Gongliao Rice Terraces Agricultural Experience Volunteering – 07/13

鄭翔中
Jun 3, 2024
2 min read

Updated: Feb 7

🌿 About Gongliao

Hidden between mountains and rivers, the century-old Gongliao Rice Terraces in New Taipei City preserve a unique landscape often overlooked by visitors heading to Fulong Beach or Longdong. While the Northeast Coast is known for its coastal beauty, this rich and fertile land in the mountains holds a history worth exploring.

The rice terraces serve as a natural water reservoir, supporting rare and endangered species. However, as rural populations age and decline, not only are traditional farming techniques fading, but also the deep-rooted coexistence between people and the land is slowly disappearing.

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🌱 About TASTE

TASTE started in Bali’s Subak system, where we learned how this UNESCO World Heritage site embodies a harmonious balance between people, land, and spiritual traditions through its terraced farming. Now, as we step into Gongliao, we see the same values reflected in these rice terraces, despite being thousands of kilometers apart.

To further support this cultural and ecological treasure, we are partnering with the REN Foundation (Environment & Ethics Development Foundation) to design a 2-day, 1-night immersive volunteer experience. The REN Foundation has collaborated with 15 local farming families to protect 19 fields, creating a haven for over 1,000 species—a truly hidden gem of Taiwan.

🌾 About the Experience

🌿 Walk Through the Rice Terraces

Local community members will guide us through the rice terraces, one of the few remaining in Taiwan. The landscape is rich in biodiversity, and if you're lucky, you might spot a Chinese torrent loach or a Taiwan freshwater crab in the irrigation streams. While animals like crab-eating mongooses, barking deer, masked palm civets, and wild boars are harder to encounter, you may hear the barking deer’s call at night or catch a glimpse of one disappearing into the forest.

🍲 Authentic Rural Cuisine

Enjoy farm-to-table meals prepared by local women using fresh, homegrown ingredients. Everything is handpicked, homemade, and full of local flavors. More than just a meal, this is an opportunity to experience the warmth of Taiwanese rural hospitality, as the women proudly introduce their signature dishes with enthusiasm.。