The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) has recommended 10 places that are worth visiting over the Lunar New Year holiday because they are located in well-preserved environments that are maintained in an eco-friendly manner.
The agency said the spots it recommends all feature beautiful landscapes or landmarks, have vacant spaces that have been turned into “green” spaces and clean public restrooms.
The 10 scenic spots include the Chin-shui Suspension Bridge in New Taipei City’s (新北市) Pinglin District (坪林) and Lion Park (獅子公園) in the city’s Wanli District (萬里); Old Street in Greater Taichung’s Nantun District (南屯); Wunwu Temple (文武廟) in Changhua County’s Lugang Township (鹿港); and Yi-hsin Park (怡心園) and the Highway Garden (公路花園) in Chanhua’s Tianwei Township (田尾).
Photo: Su Fu-nan, Taipei Times
Also on the EPA’s must-see list are: the Sandie River Minhua Wetland Ecology Park (三疊溪明華濕地生態園區) in Chiayi County’s Dalin Township (大林), the Anping Tree House (安平樹屋) in Greater Tainan’s Anping District (安平), the Tardyhill Nature Park (漯底山自然公園) in Greater Kaohsiung’s Mituo District (彌陀) and Mr Brown Avenue (伯朗大道) in Taitung County’s Chihshang Township (池上).
The agency’s Comprehensive Planning Department has released its own list of places worth visiting, comprising 25 communities that have successfully implemented reforms to improve their environments.
One of the entries on the department’s list is Futian Community (福田) in Changhua City, which has cooperated with businesses to offer various do-it-yourself courses to the public that teach things like how to make waste oil into soap, it said.
The department added that Futian’s residents have also transformed a mountain of waste that had long been blighting their community into a tung blossom wooden trail that draws many visitors every year during flowering season.
Also listed is Taitung County’s Luye Township (鹿野), where visitors can explore a ranch dedicated to restoring the sika deer, trek up the Yongan Yu Lungchuan Ecology Trail (玉龍泉生態步道) and taste the red oolong tea that is specially cultivated in the area, while learning about how it is produced and brewed at the township’s tea culture center, the department said.
Two other communities that are worth a look are: Linmei (林美) in Yilan County’s Jiaosi Township (礁溪) and Huashan in Yunlin County’s Gukeng Township (古坑), it added.
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