Those who long for a break from city life during the Lunar New Year holidays need not travel long distances because there are a number of tourist farms, including strawberry fields and orange orchards, located within Taipei City’s limits that offer a quick nature fix.
A dozen or so fruit farms and vegetable gardens can be found in the Neihu (內湖), Shihlin (士林) and Beitou (北投) districts.
Many of the farms and orchards have “pick-your-own” deals for strawberries, oranges, mushrooms and even carrots during the holidays.
PHOTO: MO YAN-CHIH, TAIPEI TIMES
A day trip to the fruit farms to pick fruit and enjoy the fresh air has become a popular activity for many people during the Lunar New Year holidays in recent years, said Lin Rong-shun (林榮順), a division chief at Taipei City Farmers’ Association.
Taipei’s strawberry fields are mostly centered around Bishan Road (碧山路) and Dahu Street (大湖街) in Neihu.
Most of the orange orchards are in the Shihlin and Beitou districts, while some fruit farms also offer picking of mushrooms and Chinese yams in the winter, he said.
Qing Xiang Tourist Orchard on Dahu Street in Neihu is one of the most famous fruit farms in the city, and features strawberries and oranges.
Orchard owner Hsu San-chi (?_) said his strawberries and oranges, grown on the hillside, tasted sweeter and were firmer in texture.
The farm’s mushrooms are grown on timber and such naturally grown mushrooms have more flavor, he said.
Warmer winter temperatures last year led to a 50 percent drop in strawberry and orange yields, so Hsu suggested would-be fruit pickers call the farms to check on conditions before leaving home.
The orchard’s phone number is 0928-539-948
Another strawberry grower, Lin Ching-li (林清立), runs the only organic fruit farm in the city.
His Grass and Fruits Organic Farm is located on Bishan Road and grows strawberries on a rack, rather than in the ground.
Organic strawberries are smaller than regular ones, but taste sweeter, Lin said.
Lin said his farm also suffered lower strawberry yields last year, and said people who want to visit the farm should call beforehand (2790-2706) and then come early in the day.
In Beitou’s Datunshan (大屯山) area, citrus tankans (a variety of orange) are ripe for picking around the Lunar New Year holidays.
Datun borough chief Chin Rong-hui (勤榮輝) said citrus tankans in Beitou are juicy with a slightly acidic flavor. The skins can be used to make pure essential oils, and the pulp can also be used to make products such as orange wine and jam, Chin said.
Lin said some tourist farms also teach visitors how to make fruit jams and desserts. Visitors can also taste homemade ice cream made using the fresh fruit from the farms.
The strawberry and orange farms in the city do not charge admission fees. The average price for strawberries is about NT$240 per 0.6kg while oranges cost NT$40 per 0.6kg, the association said.
More information on strawberry and orange farms can be found on the following Web sites: www.tfa.org.tw/doed/ebook//farm09.htm and www.tfa.org.tw/doed/ebook//farm10.htm.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
Speeding and badly maintained roads were the main causes of a school bus accident on a rainy day in Taipei last year that severely injured two people and left 22 with minor injuries, the Taiwan Transportation and Safety Board said. On March 11 last year, a Kang Chiao International School bus overturned inside the Wenshan Tunnel (文山隧道) on the northbound lane of the Xinyi Expressway. The tour bus, owned by Long Lai Co, exceeded the speed limit after entering the tunnel, the board’s investigation found. Sensing that the rear of the vehicle was swaying, the driver attempted to use the service and exhaust
Central and southern Taiwan are to see increasingly heavy rainfall from last night through Friday due to the effects of a low-pressure system and southwesterly winds, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said Tropical Storm Co-May had weakened into a low-pressure system on Saturday, but that it strengthened again into a tropical depression (TD 11) near the seas around Japan's Ryukyu Islands due to favorable environmental conditions. The tropical depression is expected to persist for two to three days, moving west-northwest by this afternoon and reaching China's Zhejiang through the East China Sea tomorrow,
RSS