The 10th annual Ilan County Green Expo opened in Suao’s (蘇澳) Wulaokeng (武荖坑) Mountain Stream yesterday, offering visitors 51 days of eco-fun.
Aside from large areas of flower plantations, which are always popular with photographers, fairgoers can feed milk cows, watch daily stage shows or even experience farming life in the 1 hectare rice paddy at the expo park. The park also has a playground for children.
For the Year of the Ox, this year’s expo revolves around the theme of traditional farming animals, with exhibit halls named “Fun Ox Hall,” “Fairytale Ranches” and “Steel Ox Hall.”
PHOTO: YANG YI-MIN, TAIPEI TIMES
The event runs until May 10.
The Ilan County Government, which organized the event, has the reputation of being one of the most environmentally conscious local governments in the country. It has been promoting a green way of life — mainly through the annual spring expo — since 1999.
Reflecting the current state of economy, admission from today on will be half the price of previous years, organizers said, adding that while Ilan residents can enter the park for NT$50, adult tickets on weekends for non-residents will be NT$150.
Addressing the opening ceremony, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said the expo was a step in the right direction as it integrates quality agriculture, tourism and green power industries into a model of development.
“After the economy picks up, industries will reshuffle globally and some will disappear … Green energy, tourism, refined agriculture and biotechnology are the future … Agriculture is not a industry that will fade out,” he said.
”As soon as I walked into the expo, I was struck by a beauty beyond description and I felt like I was entering a fairytale world,” Ma said.
Some protesters challenged the president and criticized the government for investing millions of dollars in the fair while neglecting natural treasures such as the Chingshui geothermal reservoir (清水地熱).
“The Chingshui geothermal reservoir is sealed off — and yet, the county government is spending big money on the expo. This is ridiculous and infuriating to people and the gods,” a protester said.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CNA
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