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From fertilizer to flower festival

By Ian Bartholomew
STAFF REPORTER
Wednesday, Jan 23, 2008, Page 13

Tourists and locals fly kites in fields planted with rape flowers in Kuanshan, Taitung County. PHOTO: IAN BARTHOLOMEW, TAIPEI TIMES

Gazing upon fields of fertilizer is not usually considered a tourist activity, but government agencies in Hualien and Taitung counties are trying to make it one with the 2008 Huatung Rift Valley Corridor Through the Ocean of Flowers (2008花東縱谷花海廊道) festival that was officially launched last weekend. In the past, this annual event was prosaically named the Rape Flower Festival (油菜花季) after the predominate flower, and was organized separately by the Hualien and Taitung county governments. This year, under the auspices of the East Rift Valley Scenic Area Administration (花東縱谷國家風景區管理處), the event draws on the resources of both counties to cover an area of 7,000 hectares with rape flowers, chrysanthemums and, to a lesser extent, sun flowers.

Growing rape flowers after the harvest is a normal part of Taiwanese agricultural practice. The plants act as organic fertilizer: After they bloom, they are plowed back into the earth to decompose, producing all kinds of nutrients for the rice crop that follows.

PHOTO: IAN BARTHOLOMEW, TAIPEI TIMES

For the month or so when they are in bloom, though, they create a seasonal show with fields of small yellow flowers stretching into the distance. For anyone traveling along the Huatung Rift Valley, especially by Provincial Highway 9 (台9線公路) or the East Coast Line, the flowers are a welcome sight.

This year's efforts to show off the event have gone further than ever. Many local farmers associations gave out subsidies for planting chrysanthemums to give the scene more color. In some areas, especially around the townships of Chishang (池上) and Kuanshan (關山), the scene can be quite amazing.

A formal garden planted outside the Fuli Farmers Association, Hualien County. PHOTO: IAN BARTHOLOMEW, TAIPEI TIMES

"The cost of doing this is substantial," Peng Yang-chang (彭德昌), a volunteer guide with the scenic area administration said, "but it is worth it to have something really spectacular to show tourists."

Unfortunately, relying on local farmers associations to implement the planting means that the ocean of flowers can be a bit patchy, and many areas along the route - especially in Hualien - are marred or completely replaced by quarries, paper factories and unsightly structures required for mechanized, modern agriculture, all of which remain the lifeblood of the area's economy.

Travel information: Bicycle rentals from the Cycling Lifestyle Foundation. Taitung: Bicycles can be rented for NT$150 an hour for a 24-speed road bike or NT$100 an hour for a coaster. Rental for the day costs NT$450 or NT$300 (24-speed/coaster). The rental outlet is located at 6 Poai Rd, Kuanshan Township, Taitung County (台東縣關山鎮博愛路6號, 089-814391), just outside the Kuanshan railway station. A number of other rental outlets are located near the Waterside Park (親水公園) in Kuanshan, and rentals are also available in Taitung City. Hualien: Weekday rentals costs NT$100/NT$150 for any time period less than a day. On weekends, bicycles rent for NT$100/NT$150 per hour. There are two Cycling Lifestyle Foundation locations in Hualien, one at Liyu Lake (鯉魚潭), located at 27, Chihnan Rd Sec 1, Shoufeng Village, Hualien County (花蓮縣壽豐鄉池南路一段27號, 038-641892) and at Chihsin Lake (七星潭), located at 32 Linqixin St, Dahan Township, Xincheng Village, Hualien County (花蓮縣新城鄉大漢村1鄰七星街32號, 038-220741). Other rental locations are also available in Hualien City. A list of bicycle rental locations around Taiwan can be found in Chinese at ezfun.coa.gov.tw/suggest_dispatch.php?issue=21&func=list.

Besides flowers, the Huatung Rift Valley has much to offer, like trekking to hot springs. The rape flowers and chrysanthemums, which were planted in late September, are currently at their peak, and, according to Peng, plowing this rich source of nutrients back into the ground will begin just prior to the Lunar New Year, which falls on Feb. 7. "In some areas, where the farmers will be keeping the fields fallow, the flowers will remain longer," he said.

Some of the farmers associations have gone further than others in buying into the Ocean of Flowers idea. The Fuli Farmers Association (富里農會) in Hualien County has set up a formal, multicolored garden on land leased from local farmers.

Given that the fields of flowers stretch over 100km of road between Hualien and Taitung, transport is an issue for visitors. Many local tour companies have day trips for around NT$1,000 that take in the main sights. Multi-day tours usually feature stays at the area's hot spring hotels. But the best way to really appreciate the scenery is on a bicycle. These can be rented through local bicycle rental shops, or at rental outlets of the Cycling Lifestyle Foundation (財團法人自行車新文化基金會), founded by the Giant bicycle company. A trip from Kuanshan to Chishang is highly recommended, and at a gentle pace will take a day. A 12km ride on the Kuanshan cycle path is also a good choice for less ambitious cyclists.
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