Sandwiched between a busy highway overpass, two gigantic TV factories and a small, but busy amusement park is the surprisingly quaint Gaoyuan Village (高原). Here the roads are meticulously clean and are lined with small gardens and farms.
However, a few things set Gaoyuan apart — black compost bins line the streets, the water is crystal clear and tastes almost sweet and its residents seem to all wear a slight smile as if sharing a common secret.
Gaoyuan is located just off Freeway No. 3 in Taoyuan County. It has a small but growing population of near 5,000 that is predominantly Hakka.
PHOTO: SHEN CHI-CHANG, TAIPEI TIMES
Gaoyuan’s secret, however, is not so secret anymore, since the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) shared it with the rest of the country.
In April this year, the EPA designated Gaoyuan a “model community,” hoping to showcase how the village and villagers have prospered through caring of and cherishing their environment. As opposed to the common problems many small villages face, its population and economy are flourishing and its residents seem to be genuinely happy.
Currently, there are 24 model communities across the country. The EPA hopes that through these examples, their environmental practices can soon spread to the nation’s 8,000 other towns and villages.
Local residents said that their village was not always like this.
“Gaoyuan is becoming better and better,” said 70-year-old Yu Hsin-hsiung (余信雄), adding that since he moved there fifteen years ago the village’s living environment has dramatically improved.
In fact, a dozen years ago, the village was in dire straits — it was the target of illegal dumping and there was waste and pollution everywhere, said village chief Huang Yu-chin (黃玉琴). She said that as a result, residents were moving elsewhere in increasing numbers as living standards deteriorated and parks and green spaces were virtually non-existent.
“We started by cleaning up the environment with local volunteers,” Huang said. “For the first three years, we picked up the garbage, stopped waste from being illegally disposed of here and treated the water pollution coming from nearby factories.”
This was done with a volunteer group of more than 80 people; a number that is still sustained today, Huang said.
The village soon brought in public compost bins to encourage residents to recycle leftover food, a move that cut down waste and helped Gaoyuan’s farming community at the same time. The public compost bins are connected to small gardens that all residents can use to grow their own food.
Huang said that these measures helped residents to take pride in their neighborhood. Clearing the streets and cleaning the gardens was no longer something the village volunteers had to do by themselves but instead was completed jointly along with all Gaoyuan residents.
“I started to learn more [about the environment] after volunteering … it is really fun and I want to help more people,” high school student Chan Hsin-yi (詹欣宜) said.
She helps in the neighborhood showing visitors the importance of environmental conservation.
Equally as important, Chan wants to stay in Gaoyuan because of its environment and sense of community.
More recently, the volunteers started a program that recycles hazardous materials by exchanging them for reusable chopsticks. Huang also later applied for funds to build a 1km long walking path and bicycle paths to encourage residents to walk and ride bicycles.
All these measures helped Gaoyuan garner one of the EPA’s top scores for cleanliness and volunteer participation. In addition, it has consistently received the No. 1 award for its environment in Taoyuan County.
Other communities should learn from Gaoyuan and the example of model communities said Yeh Jiunn-horng (葉俊宏), Director-General of Comprehensive Planning at the EPA.
“While environmental awareness is very important, it starts with culture,” Yeh said.
“Previously in Gaoyuan, no one cared about its environment, outsiders saw it as a safe haven for dumping and waste. However, once people started taking an interest, the whole process [of environmental awareness] was put in motion,” Yeh said.
However, the benefits of its accomplishments are not only limited to the environment. Gaoyuan’s economy has also steadily improved despite the global downturn.
It has started to attract tours and groups wishing to understand more about its achievements. Last year, thirty such groups visited the village and numbers are increasing.
The village has also started attracting new artists that are interested in Gaoyuan’s eco-culture. Its community center is filled with sculptures and models made from recycled goods.
The highlight is a traditional Hakka sacrificial pig made out of 25,000 bottle caps. Not only has it saved a pig, the village has made money by renting it out to other Hakka festivals.
Local farmers have also said that the quality of crop yields has been consistently increasing as less harmful chemicals and pollutants are entering the land.
In fact, the villagers plan to erect a new showroom for their eco-arts and farm produce next year.
“We have accomplished much, but still … we will continue to work hard to better this community,” Huang said.
The EPA hopes that this example can repeat itself throughout the country.
“Communities are the foundation of this country,” Yeh said. “If every community can accomplish what we have achieved here today … the entire country will be better for it.”
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