Reconstruction through ecotourism at Taomi Eco-Village

By Cheryl Robbins

       Today, the hottest global trend in travel is ecotourism, as urban dwellers look for opportunities to come in contact with nature. Taiwan is no exception, as demonstrated by the community of Taomi, in Nantou County's Puli Town, which is offering ecotourism adventures led by local guides.

      This community, nestled in the beautiful green hills between Puli and Sun Moon Lake off of Provincial Highway 21, was originally an agricultural village and, thus, escaped much of the overbuilding and development of more populated areas. Its natural beauty includes lush vegetation, bamboo forests, wetlands, rolling hills, waterfalls and crystal-clear rivers.

      The devastating earthquake of September 21, 1999, caused the collapse or partial collapse of about 60 percent of the community¡¦s buildings, including many homes. Residents were faced with destruction of most of their community, plus the threat to their livelihoods, due to Taiwan¡¦s entry into the WTO and the subsequent importation of cheaper agricultural products. Therefore, they looked for a way to revive their community¡¦s economy.

      They turned to the New Homeland Foundation (·s¬G¶m¤å±Ð°òª÷·|), an organization committed to community reconstruction in central Taiwan, for advice. During meetings between representatives of the New Homeland Foundation and community residents, the idea for an eco-village began to take shape and, with help from local university professors, several of the local farmers began to learn about the natural resources and ecosystems of this area. Today, they are certified ecotour guides.

      Liu Ming-huan (¼B©úÀô) was one of those that made the transition from farmer to ecotour guide and now also runs a guesthouse on his property¡Xone of seven guesthouses that have emerged in Taomi since the 921 Earthquake. Liu notes that, including himself, there are about 11 certified ecotour guides in Taomi. Their purpose is to relate the concepts of ecology, ecosystems and living in harmony with nature.

      On our tour, he showed us a major Taomi attraction--a natural wetlands park. This park includes a suspension bridge, arched bridge, dragonfly ride and covered theater for lectures and other events--all built from locally harvested bamboo by the community residents themselves. We also visited the community¡¦s elementary school, which is the location of a water play area and aquatic garden, created along the banks of a natural stream. At each location, Liu explained the various ecological features, such as the plants and trees and their usages, as well as their importance to the local ecosystem.

      Bamboo sculptures of local wildlife, created by community artists, can be seen next to embankments that were made using environmentally friendly materials, such as stones that tumbled down the hillsides during the 921 Earthquake and a subsequent typhoon. Residents of the community are also developing a museum, set to open in April of next year, devoted to explaining the reconstruction process of Taomi.

      Liu says that, in the summer months of July and August, about 1,000 tourists per month visited Taomi. However, to protect the natural surroundings and the tranquility of this community, it has imposed limits on the number of tours. Even on weekends, the number of visitors is restricted to two tour busloads, or about 80 people, at any one time.

      Liu notes that it is possible to explore the natural resources of Taomi on your own but, to make the most of your visit and really appreciate what you are seeing, it is best to hire one of Taomi¡¦s ecotour guides. However, these tours are only available in Mandarin and Taiwanese. For other languages, groups will need to bring along a translator. An ecotour guide can be hired for half a day for NT$1,200 per group or for a full day for NT$2,000 per group.

      Taomi has come a long way in rebuilding and reinventing itself. While it received government financial assistance and professional help from the New Homeland Foundation and academics, it was the motivation of community residents that has led to the successful transformation of Taomi into a thriving eco-village.

      To arrange for a tour, call Liu Ming-huan at 0933-179-107. His guesthouse is located at 29-6, Taomi Lane, Taomi Community, Puli Town, Nantou County (®H¨½Âí®ç¦Ì¨½®ç¦Ì«Ñ29-6¸¹) (tel: 049-291-3389). For more information about the New Homeland Foundation, visit its website at www.homeland.org.tw or e-mail land0921@ms41.hinet.net. This organization can also be reached by telephone at (049) 242-2003.

Getting There:

By Car: From Taichung, take the Taichung-Nantou Expressway and exit at Tsaotun (Chaotun) (¯ó¤Ù). Follow the signs to Sun Moon Lake. After passing Puli Town, look for entrance signs to the Taomi Eco-Village.

By Bus: From Puli take a Fengrong Transportation Company (Â׺a«È¹B) bus toward Sun Moon Lake and get off at Taomi. For a current bus schedule, contact the Fengrong Transportation Company at (049) 277-4609.