Over the past half century, agricultural production has declined to
less than 2% of Taiwan’s GDP. At the same time, agricultural tourism and
leisure farms have boomed. The introduction of two-day weekends are a
major reason, but the government’s Council of Agriculture – which views
tourism as a way of lifting farmers’ incomes – also can take some
credit.
Relatively few Westerners take advantage of this aspect of
travel in Taiwan. Most of the leisure-farm managers interviewed for this
article said the bulk of the non-Taiwanese tourists they see are from
Singapore, Malaysia, or Hong Kong.
Small Swiss Homestay, located in
the tea-growing uplands of Chiayi County, welcomes plenty of foreign
guests, both Western and Asian. But “only a few of them are interested
in tea growing and processing,” says owner Charlies Liu.
Liu, a
member of both the Taiwan Leisure Farms Development Association (TLFDA, tel: (03) 9381-269) and the Alishan Leisure Farms
Development Association, says the leisure farms in the Alishan area do
not currently receive a significant number of foreign tourists, but
during meetings of these associations, members often discuss how more
foreign visitors could be attracted. "The biggest problem is the
language barrier, since most owners or their family members can’t speak
English," Liu explains.
The TLFDA’s own promotional efforts seem to
prove his point. The association does not seem to respond to
English-language inquiries. Also, its website – which lists 202 member
farms – has no usable English content.
Fortunately for those who
would like to learn something about how food is grown, or who think a
day or two in the countryside would be fun and healthy, several of
Taiwan’s leisure farms are suitable for visitors who speak little or no
Chinese.
Sheipa Leisure Farm (tel: (03) 585-6192; email: spfm8910@ms59.hinet.net; no admission charge) has a comprehensive English-language website as
well as some English-speaking staff. The farm, in Hsinchu County, has 78
rooms and cabins in European-style buildings; staying overnight costs
from NT$4,020 to NT$10,240 per room, breakfast and dinner included.
As
the name implies, Sheipa Leisure Farm is near Shei-Pa National Park.
The Guanwu Forest Recreation Area is a short drive away. A nearby peak,
Yemakanshan (1,923 meters above sea level), can be reached via an
hour-long hike. When the weather is clear – often it is not – the
scenery in this part of Taiwan is spectacular...
The complete version of this article can be read online, here, and appears in the July 2013 issue - the annual travel and culture special - of the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei's monthly magazine. The photo above was supplied by Green World, a farm I contacted but didn't in the end include in the article.
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