Hsinchu Sugar Culture and Dried Persimmon Experience from Taipei

After meeting your tour guide, you will set off for Miaoli and Hsinchu, the rural areas in northern Taiwan. Just sit back, relax and enjoy the 2-hour ride to the countryside of Taiwan. The first stop is Chiuhu Terrace in Tongluo, Miaoli County. Every year in November, the chrysanthemums are in full bloom and cover the whole terrace, turning it into a gorgeous carpet of yellow and white, and of course, offer great photo opportunities. Tongluo is the biggest planting site for chrysanthemums in Taiwan because of the mild climate and the fertile soil. Walking through the farmland, in addition of being able to appreciate the pastoral charm, the fresh and uplifting aroma given off by the chrysanthemums will relax and refresh your mind. In Taiwan, chrysanthemums are often used to add color, flavor and nutrition to the food, or make herbal tea. Besides, the chrysanthemum liquor has been launched in recent years, which can be a great choice for souvenir.

In addition to the chrysanthemums, Miaoli County is also known for the only place that grows red dates (jujubes) in Taiwan. Red dates are commonly included in Chinese herbal medicine formulas to treat people with digestive disorders, skin problems, fatigue, etc. Because red dates are rich in iron, they also help replenish blood and improve blood circulation. At lunchtime, you will enjoy a healthy and tasty lunch made with red dates to satisfy your autumn appetite and warm you up in this season.

Xincheng Community in Baoshan used to be an important sugar-producing area in northern Taiwan. Today, it has been reformed into a leisure park to introduce the local sugar industry from seed to feed. Sugarcane is one of the most important cash crops in Taiwan’s early days, and it brought income and employment opportunities to the rural areas. Through the workshop at Xincheng Fengtang Leisure Park, you will learn about the development of the sugar industry in Taiwan, and also experience the genuine rural life with a hands-on activity of sugarcane harvesting, including reaping and juicing.

Since you are in Taiwan during the autumn, it’s hard to ignore this bright, red-orange fruit in season. Before the end of the tour, you will visit Wei Wei Jia Persimmon Tourist Farm in Xinpu, Hsinchu County, which is well-known for making dried persimmons. The sunlight shinning on the golden-yellow peeled persimmons on the drying racks offers great photo opportunities for photographers, making the farm one of the most Instagrammable places in Taiwan during this season. In addition to feeding your social media accounts and wowing your audience with amazing photos, here you will learn about the process of making dried persimmons in a traditional way, see how the golden-yellow peeled persimmons turn into the sweet red-orange snacks served on the table. Whether you are a fan of persimmons or not, a visit to the persimmon farm during the autumn time will embellish your journey! After the fun and educational rural day tour, you will take a 1-hour ride back and arrive Taipei around 17:30.