On the afternoon of March 14, more than 100 people dressed in white gather on the lawn at the Huashan 1914 Creative Park. Adults and children alike are holding white placemats and food baskets they have specially prepared. A quick survey of the scene reveals white balloons, white hydrangeas, white muslin tents—even white wine bottles and beverages. The event arouses the curiosity of passersby, who gather around.
It turns out that this is a “white picnic” organized by picnic maven Lulu Ye. She didn’t just want people to wear white clothes—the picnic utensils, the decorations, and even the drinks at the picnic were white.
“Picnicking represents an attitude about life,” says Lulu. “You can get into a rut in life where nothing changes, or you can expend a little energy to enrich it.” There’s not a right or wrong way to picnic in her view. It’s simply a matter of choices and aspirations. Everyone can shape their own picnic style.
Picnic style
Lulu, whose real name is Yan Shao’an, grew up often taking picnics and going on camping trips with her parents. “When I was little I remember eagerly wanting to arrive at our destinations,” Lulu says, “because I could eat snacks there that I couldn’t normally have. It was an awesome reward.”
At college Lulu studied fashion design. While she was gradually refining her own aesthetic sensibility, she took note of a lot of photos of picnics on the foreign websites she visited—and observed how different those picnics were from picnics in Taiwan. “Why do the picnics in their photographs look like scenes stylized for an advertising shoot, whereas ours look, well, like a mess?”
With the romantic outlook and can-do motivation of a Pisces, she threw herself into the picnic life. First she went to a fabric store to select a beautiful piece of fabric for her first picnic blanket. Then she asked her friends to help her buy a proper picnic basket from overseas, which she promptly made her own by ornamenting it. Those items comprised her first set of picnic gear. From then on, whenever she went out to picnic, she made thorough preparations. A slapdash approach was not for her.
As her picnic style grew ever more refined, Lulu began to share photos of her own elaborately prepared picnics online. These attracted people with similar interests. She used the first character in her daughter’s given name and the first characters in the Chinese words for camping and picnic to name her Facebook fan page Lulu Ye. Her followers quickly grew to over 10,000, and the buzz about Lulu spread.
As a community formed around her, Lulu started asking friends and acquaintances to take picnics with her, so that they could exchange views about food and accoutrements and come up with new ideas together. The process gave rise to various thematic events.
A fancy take on picnics
Lulu has put on numerous themed picnics, including retro parties, taike (Taiwan homeboy), Chinese New Year’s parties and so forth. None have been put on more lavishly or attracted more attention than the “white picnics.”
The first white picnic—dîner en blanc—was held in France in 1988. To meet the need for ample space, the organizers intentionally held that picnic and others that followed in public spaces, such as at the Place de la Concorde or in front of Notre Dame Cathedral. So as to make it easier to reassemble the group elsewhere if they were chased out of the first location by the police, the organizers requested that all the participants wear white clothing, so they could easily identify each other. The white picnic thus became a tradition. It is held every year in June on the longest day of the year, and it draws as many as 10,000 participants.
The event has spread to more than 40 countries so far. In Taiwan it was celebrated for the first time in 2013, and the organizer was none other than Lulu Ye.
Leveraging her Internet popularity, the white picnics Lulu organizes attract hundreds of people. But because June is simply too hot in Taiwan, she decided to celebrate in the spring and fall instead. The celebration reached new heights in October of 2014. Not only was it attended by a large number of participants, but it also featured an attention-grabbing white horse.
Beyond Taipei, Taichung’s Calligraphy Greenway, Tainan’s Chang Jung Christian University and other locales have also served as the sites for white picnics, which have become something of a craze throughout Taiwan. But there are in fact many other themes that can be used for picnics.
For instance, the intense heat of June dampens many people’s enthusiasm for outside activities, but a heat-busting tropical-themed picnic is perfectly suited for that time of year.
“Southeast Asia as a picnic theme suits Taiwan,” Lulu says. “For instance Thai-style papaya salad, or Vietnamese spring rolls are easy to carry with you, and you don’t have to worry about them tasting worse when they cool off.” She suggests dresses and straw hats, and serving food on banana leaves matched with decorations featuring images of elephants and lemongrass. For drinks she recommends Thai iced tea and coconut juice. The sweet soup burbur chacha and a variety of fruits are also good choices to help dispel the heat.
And during bone-chilling winter, you just need to put on some warm clothing, bring a thermos full of hot soup, and lay a picnic blanket under a cherry tree. Sip some plum wine and sake while you’re at it. It’s a great way to enjoy the cherry blossoms. “With Taiwan’s climate, you can go on picnics every season of the year,” says Lulu. “Compared to other countries, we’re blessed.” During the summer, if you wait to go on a picnic until four or five in the afternoon, it won’t be too hot, she notes. In the winter you can get out there earlier to enjoy the warmth of the winter sun. Taiwan’s winters aren’t bitterly cold, and the flowering cherries, plums and other plants add to the scenic beauty.
Tips to creating a stylish picnic
When people see photos on the Internet of exquisite picnics, many will think: I don’t have the time or energy to prepare something like that! From her many years of experience, Lulu offers some basic principles that can help make picnics easy, elegant and interesting.
First of all, you’ve got to decide on a theme for the picnic. For a small group of family and friends, there’s no need to go to a lot of trouble. You can look for a theme in the season, the weather or the location. The idea is just to create some unifying idea.
After you’ve chosen a theme, the clothing and food will follow from it: For instance, for a taike Taiwanese homeboy party you can wear tank tops and blue-and-white plastic slippers. For the food you can prepare lu wei (soy-stewed) or deep-fried chicken and roasted sausage. For drinks, you of course need Taiwan Beer. With that theme, you don’t even need a picnic basket; those ubiquitous red-and-white plastic bags will stand in fine.
Apart from finding a theme, there are some basic principles behind picnics: avoid sashimi, too much liquid or broth, or food that needs to be warmed. Fruit is usually a big hit and is easy to prepare. It’s become a must-have.
As for the equipment, a picnic basket is a virtual necessity. Consider the location and weather conditions for clues about whether you need to bring sunscreen or insect repellant. Lulu recommends that people bring hand wipes: “Young children can get really dirty when they play, food and drink can get overturned, and you’ll want to clean the utensils at the end of the meal. You may find that you end up using the whole pack.”
In order to more fully share her ideas about picnics, earlier this year Lulu published Let’s Go Picnic! The book, which draws on the experience Lulu has gained these past years, has attracted a lot of media attention, and she’s given a series of signings throughout Taiwan and has frequently appeared on television and radio. She’s become recognized as the queen of picnics.
Picnics have brought Lulu Ye a measure of fame, but she believes the biggest reward from picnicking comes from the interaction between people. Whether you’re reminiscing with old friends or making new ones, picnics offer a chance to experience something new.
Let picnics spice up your life. With a little thought and preparation, you can take an ordinary meal and turn it into something extraordinary. Carry your basket, and follow in the footsteps of this picnic maven to enjoy the charms of an al fresco moveable feast.
The global phenomenon of white picnics first made its way to Taiwan in 2013. The white clothing, blue skies, and green surroundings make for a wonderful urban scene.
a pink-themed picnic at Four Four South Village, a repurposed former community for military personnel and their dependents.
Picnic themes can add to the enjoyment. The photo show the “435 Picnic Concert,” a gigantic communal undertaking. (courtesy of New Taipei City Cultural Affairs Department)
Picnic themes can add to the enjoyment. The photo show the “435 Picnic Concert,” a gigantic communal undertaking. (courtesy of New Taipei City Cultural Affairs Department)
Specially designed picnicking gear can really help to bring out the theme of a picnic. (courtesy of Yuan-Liou Publishing)
Specially designed picnicking gear can really help to bring out the theme of a picnic. (courtesy of Yuan-Liou Publishing)
Specially designed picnicking gear can really help to bring out the theme of a picnic. (courtesy of Yuan-Liou Publishing)
In Taiwan’s hot summers, al fresco candlelight picnics offer a delightful change of pace.