Slow & Easy the Cittaslow way
September 18, 2018
If your holidays in Taiwan have not
included Miaoli, this where you should consider going next, especially those
seeking a holistic, wholesome vacation.
Recently, a team led by Miaoli County
head Teng Kuei Chu, showcased what this part of north-western Taiwan had to
offer at an event in Aloft Hotel Kuala Lumpur. With them was Miaoli mascot, Maolimiaow or Meow Leopard Cat.
Miaoli County mascot, Maolimiaow |
The team included representatives from
the Miaoli County Tourism Association, Sanyi Township Office, Tongluo Township
Sightseeing Tour, 16 Distilleries Teahouse/Lei Cha DIY Workshop, West Lake
Resortopia, Flying Cow Ranch and Maison de Chine Hotel.
Miaoli is a mountainous region
populated mainly by Hakka folk (hah! I didn’t know that). Key destination
attractions in the country took part to promote the various offerings titled
Charms Of An International Slow City, best experienced through a free and easy
tour.
Located between Hsinchu and Taichung
or between Taichung International Airport and Taoyuan International Airport,
Miaoli County is easily accessible by high speed train, conventional rail
travel, car, bus or free shuttle service.
The towns of Sanyi and Nanzhuang were
both awarded the Certificate of International Slow City in 2016. A slow city is a place which strives to maintain a high-quality and
sustainable living environment and where its people “strive to live a life with
good attitude”.
In line with
that, Taiwan’s first “railway bicycle”, with a low level of carbon emission,
offers an environmentally friendly mode of travel which allows passengers to
leisurely experience the beauty of Sanyi. The train meanders through an old
mountain range overlooking the city centre. The railway line, stretching over
21km, from Sanyi to Fengyuan, passes through 4 stations, 4 train trestles
(bridges) and 9 tunnels.
Apart from
the railway bicycle, there’s plenty to do in Miaoli, from cultural tours
(especially the Hakka experience), nature tour, food tour (taste the authentic
Hakka cuisine) and aboriginal tour.
With its
LOHAS theme, the Hakka Cuisine in Miaoli follows the Slow Cooking methods,
using natural ingredients harvested in the county.
Hakka Lei
Cha is a drink traditionally served to guests. It’s made using ground millet,
peanuts, sesame, pumpkin seeds and green tea to produce the unique aroma.
Unlike Malaysian lei cha, this does not have basil leaves added and is not
served with rice as a savoury dish.
Miaoli County head Teng Kuei Chu (centre) shows how lei cha tea is made |
There’s even
a flower tour for each of the four seasons: Plum flower in spring, tung flower
in Summer, daisy in autumn and cherry in winter. In particular, the tung flower
which blooms in late April and drops in May, is a wondrous sight, carpeting the
ground with snow-white petals. Mass weddings are often conducted at this time
to take advantage of the falling “snowflakes” creating a romantic atmosphere.
In the past 13 years, 1,148 couples have held their weddings under the shower
of tung flowers.
Flower Home |
Visitors can
even stay at the Flower Home for a full floral fantasy. Located in Zhuo-Lan
Township, this resort which has been producing essential oil for 3 decades, showcases
tung flowers (April-May), verbana flowers (June-August) and lavender flowers
(October-April).
Holistic cuisine |
It’s not just
flowers. The resort offers guests cuisine made with fruit, flowers and herbs
plucked from the gardens, including sage, rosemary, lemongrass, cinnamon
leaves, mint, lemon balm and thyme. Its spokesman says at night, guests are
treated to symphonies made by Gunther’s Frogs and Temple tree frogs while they
wake up to the chirping of birds.
What if you
have children who are raring to go? Well, Miaoli claims to have the most
child-friendly ranch in western Taiwan. The 50-hectare Flying Cow Ranch in
Tongxiao lets you get close to animals. Children in particular, will be
thrilled to milk cows as well as feed calves and ducks. They can also help make
butter and ice-cream, cookies and cakes.
Floral themed toilets at Flower Home |
Tourists can
also go glamping at the MODO Luxurious Countryside Resort in Zhuolan Mountains
for outdoor fun.
Another
great place to stay is West Lake Resortopia nestling next to a calm, natural
lake in the mountainous region that’s just a 10-minute drive from Sanyi. It is
great for families as it has a Hans Christian Andersen-themed amusement park.
Meanwhile, Miaoli Tourism Bureau is
seeking halal certification for many outlets to cater to the Muslim market.
For more
information, contact:
Culture and
Tourism Bureau Miaoli County
Tel:
037-352961
Website:
http://miaolitravel.net/
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