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.