View count:
3223
Community Involvemnet
Bamboo grove is one typical feature in the Geopark. There are various types of bamboo can be found in here like Makino bamboos, mo bamboos, and moso bamboos, that makes the air infused with their fragrance. Many local residents are cable of skillfully making bamboo crafts and stone carvings. Crafts, such as bamboo container, bamboo ladder, bamboo column beads, stone mortar, stone table, stone bench, and stone wall, demonstrate great traditional handicraft techniques. Besides dried bamboo shoots for food, jelly fig is also Tsaoling’s famous specialty. These agricultural products are big selling points of the Geopark, and we may call them geo-products.
With typical location in the eastern mountainous area of Gukeng, Yunlin and surrounded by hills, logging, agriculture and tourism are main industries of Tsaoling. Situated at a medium altitude, Tsaoling has broad-leaved evergreen forests and cedars. The local people use wood for decoration and handicrafts and the forest adds misty and faintly discernible beauty to the mountainous area. With moderate altitude, temperature, sunlight and other favorable physical conditions, Tsaoling is suitable for the growing of tea trees. Tea is of great economic value and tea-making is an important industry in Tsaoling.
Oil tea Camellia is another source of income. The trees are pretty with blossoms and attract tourists to enjoy the flowering scene before the seeds are harvested. The oil tea seeds are extracted for edible oil. They are of great economic value and for great recipes. Shibi community built over 20 hectares of bamboo garden, called “Wu-yuan-er-jiao bamboo canopy”, using moso bamboos and dried bamboo leaves and stalks. Walking under the green canopy and within the bamboos, tourists can enjoy the natural beauty. The enthusiasm of local residents can be felt simply by witnessing how the locals introduce the green canopy to tourists. Through the building of this green canopy and arcades, local identity is reinforced by closer relationships and mutual trust within this community.
Tsaoling’s distinctive "E-Hon Hotel" is run by a couple who love hand painted picture books. In addition to providing room and board, the exhibition rooms of the hotel display hand-made picture books in which Tsaoling’s characteristic landscape, ecology and cultures are highlighted. They are true representatives of the beauty of the local environment.
Tsaoling Geopark is promoted by Tsaoling village, with the support of various villages. The population in Tsaoling is composed mainly of Hokkien people. Settlements are concentrated mainly on the plains. Each of the villages has their own character. Tsaoling village was a small village and after it transformed into a tourist attraction in 1976, its fame rose nationally with its Ten Most Renowned Scenes. However, among the scenes, only two survived the 921 earthquake and its tourism declined. The community then started a reconstruction plan and succeeded in 2004 in the establishment of Tsaoling Geopark. The communities often cooperate with local schools and utilizes local ecological resources to develop environmental education programs and to sustain cultural economy.
