While an annual wheat festival in Taichung’s Daya District (大雅) has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, entrance to the region’s golden wheat fields remain free for visitors, attracting scores of picture-taking tourists.
Taichung’s Daya and Waipu (外埔) districts are the nation’s biggest and second-biggest wheat growing regions respectively, with the festival drawing tens of thousands of visitors each year.
Despite the cancelation of the festival, which was scheduled for Saturday last week, tourists have continued to visit the golden wheat fields, especially crop circles created by Waipu farmers and student volunteers, who stamped on the crops with their feet to make geometric patterns, the event’s organizer said.
Photo courtesy of aerial photographer killer612060
The creation of the landscape art has over the past few years become a local tradition in March — when wheat ripens and darkens — following successful efforts to increase the region’s wheat production.
The Taichung Agriculture Revitalization Association said on Facebook that farmers have been delaying their harvest for the crop circles, which cover an area about as big as three soccer fields.
The crop circles are to remain on display until Saturday next week, the association said, inviting members of the public to take a walk in the fields or enjoy the landscape art through an aerial camera.
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