Every early summer is the season when lotus blooms. We can see lotus from the north to the south and they attract crowds of visitors to take photos and check in to Facebook places. There are also avid photographers waiting in the sweltering day to catch the beauty of lotus.
The well known scenic spots to see lotus are Baihe in the south and Guanyin ion the north. Since it’s now summer vacation, those dwelling in the north can simply visit “Lotus Park Leisure Agriculture Area “in Guanyin, Taoyuan. There are dozens of leisure farms and lotus gardens growing lotus. If you are interested to see beautiful lotus, savor the lotus meals and lotus shaved ice or sit on the royal water lily, don’t miss the scenic spots recommended in this article.
How to tell Lotus from Water Lily?
The scientific name of lotus is nymphaea nelumbo, and they refer to the same kind of flower. But lotus and water lily are different. The leaves of the lotus is above the water and round shaped without crevasse while the leaves of water lily lie on the water and there are crevasses.
Many parts of the lotus are edible such as lotus seeds and lotus roots. As for water lily, there are many colorful species and one of them, the royal water lily, has huge leaves that can hold a person up. They are so distinctive that lotus is often viewed as food and water lily the plant for appreciation.
Lotus Park Leisure Agriculture Area
It is a rural farming area along the coast in the suburbs of Guanyi, Taoyuan city, and it is known for the lotus plantation. At the end of the lotus season, farmers will dig out the roots. Other produce such as red bayberry, melons and gourds, rice, flowers and vegetables are all available in the region. There are scenic spots in the neighborhood such as Baishajia Lighthouse, Ganquan Temple, Algal Reef Conservation Area, Yongan Fishing Harbor and farm ponds, so it is ideal for a half day or a full day tour.
Lin Jia Ancient House Leisure Farm
Lin Jia Ancient House Leisure Farm is one of the best places to see lotus flowers in Lotus Park Leisure Agriculture Area. The ancient house which is more than 100 years old is an historic artifact with one main space and 4 hulungs, or auxiliary rooms set off to the left and right of the main compound (separated by an open-air pathway), and the antique entrance brings the visitors back to those days in the rural villages.
Walking into the ancient house and following the passage with wine urns by the side to the leisure farm, we were as if entering a bucolic space. There is a big water lily pond in Lin Jia Ancient House. Other facilities such as indoor and outdoor dining areas, cooking pits and outdoor seating area as well as the lotus field are also on the farm.
There are many water lilies grown in the pond, and tourists can take pictures from the terrace. The water lilies swing with the wind. Sitting here and enjoying the view is entrancing.
Visitors can choose to dine inside or alfresco. To get close to nature, you can choose the outdoor area; to avoid interruption or disturbance, dining indoors is a good option.
There are plenty of seats in the outdoor dining space to accommodate group visitors or more people. The thick gourd shed and vines covering overhead shield the heat and provide coolness for heat haters.
In the back of the water lily pond are other species and lotus flowers. The lovely ducks by the pond waddling and swimming around is a very healing view.
Daku Brook nearby is the main river in Daku village. The water was seriously contaminated due to the development of industrialization in the early days; the lotus species grown in Baihe, Tainan were therefore introduced to improve the water quality. The lotus plantation not only stabilizes the water quality but makes it a renowned scenic spot.
There are troughs like steps in the river so to allow schools of fish to swim upstream, and a lot of fish swim against the current to the upstream to lay eggs.
In the back of the farm, there is a cooking pit and BBQ area for a maximum of 200 people. It is good for group visitors or families. Behind the cooking pit area, children can play on the sward or in the water play spot before the food is ready.
There are mainly set meals on the menu which features lotus ingredients, and it serves both vegans and meat eaters. To allow the visitors to enjoy a slow life, the ordered dishes will be served one after another. The beginning is a pot of lotus and herbal tea. The tea has a faint scent, and the taste is not bitter nor astringent. The dishes on the set menu include seasonal garden salad, homemade lotus seed doufu, Chef’s soup and dessert made with lotus root powder.
The appetizer is made from local vegetables, fruits and lotus, even the roselle is grown in the yard. It is fresh, crunchy and appetizing!
The handmade lotus seed doufu is made of lotus seeds and peanuts. Taste it after mixing it with the mustard, the scent is refreshing and the texture is thick and creamy that I could sense the peanut flavor left in my mouth.
The chef’s soup is the lotus seed soup with lotus roots and mushrooms. The soup has a pleasant scent and silky mouth feel and a sweet taste.
The main dish is marinated mustard with stewed meat ball. In my memory, dried marinated mustard is to stew with the pork belly or to make the meat soup. This is a unique dish to try here.
The marinated mustard with stewed meat ball is not greasy, together with the crunchy bamboo shoots makes it just right. Finally, the dessert made of lotus roots is thick in texture with lotus scent, and has a silky mouth feel.
Coming to Lin Jia Ancient House in the summer from June to September, visitors can see the lotus and water lilies; harvesting lotus roots is available in October. Even in the winter time, there are strawberries for picking. Lin Jia Ancient House welcomes you and your family all year round.
Lotus and Water Lily Park Leisure Farm
Lotus and Water Lily Park Leisure Farm is around for 20 years. It used to have a following overseas. Foreign visitors felt like sitting on the royal water lily and took pictures. There are always 2 to 3,000 visitors on the holidays coming to see the flowers in the lotus season. This is a good and renowned choice to see lotus in Guanyin.
Lotus and Water Lily Park Leisure Farm is 2 hectares in area, including a large lotus pond, straw museum, the maze of 5 elements and 8 trigrams, and they offer DIY activities, lotus meals, and ice products so that visitors can stay here for hours.
The lotus season starts in April and ends in late October. There are more than 40 species of lotus and water lilies here. The bucolic scenery and the beautiful lotus and water lilies makes it a great tour attraction.
The road divides Lotus and Water Lily Park Leisure Farm into 2 parts. The farm utilizes 5 elements and 8 trigrams to devise 5 artificial islets, and various lotus and water lily species are grown on each of them. There is a huge bald cypress maze in the 8 trigrams.
In the first area, there is a piece of installation art made by the farm owner- a fake buffalo chilling out in the pond. And there is a bald cypress maze in the center of 8 trigram park so children can play here and parents enjoy the sheds. The bald cypress forest is surrounded by nature, and various lotus and water lily species are planted in this area.
The must try is drifting on royal water lily in Lotus and Water Lily Park Leisure Farm. Sitting on the leaf of royal water lily and posing for pictures really tests one’s balance, but the fun being a thumbelina is worth a try!
There are only 20 leaves in a royal water lily area, if the number goes up, the ecology will be affected, and we can tell how much efforts Lotus and Water Lily Park Leisure Farm makes to tend the flowers.
In the straw museum, there are 12 straw woven Chinese zodiac signs and nearly a hundred pieces of woven farming tools made by the farm owner’s father. Visitors can revive the old days in DIY straw woven activities, and one can make the ancient house, writing brush, grass rope, straw sandals or scarecrows even a bicycle.
Having a bowl of lotus seed shaved ice with pineapples, visitors will find it so cooling and gratifying in the sweltering summer.
Arriving at Guanyin in the morning, visitors can go to either Lin Jia Ancient House or Lotus and Water Lily Park Leisure Farm to appreciate the beauty of lotus and water lilies. At noon, have local prepared meals and in the afternoon, try to stand on the royal water lily. This is a great place to spend a full day. Don’t miss the lotus season in Guanyin!
Lotus Park Leisure Agriculture Area in Guanyin
Add: No. 221, Dafu Rd., Guanyin District, Taoyuan City
Mobile: 0910-282878
Website: https://www.facebook.com/lotus.guanyin
Lin Jia Ancient House Leisure Farm
Add: No. 221, Dafu Rd, Guanyin District, Taoyuan City
Tel: 03-4980753
Website: http://www.lin-jia.com
Lotus and Water Lily Park Leisure Farm in Guanyin
Add: No. 690, Jinhua Rd., Guanyin District, Taoyuan City
Tel: 03-4776972
Website: https://goo.gl/75CRsU