Flowers beckons
Happy Farming Villages Exhibition, Incredible Fern Exhibition, Healthy and Beautiful Farming and LOHAS Promoting Group.
During our walkabout, guide Chung I-Ping, the station’s technical service section assistant researcher, informed us that the themes were designed to highlight the area’s unique attributes.
There is an annual rotation of exhibition curators, with different agriculture-related sections to highlight new perspectives each time.
Among the exhibits last year, the paddy production showcase stood out. Neat, tiny plots were laid out to show rice from transplanted-seedling to maturity.
There was also a display presenting the different kinds of rice grown around the world, including the short-grain glutinous rice preferred in Taiwan and the long-grain, non-sticky fragrant rice eaten throughout South-East Asia. This was also the local birds’ favourite pavilion; you had to raise your voices to be heard above the chatter of the sparrows and other avian gourmands trying to get at the rice seed.
Another pavilion was dedicated to the countless herbs Taiwanese folk take as tonics and those used in medicines. Over 1,000 herbs were on display, many accompanied by information on what they are used for.
An especially fragrant and visually alluring pavilion showcased a variety of orchids in all its glory, with numerous rare specimens on dramatic display.
Back in the open air, while wandering through a panoramic swath of cosmos flowers – other “seas” at the most recent festival were made up of sunflowers, sorghum blossoms, and wheat blossoms – we learned that while different flowers bloom at different times, the length of the bloom for each is about two weeks. Which meant that condi- tions in the station’s greenhouses had to be staggered to ensure a constant bloom of flowers that had to be methodically transplanted to the fields to ensure maximum flower density and colour.
Long before we entered the grounds of the Taichung International Flower Carpet Festival, our eyes were transfixed on its central attraction, a large “magic castle.”
This annual festival was incorporated into the larger Xinshe festival in 2011. It has a 3D theme, with the various flower-sculpture areas telling stories that seem to rise up out of the ground and take life-like form.
The 2013 themes were decidedly whimsical, focused on Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, and other fairy tales, as well as film director Ang Lee’s Oscar-winning movie Life of Pi.
For the fairy tales section, a pop-up storybook approach was taken. Among the most arresting visual settings were the five-storey magic castle, a giant tree cultivated from magic beans, and a six-meter-tall rabbit wearing an outfit made solely of flowers.
Another highlight was the lifeboat used in the filming of Life of Pi. Ang Lee is a Taiwanese, and he filmed all ocean-based scenes at a Taichung film facility that has the world’s largest wave-generating pool. He later donated many props to the city of Taichung to be used as tourist draws.
An antique horse-drawn carriage that was formerly used by Generalissimo Chiang Kaishek and Madame Chiang on formal occasions is now a popular set used for wedding shoots and sweetheart poses.
If you’re in need of an energy boost, head for the huge food bazaar where vendors have set up under a large tent. Half of the bazaar is taken up by booths manned by local farming folk selling fresh-from-the-field fruits and vegetables.
Be sure to visit the juice stands – the drinks served are delicious. There is also a budding coffee plantation sector where you can buy freshly packaged beans and sample freshly brewed cups made with the local bean.
The other half of the food bazaar features vendors selling night-market-style snacks and treats, with savoury fried delicacies being the main attraction.
Something uniquely local is the deep-fried Xinshe mushrooms, prepared upon order and served with a sprinkling of salt and pepper – it arrives steamy-hot, chewy and delectable. Everything is of high quality and is appealingly affordable.
Liu said, “Xinshe beckons next year and the year after. Exhibition highlights change every year, making each visit a novel foray. In addition, live performances are staged on weekends throughout the festival, with an emphasis on music concerts.
There are also in-depth local tours offered and your guide will take you to recreational farms in the area, and special packages are designed each year to encourage you to stay at local cottage-style guesthouses, visit the recreation/resort farms, and take in other local tourist attractions.
For more information, visit the official website of the Sea of Flowers in Xinshe Festival, flowersea.asia.edu.tw.