fishery (八甲休閒漁場), 1-10 Shangde Cunbajia Rd, Yuanshan Village, Ilan County (宜蘭縣員山鄉尚德村八甲路1-10號). Call: (03) 922 5990.
● Shengyang Aquarium Center (勝洋水族中心), 15-1 Shangde Cunbajia, Yuanshan Village, Ilan County (宜蘭縣員山鄉尚德村八甲路15-1號). Call: (03) 922 2487
● Happy Cherry Tea and Coffee Garden (櫻悅山泉開非, 休閒茶園), 75, Luchang Rd, Datong Village, Ilan County (宜蘭縣大同鄉鹿場路75號). Call: (03) 980 1263.
● Shanben Farm (山本農場), 12 Songluo Cunluchang Rd, Datong Village, Ilan County (宜蘭縣大同鄉松羅村鹿場路12號). Call: (03) 980 1807.
● Bo Farm (波的農場), 149-41 Zhenshancun Zhenshan Rd, Yuanshan Village, Ilan County (宜蘭縣員山鄉枕山村枕山路149-41號). Call: (03) 923 2209.
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