The Jhong Shan Agriculture Leisure Area

The chirps of birds and insects in the mountains are the most gentle and beautiful celestial sound in early summer while the fragrance of tea trees and pomelo flowers accompanied by the life of Riley in the countryside allow visitors to retrieve a simple awareness of nature.

Located at the upper reaches of the Dongshan River, tea and pomelo trees are the main crops grown in the Jhong Shan Agriculture Leisure Area. Besides the fruit farms, the mountainous regions are mostly covered with forest reserves. The mountain’s complete greenery has also provided a quality venue for eco-tours within Yilan County.
Many experience-based leisure activities have been developed by local farmers by integrating agricultural production with rural life and natural ecosystems in recent years. The Jhong Shan Agriculture Leisure Area invites visitors to experience the pastoral charm of Jhong Shan.

Created by Zhang Qing Lai, the “godfather of Taiwan’s leisure farm”, “Shangrila Leisure Farming” is the first stop where tourists should visit to get to know Yilan better. While introducing his farm, Xhang Qing Lai walked close to the gate, picked up a pair of steel tongs to stir the charcoal fire in the brazier and said, “This fire, symbolizing the culture, humanity, care, and enthusiasm of Shangrila Farm, has never gone out since the establishment of the farm in 1988.
To recapture the wonderful atmosphere of the rural village in the past, a wooden board that reads, “serving tea” was set up at the farm gate to present the generous hospitality provided. Integrated with a traditional rustic cultural event, the farm holds lively folk activities where “Wang Lai”, the techno prince, greets the guests every evening. Firecrackers are set off along with the performance of carrying the sedan chair. Visitors are also encouraged to join the spinning top competition and other activities, such as making tangyuan, releasing the flying lanterns, and enjoying the hand puppet show as though they were brought back to the boisterous scene at a temple front in the countryside like former times. The large ground at the back of the farm allows visitors to climb up to the drum-tower along the trail. In addition to climbing the height to enjoy a distant view of the Lanyang Plain, visitors can also beat the drum heroically or roar into the air. For DIY enthusiasts, don’t miss out on the bamboo cicada, colored drawing on a reusable bag, making tofu pudding, and glove puppetry painting DIY programs.

In an environment where many delicacies and gourmet foods are promoted, the “Yijiachun Ma Ma Tien Macrobiotic Restaurant” develops its own macrobiotic meals for a balanced diet by making use of the homegrown pharmaceutical plants and superb culinary skills. When dining in the “Yijiachun Ma Ma Tien Macrobiotic Restaurant”, visitors can enjoy the pleasant phytocide offered by primitive nature and the uncommon fine dishes made with pharmaceutical plants such as India-charcoal Trema, Red Vine Spinach, and Chinese Violet. Exclamations of enjoyment are always heard across the room as diners put food into their mouths with chopsticks and eagerly ask “Ma Ma Tien” for the name of the dish. Therefore, a unique dining experience is guaranteed. Having participated in Ma Ma Tien’s training for 17 years, the Shen Shu Hui couple and their sons returned to their hometown and joined the management team. Through constant improvements in cooking techniques and dedication to understanding exquisite dishes using native ingredients, their restaurant became a popular example of gourmet food in the Jhong Shan Agriculture Leisure Area. The signature health-preserving dish for a balanced diet is famous for its astounding colors. The dishes are served randomly from the ten main signature dishes including the cold five-colored dish, anka pig knuckle, mountain sea perch steamed with fermented tofu, sweet potato served with India-charcoal Trema, five-colored sweet rice dumplings in fermented rice soup, etc. to create a sense of surprise for the customers. The side dishes that are served with the main courses are also outstanding, including the fermented tofu pickled with bromelin that has sold up to 2000 cans per year and is a must-buy gift. The refreshing and mouthwatering green papaya salad seasoned with homegrown passion fruit is also a popular and highly requested meal.

At the entrance of the “Neishan Tea Plantation” is a barrier defense hut that rises from the ground and becomes the most eye-catching landmark in the Jhong Shan Agriculture Leisure Area. The barrier defense cottage is a military post built by the resident’s ancestors with large wood for the purpose of deterring foreign invasion. The members of the Jhong Shan Agriculture Leisure Area reconstructed the barrier defense cottage on the original spot, which also reflects the camphor hut inside the Ren Shan Botanical Garden. Covering an area of 0.5 hectares, over the past 15 years, the Neishan Tea Plantation has taken the initiative to popularize the pomelo tree and invites visitors to come for fruit picking. These are small businesses that are operated by the keeper, Long Jin Fu, including tea planting and tea making. According to Long Jin Fu, the luscious and delicate pomelo fruits grown on the 150 pomelo trees on his farm are all his precious harvests. Since the pomelos were only used for cultivating instead of selling, he decided to invite visitors to visit the farm to enjoy fruit picking activities. Pomelo scented green tea is naturally produced along with the massive planting of pomelos. A layer of green tea and fresh pomelo blossoms are spread on the roasting board and through roasting at a low temperature, the fragrance of pomelo blossoms is fully absorbed by the tea leaves. Therefore, the drink becomes aromatic and enchanting. Visitors can also participate in the health-preserving pomelo lei-cha DIY program through which green teas and pomelo flowers are fried and cooked with peanuts, almonds, and sesame before being poured into a large mortar for mashing with a pestle. Then, the pomelo-flavored green tea powder, puffed rice, and hot water are added for brewing until the sweet smell and oil are pounded out of the mix. What is more pleasant than savoring the DIY crispy tea-flavored crackers and pomelo vinegar served with pomelo blossom scented green tea while enjoying the gentle breeze that drafts smoothly through the air?

Adjacent to the Ren Shan Botanical Garden and Xinliao Waterfall, the “San Fu Leisure Farm” is blessed with excellent geographical surroundings. In addition to the large organic pomelo garden, the farm is prolific in diverse biological resources and small animals such as frogs, parrots, geese, ducks, and owls can be seen and enjoyed within the area. This area is particularly suitable for going on a family trip. The experience programs including seasonal handmade jam, optical kaleidoscope DIY, handmade book DIY, food and agricultural experiments, and nighttime ecological observations provided by the farm are popular for both adults and children. The silhouette of birds like the mallard, red-faced muscovy duck, and monk parrot can be found in the purple house forest garden next to the poolside. It is also a scenic spot for birdwatching. When the birdwatching season arrives every April, the rarely seen fairy pitta, oriolus traillii, and black-naped blue monarch fly to the San Fu Leisure Farm, attracting birdwatching enthusiasts to seek their whereabouts. While implementing environmental and ecological conservation, fireflies are also attracted to the farm for inhabitation and reproduction. Months April and May mark the firefly season. The tiny fireflies are like hand lantern elves that fly among the underbrush and branches. The glittering embellishment that lights up the night of the mountain area seems as if the stars above the sky have fallen to the Earth.

Established in 1978, the “Shyang Yeu Organic Farm” offers a tea making program for visitors. Aside from savoring handmade snacks and enjoy conversations with the owner, visitors can also put on a tea plucking suit to pick tea and learn about the process of tea making in the plantation. “Many tourists tended to resist the idea of tea plucking upon seeing the scorching sun outside before going out into the field. However, they were having so much fun that they quickly forgot about it as they entered the tea garden and harvested the one-tip two-leaf sprouts”, said Liu Xiang Qun, the owner of the Shyang Yeu Organic Farm, while laughing. After picking fresh tea leaves, the first step is to go through the withering process. Then, the visitors can put on cloth gloves and begin stir drying the tea leaves by hand for five minutes until the smell of the tea plant is fully eliminated before they finally start rolling and roasting the tea. By following the steps of tea making, visitors will be able to taste the organic green tea that they have made with their own hands. The green tea-flavored dragon's beard candy DIY program is also available. Without instructions given by a master, Liu Xiang Qun bought maltose and has learned to develop the dragon's beard candy production technique by trial and error until the Shyang Yeu Organic Farm became the first to instruct the making of dragon's beard candy in Taiwan. Liu Xiang Qun welcomes visitors to come to develop learning skills and enjoy sampling tea.

Lin Wen Long, the owner of the “Oriental Green Organic Farm” had was initially engaged in a clothing business before he returned to his hometown and took over the pomelo orchard from his father in the 1990s. He then adopted organic farming techniques, renovated the old farmhouse to run B&B lodgings, developed recreational agriculture by heading towards the six-grade industry that involves the synergism of agricultural products, and processed products and services. With the expectation of teaching consumers how to understand natural and burden-free cleaning products, Oriental Green harvests pomelo fruits and blossoms to produce harmless products and offers essential oil extraction DIY and handmade cypress chopsticks DIY programs by making use of its own pomelo orchard. The farm also applies itself to building its own brand of merchandise, such as the magical tea tree oil soap bar that has become the favorite of tourists from Hong Kong and Japan. This allows consumers to understand that “Taiwan also has the strength to manufacture quality essential oil products”. With the experience of once operating as the director of the Jhong Shan Agriculture Leisure Area Development Association, Lin Wen Long spares no effort in organizing the integration of public affairs within the area and promoting organic cultivation. While also taking the initiative in participating in domestic and foreign marketing campaigns, Lin Wen Long expects the Jhong Shan Agriculture Leisure Area to become a global organic health village.