Celebrating Rural Traditions in Xiushui
Joanna Wang / photos Jimmy Lin / tr. by Jonathan Barnard
March 2026
On the Changhua Plain in winter, life settles into a distinctive rhythm after the second rice harvest. Though the fields lie fallow, daily life is anything but quiet. Children turn the empty paddies into playgrounds. Some families plant winter vegetables such as radishes and peas, and others plant vivid cover crops for fertilizer, as the land transforms into a bright tapestry of vibrant colors. On this particular day in Xiushui, Changhua County, farming traditions have been revived to create a living mosaic of farming’s past.
The Jinling Flower Sea is a patterned floral landscape. Volunteers sketch the motifs, and local farmers then sow the seeds accordingly. Cosmos, sunflowers, and rapeseed flowers are stars of this year’s vibrant show.
The traditional rural practice of cooking in earthen ovens involves first heating a mound of clay clods with firewood until it reaches a sufficiently high temperature and then sealing food inside to slowly cook it through .
Festive scenes of rural life
Above us, several giant cartoon-character kites sway in the wind under the deep blue sky as children excitedly point out their favorites. In the fields below, cosmos flowers create a sea of color. Couples, families with children, and old folk wander among the blossoms to take photos, their laughter rippling across the land.
Next to these fields of flowers, there are expanding lines of earthen mounds. These are clay ovens. From time to time wisps of smoke leak out from them. The older men take charge of building the ovens, whereas younger folk busily stoke them and ultimately collapse them to gain access to their bounty of roasted sweet potatoes and other treats—amid clouds of smoke and waves of shrieks and laughter from children. Many remark with smiles that these clay ovens in the fields are “something from a long, long time ago.”
Savoring the nostalgic charms of rural life, family and friends gather in the fields to build an earthen oven, tend to its fire, and finally open its pit to share a meal.
These elderly volunteers have prepared handmade taro cakes.
using taro that is first stir-fried in sesame oil. Even before the steamer’s lid is lifted , a rich aroma fills the air.
Traditional skills and materials
Nearby, beside Yuling Temple, a group of elderly volunteers in uniform are busy making taro cakes. The rising steam carries a rich, mouthwatering aroma. Local grandmothers and grandfathers have been up since four in the morning—soaking rice, grinding it into batter, and stir-frying taro—working nonstop until ten o’clock. All 126 liters of ingredients have been turned into cakes that promptly sell out.
Liu Youci, head of Jinling Village, notes that this year marks the tenth Changhua Jinling Kite & Flower Festival. Traditional rice treats such as red turtle cakes, turnip cakes, and taro cakes were once restricted mostly to festivals or temple fairs, whereas cooking in earthen ovens, flying kites, and viewing fields of flowers were everyday pastimes in the countryside. By organizing these fun rural activities, the village hopes on the one hand to encourage urban families to take breaks from their screens and bring children into the fields, and on the other to give local elders a moment in the spotlight, so that they can showcase their skills with traditional materials and strengthen community bonds in the process.
The dairy cows at Ganglian Farm are Holsteins, a large Dutch breed prized for their high milk production. As soon as Li Zhongxiao approaches with fresh fodder in hand, the cows gather around, nuzzling him affectionately.
Located on Fanhua Road in Xiushui Township, Ganglian Farm produces its own brand of fresh milk, which is rich and creamy with a subtle grassy aroma.
Dairy farm life
The painted cows featured at the event highlight another key industry in Xiushui. Changhua is a major center for animal husbandry, and Xiushui in particular is one of Taiwan’s important dairy farming hubs, with once as many as 60 dairy farms here.
Li Zhongxiao, manager of the retail shop at Ganglian Dairy Farm, explains that in the 1960s, surplus rice production in Xiushui prompted some rice farming families to shift into dairy farming. Today Li’s family runs the farm, with each family member taking on different roles. Li Zhongxiao leads visitors to experience life on a dairy farm up close and gives them a taste of just-produced milk. “Milk with a hint of grassy aroma—that’s the real, natural flavor,” he says proudly. Local children who grow up drinking fresh milk have become the farm’s most loyal customers.
Smoke rises from cooking fires amid bursts of laughter, as flowers and homemade treats nurture body and soul. More than mere expressions of nostalgia, these experiences shared across generations represent a way of bringing people back into closer connection with the land.
A family radish-pulling activity lets children harvest a crop with their own hands. In preparation, community elders brought in ‘White Jade’ daikon radish seeds from Meinong in Kaohsiung. Small and delicate, they are especially well suited for making preserved radish.
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