The Liugui District in Kaohsiung is a pristine and natural environment offering tranquil and breathtaking scenery that leaves a lasting impression. To assist with the sustainable development of local culture and businesses in the Liugui area, a team led by Professor Mei-Hui Chen from the NPUST Department of Forestry has partnered up with Lion Travel. Utilizing Taiwan Railway’s “Breezy Blue” Train, the tour links famous gourmet food and cultural exploration themes in areas such as the Liugui Shiba Luohanshan Recreation Area and Nanheng Tiaochi. Together, they have launched a deeply touching, comforting, slow-paced, and healing ecotourism itinerary that connects popular, highly acclaimed destinations in southern and eastern Taiwan such as Tianliao, Luye, and Jilong.
Professor Mei-Hui Chen stated that the NPUST Community Forestry Research Team has long promoted ecotourism, under-forest economics, agroforestry, and family homegardens. Their work assists local communities in conserving and utilizing Satoyama capital, developing characteristic Satoyama grassroots economies focused on biodiversity enhancement, carbon emission reduction, and carbon sink increases. Through education and the introduction of technology, they foster environmental responsibility among youth and residents to promote sustainable development. In recent years, they have further integrated the Ministry of Education’s University Social Responsibility (USR) project to construct an ecotourism Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) model, promoting regional integrated development and counseling for community industries in Wutai, the Hengchun Peninsula, and Liugui. This initial collaboration with Lion Travel to launch tourism itineraries that link Liugui’s hidden treasures with popular attractions in Taitung and the Kaohsiung-Pingtung area is an exquisite and in-depth travel experience that can’t be missed. The three-day, two-night tour recommended by NPUST and Lion Travel starts on the first day at Lion Travel’s Nangang Station Branch. Along the way, it visits the Tianliao Moon World Landscape Park—a favorite among photography enthusiasts and nature observers—where visitors feel as though they are strolling across the silent lunar surface of outer space. Next, it explores the storied Qishan Old Street, before heading to the to the Shiba Luohanshan Recreation Area (known as “Taiwan’s Little Guilin”) which features conglomerate badlands and U-shaped valleys. The tour then moves on to the Southern Diamond Recreation Area where visitor get a taste of the freshest flavors of Liugui before finally making a pilgrimage to Bulao Hot Spring, the oldest “skin-beautifying rejuvenation bath,” in the Kaoping area. The second day features visits to the Baolai Hot Spring Street and Meishan Pass, beore heading to the Nanheng Tianchi Scenic Area to take in the heart-shaped Tianchi Lake within Yushan National Park. From there the tour continues to other dreamlike destinations such as Guanshan Yakou, Lidao Tribal Area, and Tianlong Suspension Bridge. On the third day, the tour works its way to Luye Highland, a famous highland in the Huatung Rift Valley selected as one of “Taiwan’s Top 100 Tourism Highlights. From there, the travelers enjoy a cultural exploration of the Jilong Tribe, which boasts architectural beauty characteristic of Paiwan culture. Visitors can admire unique cultural art aesthetics such as distinctive gates, painted windows, and statues, while enjoying a hearty and delicious local-flavored meal. After catching a stunning sunset view at Fangshan Station, travelers will finally transfer to the High-Speed Rail to return home with memories of sites and experiences that will last a lifetime. For those who love getting close to nature and local folk customs, it is an excursion not to be missed.
