Wandering in Mt. Liushidan, Daylily Picking and Tea Tasting in Tea Garden

Since international trips are not possible this year, come join us to Daylily Festival in Fuli, Hualien and enjoy the scenery in Taiwan! The views are no less beautiful than those abroad!

Along the south bound rail, the train running at high speed enables passengers to have the scenie views on east coast. The splendid mountain views and the scenery of the endless Pacific ocean as well as pads of green rice fields in the East Rift Valley can really delight people! Arriving at the destination, Fuli Train Station, passengers will immediately feel the quality air on the east coast when getting off the train. Fuli Train Station and the rice fields merge into one and the lovely scenery is rarely seen in cities.

Getting on the train driving to Mt. Liushidan, passengers have the most beautiful scenery in Hualien and Taitung along the way. The whole splendid scenery of East Rift Valley is in front of you when the train moves upward along with the mountain road, together with beautiful rice fields and the rays of sun coming out from behind the clouds make it deserve the name, “Little Switzerland”.

The first stop is having lunch at Tiezhanggui. Here you can have meals made with vegetables in season and dishes made by local materials such as free ranch chickens, or deep fried daylilies which are feature dishes or the cold dish of pineapples with raw gingers is a must order for summer because it quenches our thirst and dispels the heat. Come here to savor the dishes and enjoy the panoramic view of Mt. Liushidan.

The following is the highlight of this tour, to pick daylilies. Following the paths in the daylily fields and looking for the buds that are yet blossoms, tourists will find the snapping sound super healing when folding the daylilies. During picking, tourists can also appreciate the lovely mountain views!

A friendly reminder, no free picking or entrance to the daylily fields here in Mt. Liushidan. Here is the flower watching area reserved or planted by local small-holder farmers. Make a reservation with farmers if you want to pick daylilies!

The color of daylilies we had at lunch seemed to be different from those I saw before. I wonder why some edible daylilies are yellowish and some are brown. The female owner said because of the rise of health awareness in recent years, the dried daylilies are made by sulfur free method so that the color looks darker than those made by traditional sulfur smoke, the mouth feel is softer and there is more damage and loss in the making process. Choosing the sulfur free daylilies are for health concern and to support the ideal daylily farmers.

The owner also taught us some skills of picking daylily. The one day flower (the buds bloom next day) are to harvest for convenience and less pollens. Selecting the buds that are already golden yellowish and fold it from the end of the bud.

Do you know Mt. Liushidan also produces tea? Because of the unique geological and climatic conditions, tea from Mt. Liushidan doesn’t yield to others. This time we came tea picking in Longan Factory which is at the elevation of 900 meters and located by the daylily fields. The colors of green and yellow make a unique scenery.
Take your basket and go get plucking tea leaves! The key is to pick the tender leaves, so called “one-tip, two-leaf”. We saw the tea jassids which used to be regarded as pests in tea gardens, but later people found the tea made by tea leaves nibbed by tea jassids carries special floral scents which become important feature of many kinds of tea such as the famous oriental beauty or honey black tea. To maintain such ecology, pesticides are not allowed to use and it requires more efforts to make quality tea with sweet aftertaste!

When we arrived at the tea factory, the owner introduced the tea making process and told us each kind of tea requires difference treatments. Partially fermented tea and oolong require stir fixation, rolling and hot air drying. While black tea doesn’t require stir fixation, but rolling before fermentation and hot air drying. Each step demands meticulous attention to ensure each cup of tea has the sweet aftertaste.

Finally we visited where the daylily is hot air dried. Because it features sulfur-free dried daylilies, which necessitates machines for hot air drying. Though it takes longer, yet the consumers’ health is priceless. Next time when you buy daylilies, ask if they are sulfur free to make sure what you eat is healthy and natural!

Tea tasting is a must when you come to a tea factory. The female owner made the tea for us, from pouring water, steeping to filtering, time for each move was deliberately calculated so that when tasting tea, we could also feel the care. The fragrance and sweet aftertaste are strong so it tastes even better when it cools down.

Since you are here in Mt. Liushidan, don’t waste the time in the early morning. Get going to Shanlan Pavilion to enjoy the morning view. It was cool in the morning and not crowded on the way to or in the popular tourist attractions.We highly recommend to seize the morning to stroll around.

Desen Organic Farm is a farm growing daylily located on Mt. Liushidan. Their passion for the Earth motivates them the guard this land so they insist on not using pesticides but the mineral oil with pepper water to protect the fragile daylilies!
Must try the daylily Popsicle when you are here. The taste of daylily and the brown sugar really dispels the heat. And I bet you’ll want one Popsicle after another.

You must visit Fuli Farmers’ Association when you are here. It is a conspicuous landmark which easily catches your eyes when you pass by it because on its roof top is a bead of shiny rice ornament and the unique umbrella roof in the square. Walking into the supermarket in the farmers’ association, you will see the display of an abundance of products which are the local produce of the best quality in Fuli.

You can also try the special dishes in Fuli in the farmers’ association. You will savor 9 local goodies in Fuli, in an interesting 9-grid bento box, such as the sulfur-free daylily or the chewy rice in Fuli which are popular agricultural produce in Fuli. A bento with the quality food materials which are both healthy and tasty.

Daylily in Mt. Liushidan blooms around late August to early September. You may arrange a few days to experience the bucolic and leisure life here. A 2-day-1-night tour includes many agricultural experiences that are fun and informative and you will find it worthy.

Add: No. 26, Yunmin Rd., Zhutian Village, Hualien County
Tel: 03-8821670

Add: Mt. Liushidan No. 22, Wannin Village, Fuli Township, Hualien County
Tel: 0932-653125

Add: No. 8, 25th Neighborhood, Zutien Village, Fuli Township, Hualien County
Tel: 03-882-1665, 0927-692165

Add: Tonghu No.6, 9th Neighborhood, Fuli Township, Hualien County
Tel: 03-8821705