Picking Tomatos at the You and Me Farm in Taichung (台中市石岡區優恩蜜溫室蔬果觀光果園)
A short visit to a greenhouse farm in Taichung's Shigang District. Yummy tomatos!
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Travel in Taiwan 2019/05-06 (Dana Ter)
Walking away from the highway, we enter a wondrous world with thickets of wild hibiscus plants. Soon I spot the greenhouses of the farm to the right. Entering the grounds, we find the smiling owner, Chiu Shun-jun, brewing Oolong tea. He gets up to greet us, showing us to a wooden table from where you can peer into the first of the greenhouses. Vines droop from the transparent netting-roof of the greenhouse, forming a green arch from which clusters of brilliant yellow cherry tomatoes and stark-hue purple peppers dangle.
A retired military doctor from a Hakka family that lived in Dongshi, the district neighboring Shigang to the east, Chiu started helping friends using hydroponic systems to grow vegetables nearly 30 years ago, before opening his own farm. In the beginning he sold his produce to supermarkets in central Taiwan, but later he realized that operating a leisure farm was more profitable. “I also like to talk to people!” he chuckles.
Approximately 70 to 80 percent of You and Me’s earnings come from tourists. A cover fee of NT$100 is charged for fruit and vegetable picking, with additional charges for every 600 grams of produce picked.
We visit at the end of winter, during the tomato and pepper season, and are to be shown around by Hung Min-fang, a young woman who approaches us wearing a distinctive checkered apron and pushing a cart full of colorful peppers. Noticing our wide-eyed reactions, she explains that six varieties of peppers are grown on the farm: red, green, orange, yellow, purple, and white.
The farm has several greenhouses. Hung leads us into one of the houses, and shows us tomatoes and peppers that have been planted on raised beds, arranged in three tiers. Above the beds are thin black rods used for watering the plants according to a set timer.
“We’re always experimenting with different crops,” Hung tells us. She shows us some of their other winter crops, including corn from a small field behind one of the greenhouses, along with Taiwanese basil, figs, and blueberries, which are planted in pots. There are also apples, turnips, and – most amusing – giant-sized Taiwanese cabbage that are so big and heavy that I would definitely struggle to carry one by myself. Good thing, I think to myself, that I won’t be obliged to do any veggie hauling today as part of my farm experience.
Hung brings out a small red shopping basket, scissors, and a traditional-style Taiwanese conical straw hat. It’s time to pick cherry tomatoes! There are a number to choose from – yellow, red, light green, and dark purple. “The yellow and red ones are the sweetest,” Hung says. She describes how to tell ripe ones from ones that aren’t ready; basically, there shouldn’t be any dark-green coloring on the skin.
I put on the big hat and clutch the basket with one hand, feeling a little silly, like a farmhand depicted in an illustrated book. I’m not as deft with my fingers as Hung is, so I use the scissors to slowly and delicately snip red and yellow cherry tomatoes from their stems, choosing plump-looking ones and standing on my toes to reach tomatoes dangling below the roof.
Ten minutes into the picking, my fingers are a dusty shade of green. I think that maybe I’m not cut out for farm life. “Don’t worry – that’s normal!” Hung laughs reassuringly. We rinse the cherry tomatoes with water and sample a few. I prefer the yellow ones, as they are less acidic than their red counterparts and a pleasant sort of sweet.
The rest of the cherry tomatoes are packed neatly in a tiny, transparent plastic box for me to take home. Outside, a dark-grey cloud cover has settled in, and the tall palms and scraggly banana trees have become gnarly silhouettes. Like curtains coming down on an afternoon play, it’s the perfect end to our visit to Shigang, a place that’s both urban and rural, both tame and wild, and where the people are welcoming – and their tomatoes are lip-smacking good.
You and Me Fruits & Vegetables Tourist Farm
(優恩蜜溫室蔬果觀光果園)
Add: No. 391-10, Fengshi Rd., Shigang Dist., Taichung City
(台中市石岡區豐勢路391之10號)
Tel: (04) 2582-6058
Website: you-ame.myweb.hinet.net (Chinese)
TIME FOR TAIWAN - Hsinchu Glass Festival
2014 brand new English Travel TV series 「Time for Taiwan」 is coming out on 8th August.
All episodes were shot on location to allow audience to experience the beauty of Taiwan. In each episode, our host Michella will travel with one of her foreign friends together to introduce more fun, interesting and fascinating places in Taiwan with different cultural perspective and point of view.
From, 8th August, catch us on channel 57 Formosa News Channel at 11:57PM every Friday, After Formosa English News.
民視FB:
民視Youtube綜藝:
民視Youtube戲劇: 【翁郁容 Michella Jade Weng ミシェラ・オング 粉絲團】
A short trip to the hardly known coastal area of Miaoli County in western Taiwan. Small towns, small railway station, the sea, quiet countryside, and a strange park.
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Music by Isaac Chambers (
Gear used for this video
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Panasonic Lumix GH4:
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PANASONIC LUMIX G Vario Lens, 100-300mm:
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Travel in Taiwan 2017, March/April
(By Steven Crook)
YUANLI
Yuanli is an excellent place to enjoy the morning markets which are still a key feature in urban areas on this island. Less than 100m from Yuanli Railway Station, the block bordered by Weigong, Tianxia, Datong, and Jianguo roads is crammed full of vendors.
Some sell vegetables, others fabrics, others prepared food. The range of hot and cold snacks is enticing. One especially popular option is the glutinous pork-filled disks at Jinguang Meatballs (open daily 8am to 9:30pm).
Jinguang Meatballs (金光肉圓)
Add: No. 80, Tianxia Rd., Yuanli Township, Miaoli County
(苗栗縣苑裡鎮天下路80號)
TONGXIAO
One stop and six minutes north of Yuanli is Tongxiao. Stopping here is recommended, as both fresh-air lovers and history buffs can indulge their passions at Hutoushan Park.
First, you’ll come to the remains of a Shinto shrine built in 1937 by the Japanese authorities then ruling Taiwan. After World War II it was preserved by the Chinese Nationalist government, which had reclaimed Taiwan in 1945, but rededicated to heroes of the Republic of China (ROC). Despite post-earthquake modifications since carried out, which reflect postwar political correctness, the site retains considerable elegance.
A little further up, what was once a military lookout post is now shaded by an immense concrete lotus. The lotus flower is a Buddhist symbol of purity, so this is perhaps an attempt to counter the site’s military atmosphere with peaceful sentiments.
At the very top of the hill is a monument that since 1945 has served as a celebration of Taiwan’s return to the Chinese fold, but which was originally erected by the Japanese to mark a crucial moment in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05.
XINPU
Some might think there’s nothing to see at Xinpu but the station itself, a quaint 1922 wooden structure. But they’d be wrong.
Known to rail enthusiasts on the island as the location of one of the stations closest to the sea, Xinpu is a splendid place to stop if you want to feel sea breezes. Here, as at several other spots along Miaoli’s coastline, there are boardwalks and bicycle paths.
There’s also a rather odd park called Qiumao Garden, 350m south of the station. Its garish yet cutesy statues – among them are representations of ROC founder Dr. Sun Yat-sen, Daoist deity Guan Gong, and the entire cast of Journey to the West – are clearly visible from passing trains. Kids will enjoy the slides and concrete animals.
BAISHATUN
Baishatun enjoys island-wide fame of sorts, thanks to Gongtian Temple and the annual pilgrimage that begins and ends here. Like the better-known festival that kicks off down the coast at Dajia Zhenlan Temple, it’s an expression of the Taiwanese people’s adoration of Mazu, the Goddess of the Sea. In 2011, this pilgrimage was declared a national intangible cultural asset by the central government.
ZHUNAN
It’s impossible not to notice the immense statue of a stern-looking, burgundy-skinned man, naked from the waist up. His head is 156m above street level, making this representation of Shennong, the Chinese God of Agriculture and putative inventor of herbal medicine, the largest religious icon in the region.The statue sits atop Wugu Temple, inside which you’ll find other effigies of Shennong. He’s easy to recognize, because he’s invariably depicted holding sprigs of millet in his right hand. Another of his names, Wugushen, means God of the Five Grains.
Getting There:
Taking a train from Taichung Railway Station to Yuanli takes about 70 minutes (NT$79); from Yuanli to Zhunan takes about 45 minutes (NT$61). If you want to get from Zhunan to Miaoli THSR Station, take a train to Fengfu Railway Station (10 min.; NT$16), which is next to the THSR station.
The stations between Yuanli and Zhunan are not far apart from each other, but as the gap between services on this stretch of railroad often exceeds an hour, do carry a schedule of train times. This information can be found on the TRA’s bilingual website, railway.gov.tw.
Gongtian Temple 拱天宮
Houlong 後龍
Hutoushan Park 虎頭山公園
Qiumao Garden 秋茂園
Shennong 神農
Tongxiao 通霄
Wugu Temple 五穀宮
Wugushen 五谷神
Xinpu 新埔
Yuanli 苑裡
Zhunan 竹南
Dalongdong Baoan Temple, Taiwan ROC 中華民國.
The Dalongdong Baoan Temple, Taiwan ROC 中華民國.
Busan - Convenience Stores, Grocery Stores and Pharmacy Stores (TRAVEL GUIDE) | Episode# 12
Busan Convenience stores, Grocery Stores, and Pharmacy guide for new visitors to Busan, South Korea is covered in this travel guide by Hipfig.
1). Information on Convenience Stores in Busan like local stores, GS25, CU etc.
2). Information on Busan Grocery Stores like Lotte Mart, SSG Market, e-Mart etc.
3). Information on Street Markets called Shijang in Busan like one in Jagalchi Shijang.
4). Information on Pharmacy stores in Busan, South Korea.
5). Tips for Busan travelers for locating and using Busan Convenience, Pharmacy and Grocery Stores (Busan travel guide)
►S U B S C R I B E:
►Official Hipfig Travel-Channel Website:
►F A C E B O O K:
►T W I T T E R:
#Hipfig #Busan #Stores #Market #travel #tourism #traveltips #Shijang
Mountain river in Alishan, Chiayi county, Western Taiwan - PART 2
offers: Mountain river in Alishan, Chiayi county, Western Taiwan - PART 2
Biking Taiwan Weekend Leisure Bike Ride~ Feng Yuan
Jingshi Building
Set in Chaoyang District, the Jingshi Building is a perfect base while in Beijing.
Attractions near the Jingshi Building include the Beihang University Gymnasium, Beijing National Stadium and Beijing Exhibition Center. Beijing National Indoor Stadium, Beijing National Aquatics Center and Ying Tung Natatorium can be reached with a 20 minute drive. The centre of Beijing is 20 minutes away by car. Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) is a 40 minute drive from the hotel. China Agricultural University Gym, Beijing Science and Technology University Gymnasium and Beijing Aquarium are under 10 minutes away by car.