My Journal to the Scenic Zhaomen Leisure Agricultural Area, a Hakka Community

Zhaomen Leisure Agricultural Area locates in the valley full of subcostate crape myrtles and ponds, the Hakka people team worked with their ingenuity and built such a beautiful place it were as if a paradise. Come strolling and hiking around, tourists can appreciate the views of deciduous cypress and tung flowers as well as relish the local dishes, make toys and pick fruits.

The owner of “Pitangwuo Nature Farm”, Liukui HUANG, directed the pond water to build 4 ecological ponds in the wasted paddies, as well as the strolling paths by the ponds. Many aquatic and endemic plants are carefully cultivated on the farm. Butterflies and horn beetles are everywhere in summer time. Hundreds of horn beetles rest on the Formosan Ashes by the roads, and visitors can watch them at a close distance. Moreover, there is introduction of aiyu jelly and DIY aiyu jelly washing, tourists are taught to wash the gel from the seeds by hands, and they can savor the yummy aiyu jelly right away.
◆ Tel: 03-5890261, 0933-975097
◆ Add: Lake Jiuqiong No. 2, 5th Neighborhood, Zhaomen Village, Xinpu Twnship, Xinchu County

The Authentic Ambrosa from the Wildness
The smell of roasted chicken emanating from the woods is tempting. “The Lius’ Braised Chicken” on “Jiyue Trail” has a history of 10 some years and draws tourists here to savor the food. The owner, Huazhu LIU, chooses the home grown free-ranch chickens weighing more than 2.7kg to season with scallions, onions and his secret recipe, puts everything into a tailored made iron cask, and roasts the chicken with wood fire for an hour so to get the scrumptious braised chicken. He revealed the key of tender texture and crispy chicken skin lies in pouring the chicken oil over the charcoals and the heat from the abrupt fire makes the skin more crispy and golden brown. The best way to eat is to dip the skin with pepper salt, and the meat with gravy. Mr. LIU also recommends the “braised bamboo shoots”, tofu wrapped by fried soy milk film, “crispy tofu roll” made by pork floss and parsley.
◆ Tel: 03-5890709, 0935-327636
◆ Add: Lake Jiuqiong No. 16-2, 6th Neighborhood, Zhaomen Village, Xinpu Township, Xinchu County

Jiufu trail leads to “The Chens’ Leisure Farm”. The farm owner, Xinyuan CHEN recognized by Shennong Award is good at obtaining local materials and makes sorts of toys to the patrons. The bamboo twigs, and the seeds of Pongamia are turned into bird whistle in bird or butterfly shapes. They are lovely and interesting that catch the adults and kids’ attention. Come here to have authentic Hakka dishes during the lunch time, and try the DIY chewy mochi made from a bowl of sticky rice. If you are interested in western creative dishes, the cafeteria on the farm serves fried rice and the pizza flavored by Hakka mochi which is sweet and salty. On holidays, make a reservation in advance for DIY pizza and filling your own stomachs.
◆ Tel: 003-5890034, 0937-811956, 03-5899581 (the cafeteria)
◆ Add: Lake Jiuqiong No. 24, 29, 6th Neighborhood, Zhaomen Village, Xinpu Township, Xinchu County (the cafeteria)
◆ Official Website:http://bit.ly/2uB3K4e
◆ Fan Page:http://bit.ly/2UDwJ27

“Chou Family’s Farm” in the forests is the first theme farm featuring hawthorns in Taiwan. The owner, Mr. Shaozheng CHOU said fresh hawthorns taste sour and astringent. The sweet taste comes from sun exposure for 5 to 7 days and blown by the unique wind of September in Xinpu, Xinchu. There are big and small hawthorns, the small ones are for sugarcoated haws on a stick, and the big ones for sugar coating or marinating. Most people can’t recognize hawthorns or didn’t taste it, so Mr. CHOU provided DIY hawthorn and konjac activity and took the tourists to find the sweet and sour taste in their memories. He also developed hawthorn tea, hawthorn ice cream and honey-dew hawthorn vinegar in hope to bring a variety of flavors to more people. There are also a variety of fruit trees on the farm, such as pitaya and pyrus pyrifolia in summer, pomelo, persimmon, grapefruit in autumn, and the various kinds of citruses in winter. Visitors can enjoy the fun of fruit picking and also adopt citrus trees.
◆ Tel: 03-5890771, 0953-898355, 0937-120200
◆ Add: Lake Jiuqiong No. 18, 6th Neighborhood, Zhaomen Village, Xinpu Township, Xinchu County
◆ Official Website:http://bit.ly/2vWvZL5
◆ Fan Page:http://bit.ly/2OHNRA2

“The Golden Valley Farm” carries nursery stocks of flowers, ornamental plants, various pots and supplies for planting as well as organic soil for one stop shopping of plants and gardening supplies . The farm owner, Liuzhen HUANG, has farming experiences, and he is happy to share what he had learned with visitors. He said, many plant lovers came to Golden Valley and found it a treasure trove for rare plants. Tourists can rest by the pond, “Mingchi” at the center of the garden. The view of lakes and mountains is within the sight. “Jiufu Path” is an easy hike behind the garden, tourists can watch the tung flowers falling down in spring and summer, arrays of deciduous cypress changing color in autumn and winter.
◆ Tel: 03-5899625, 0932-915270
◆ Add: Lake Jiuqiong No. 15-1, 6th Neighborhood, Zhaomen Village, Xinpu Township, Xinchu County