Taitung’s slow pace of life gives this town its unique charm, which leaves visitors with no choice but to take a deep breath and relax. Nestled between the mountains and the sea, Taitung is blessed with an abundance of natural resources. Taitung’s “slow” economy has given life to a natural and authentic way of doing business. In turn, the slow rise of the Slow Economy has helped develop a diverse array of industries and economic activities, which make a trip to Taitung a one-of-a-kind experience.
Taitung is home to a pristine natural environment, an abundance of natural resources, and a diverse array of co-existing ethnic groups. These unique factors have helped shape a slow tourism industry that’s founded on “people and the environment,” which has preserved the original beauty of the natural environment and local culture. The sights, sounds, and tastes of Taitung leave visitors with unforgettable memories. Taitung hopes that people don’t just visit once, but keep coming back to form meaningful connections with the land and the people.
Luye, Taitung, attracts countless fun-seekers every summer. However, Luye isn’t just about hot air balloons. The town also has plenty of tea plantations, which allow visitors to experience the joy of picking their own tea. This fun and educational activity is fun for the whole family and suitable for all ages. A Luye tea-picking tour lasts around two and a half hours and includes a tour of the tea plantation, tea-picking, and tea-tasting. Throw on a straw hat and some gloves, and try to find some tea leaves that are ready to pick (the best ones always have two leaves per bud!). During the tour of the tea plantation, your guide will show you how to spot hidden leafhoppers and green cicadas. After showing you which ones are mature, you’ll get the chance to deepen your understanding of tea leaves by picking some of your own. This tour shares the secrets of tea-making with visitors by explaining and demonstrating the various steps of tea leaf processing, which includes picking, withering, tossing, and rolling. At the end of the tour, you’ll feel grateful and blessed to sit down, steep your own cup of tea, and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Luye is known as Taitung’s “breadbasket” because there’s an abundance of crops and a harvest every season. Luye is a classic farm town because seventy per cent of the people here still work in agriculture. The area’s diverse array of crops makes it a living classroom. Some even compare Luye to an agricultural amusement park. Economically speaking, Luye’s most important crop is tea, especially the world-famous Luye Red Oolong Tea. The area is perfect for growing tea because the southwest of Luye is hilly, which makes the temperature at night and during the day vastly different. Luye’s climate and weather produces very high-quality tea leaves. In addition, the Taitung branch of the Tea and Beverage Research Station partnered with local tea farmers to create a new variety of tea called Red Oolong, which has become one of Taiwan’s specialty teas. After years of hard work promoting Red Oolong, its reputation has gradually spread, making it one of the top gifts that visitors bring back home to their loved ones.
In Luye, there are tea-picking and tea-making events every season. These tours give people that live in cities the chance to get closer to nature, stroll through the fields, talk with locals, listen to their stories about the countryside, and feel just how connected farmers are to the land and their crops. After returning to the farmhouse, visitors get to make their own agricultural products and enjoy tea with their local guides. During the tour, visitors can see the how healthy food is grown and planted, truely experience what food on a farm looks like, get a firsthand understanding of what happens on a farm, learn to cherish and respect everything about the countryside, and relearn what life is really all about. If you want to go on a tea-picking tour, you can find out about the specifics of individual tours and book your spot online. From getting a chance to interact with a tea master to learning how to pick, roll, and properly drink tea, we guarantee that you’ll think this is trip was time well spent.
There’s no time like the present to plan your next vacation. Luye welcomes you to take a tour of a tea plantation, surround yourself with lush mountains, and enjoy a tea-picking experience in the company of the clouds. Picking your own premium tea leaves (remember two leaves per bud!) will give you a deeper understanding of where tea comes from. You’ll also get closer to the land, bring home some of your own hard work, and understand the effort it takes to make tea that goes into each and every cup. Slow down during your next trip, reconnect with the message that Taitung has to offer, and enjoy a relaxing and rejuvenating getaway.
