Taiwan Summer Trip 2023

5/27/23

Another beautifully packed day (let’s pretend I’m not writing this the day after)! Today we went to the Tamsui organic farm, which is one of Tse-Xin’s farms. It was a gorgeous (read: hot) day to see the terraced rows and greenhouses at the farm. On the walk, we learned about the volcanic rock that is a building block for the terraces, walls and homes in Nanshipu. The farm itself was relatively small but was still home to many different interesting trees and crops. We saw cinnamon, lychee, and grape trees as well as loofah and gourd plants. There were also many yummy vegetables that were almost ready to be harvested such as cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, and eggplants. One of my favorite parts of the day, during a tour of the farm, was getting to see their bee hives. They taught us about the relationships and structures that honey bees create in their hives and then showed us examples of each type of bee in real life. We even got to try the honey and hold the comb!

Our visit was not only to see the functions of the organic farm (which was less of working farm and more of a learning farm) but also to do some exciting activities related to the food that was grown there. We got to be creative with shaping rice dough surrounding sweet red bean paste, which was later steamed. We also created tie-dye handkerchiefs using turmeric dye. While these activities were a blast, the best part of the visit hands down was lunch. We were given bento boxes full of different forms of rice, tofu and vegetables along with a passion fruit drink and a fruity dessert. This was certainly the most delicious meal I had for all of the trip so far (and I’ve had some very good food). There were words of approval around the whole room and we all left stuffed.

In the afternoon, we visited The National Palace Museum to see ancient Chinese artifacts that used to reside in the emperor’s palace. It had a vast collection of artifacts from Taiwan’s history that accumulated when Chiang Kai-Shek fled mainland China with his defeated Nationalist party in the late 1940s. They miraculously transported treasures all the way from the Imperial Palace, through warzones, across the sea, and to Taiwan. This feat is an incredible demonstration of cultural preservation, which differs from Western ideologies that may sacrifice culture for individuals. We observed and appreciated historic pottery, paintings, tapestries, jewelry, porcelain books, jade, bronze, and more.

We finished the day with a trip to Jiu Fen street (where the idea for the streets in Spirited Away came from!!). And collectively, we left with many yummy treats and trinkets.

5/28/2023

Heyo! Today was a stark contrast from what we have been doing and its been quite nice to take a step back and hop on the bus to travel. So welcome to my channel and make sure you like and subscribe. As a side note I will say that I have coordinated with Ian and Cael for tonight to provide you with a different type of lens to our journeys to become the legendary farming masters.

Alright so here comes the recap: this morning we woke up around 8am and packed our bags to travel out of Taipei and down into the South. We saw a couple cool landscapes and played interesting travel games. It was also nice to finally have a time where we could talk to our professors about our projects as well as reflect on the things we have learned. I will say however, I tried to win a Snorlax Plushie from a claw game in a rest stop and was unable to. I left defeated and bitter, and one day I will return to avenge my loss.

However, our star destination was the Legacy Dance that we saw in the afternoon depicting the rise of Taiwan. It was an absolutely incredible show and it was made even better since Cael and I managed to sneak downstairs into the primetime opera seats right before the performance began and basically felt like VIP while watching. 10/10 would recommend. It was a lot more impactful and powerful than I initially thought it would be. Here is a picture of Cael and I’s imitation audition photo to one day be a part of the stage lifting squad.

Then we hopped on the bus for some more traveling to our hotel. Along the way, I, the championship level word analyst, stumped many of my fellow scholars on the bus in an intense game of Connect. I was invincible for a while, but Nancy swooped in and absolutely demolished all of the momentum I had built. I was quite surprised at her raw vocabulary talent, you for sure want her on your Scrabble team. Definitely a well-rounded, lottery pick with hall of fame upside.

Then Dinner was at cool local place that served us fresh food. I was quite surprised however, when they served us an entire cooked chicken with the head still attached. Usually, back at home, I love my Costco Rotisserie chicken, but this one was even fresher. However, it was “Egg-Cellent” just like the rest of the food. Then we arrived at the hotel where I am writing this blog.

My English teacher in high school has taught me the significant impact that ending on a quote can bring to an essay. So here is a quote from great street philosopher Jay Z that describes our trip today:

“They ain’t see me today cause I pulled up in my other Benz. But Last week I was in my other, other Benz”

-Jay Chung

-And They lived Happily Ever After-

As the scarlet ribbons danced to the frenzy of gongs and flutes, I was taken aback by the similarities between a 20th century Taiwanese modern dance piece and many nationalist Chinese fanfares in the 21st century. Yet, despite similar appearances, the different labels made the swelling sensation seem unique to me. Food for thought as I walked out from the performance.

The long bus ride along the highways meant endless mountain landscapes flowing past. Professor Zhou had brought to our attention the lack of agriculture on those mountains, which, though as a Taiwanese person I often see uncultiated mountains along the highway, I had never thought about why. Professor Deon had suggested rain shadow area, easily erodable soil structure, amongst couple other explanation. I’m reminded that my mother once told me that we rely on flat land at the foot of mountains to farm so we can catch the rain flowing down the mountains. Perhaps there is a fundamental quality about the mountains beside highways that make them less suitable for agriculture, and perhaps I would like to look into that.

Earlier, Professor Su had also called our smaller research group, including Sophie and myself, to discuss the information about land rights we have learned. We discussed whether the fragmentation of land ownership was an aide to big construction companies or an aid in cultivating the creative land use of the people. Importantly, Professor Su made me aware that government subsidies ensure the subsidized work in a more fail-safe way only when the subsidized still carry the majority of investment pressure. However, I feel that a better evaluation system in the government that can identify investments with potential would mean a more flexible, and more powerful subsidizing scheme.

– Ian Ho 5/28/2023

5/26/2023 – Ana Panday

Today’s adventures included a visit to the aquaponic farm, Shuangyuan Fish and Vegetable Symbiosis Farm, located in Luzhu District, and a return to National Taiwan University to meet with the Department of Agricultural Economics.

When we arrived at the aquaponic farm this morning we were greeted by a cat, fish, a dog, a meerkat, and the owner of the farm, Mr. Zeng Wenkai. After showing us various outdoor organic vegetable farms and a pond, Mr. Zeng led us to his farm facilities where he discussed the process of developing his aquaponic farm, government regulations, land acquisition, energy cost and efficiency, and the chemical cycles of nutrients and minerals amongst many other things. He explained that while traditional farming methods consider excretion as waste, aquaponic farms make use of excretion by collecting, fermenting, and implementing its nutrients back into the water used to sustain the fish, vegetables, and earthworms on the farm. Aquaponics, which allows for a controlled environment for our food to grow, and as Taiwan faces the various challenges of climate change, in addition to potential food scarcity, this form of food cultivation could be employed as a tool in possibly combating these issues.

Aquaponics is not perfect, however, as it utilizes many non-recyclable and non-biodegradable plastics. The piping that facilitates the flow of water and its nutrients throughout the farm is composed of PVC (polyvinyl chloride), which is one of the world most widely used synthetic plastic polymers that cannot be chemically or mechanically recycled (ScienceDirect.com). Furthermore, much like many other aquaponic farms, the vegetables were grown using floating rafts made out of styrofoam. Much like with PVC piping, styrofoam contains a synthetic plastic polymer that currently cannot be recycled mechanically or chemically. However, there is some current research looking into chemical recycling methods for polystyrene, the polymer in styrofoam, as it is found in many common plastics (Huang et al., 2022). These plastics and their polymer composition pose large issues to the global community as they are not only difficult to recycle, but are ending up as microplastics in our waterways and food systems, which presents various health issues and environmental problems (Tian et al., 2022). It is important to note that only 9% of the world’s plastic is recycled, and recyclable plastics are given a number correlating to the difficulty of the plastic to be recycled. Polystyrene, which is one of the most pervasive plastics, is ranked 6th (Almanac.com). Whilst polystyrene is one of the most difficult plastic polymers to recycle, in Taiwan, many of the floating styrofoam floating rafts are reused in other industries, such as on oyster farms (Chen et al., 2018).

Later in the day we received a wonderful lecture from Professor Yir-Hueih Luh, who explained to us the development and opportunities of organic agriculture in Taiwan. She both put into perspective and introduced concepts and examples of organic farming that we have examined in the past few days and will visit in the following days to come, respectively. After her presentation, we were greeted by the department chair, Professor Hung-Hao Chang and various other department faculty, who shared with us their research interests and program focuses. We were able to chat and eat with them during a welcoming party they prepared for us. It was an especially great end to the evening to talk and share ideas with members of the department.

5/25/2023

Today was a blast. First, we heard a presentation by Tse-Xin Organic Agriculture Foundation and participated in a Q&A. Then, we went to Bai Chin Chang Tea Farm in Wenshan District, Taipei City and met Mr. Bai Jun Yu. He had a really cool fit on with his Super Mario Bros t-shirt and backwards cap. While he was giving us a tour of the farm, we could tell that he was passionate about his tea farming business. I was particularly excited when he mentioned his organization for new young tea farmers during his final presentation. I think the brand he’s envisioning can truly get young folks interested in tea.

The tea tasting was an experience I’d never forget. Working with the professors to guess the highest quality Baozhong in a lighthearted and joyful manner shaped my perspective on the trip. I’m glad that we’re able to have moments of fun while conducting our research.

After the tea farm tour, we all headed to the Ningxia Night Market. According to our tour guide Jessie, it’s the most popular night market in Taiwan. I thought I’d only be encountering foods I’ve never tasted before. But there were also things I haven’t seen in my hometown of NYC. From a man walking a pet pig to another person carrying their cat on their shoulders, I was shocked by the variety of animals in Ningxia. The night market wrapped up our trip nicely. We ate delicious food while talking about moments of our day.

We visited the NTU campus in the morning. Professor Zhou gave us an introduction of the university and the department. Professor Huang presented her recent works on garden city and showcased three cases she was involved in (pictures). Then we toured their affiliated farm and several projects on campus.

With Siennah, we walked through the old city quarter of Taipei and witnessed the change of the city landscape. It was like going back to the old time by a time machine, unreal but unforgettable….

We arrived at Taoyuan airport at about 6:40am local time, an hour late than scheduled. Everyone was tired but in high spirit.

After a short rest, we drove to Yeliu Geological Park near Jilong city. The lunch was fresh seafood from nearby ocean (pictures…). Even more impressive was the geological formation shaped by million years of water and natural elements (pictures…).

We wrapped up the day with an early dinner at Din Tai Fung, a well-known Taiwanese restaurant. The dumplings were delicate in their making and delicious in its multiple flavors (pictures..)

But most people were just too tired…..

remember to check in online before going to the airport.

we will meet at the gate …

safe travel to the airport…

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