Time: Every July Location: Gongguan Township
Gongguan red dates- delicious and nutritious
Gongguan, Miaoli, boasts a specialty food that is found nowhere else in Taiwan – red dates. Every year during summer, it is the peak season for harvesting red dates. The Miaoli County Government, the local Farmer’s Association, and members of the leisure and recreation industries cooperates during July and August, the harvest season of red dates, on organizing interesting Red Date Cultural Tourism Festival that includes local tourism, local culture, farmers’ market and art exhibitions.
Gongguan Township is adjacent to the Houlong River, which is a source of excellent water. The weather there is also ideal for the red dates to grow. Therefore, in several communities in Gongguan Township, such as Fuxing, Fuji and Shiweiqiang communities, there are vast red date fields. Today, there are around 60 hectares of red date plantations. With the trend of recreational agriculture, more plantations are transformed to be tourism farms and have become part a unique leisure activity in Taiwan.
Traveler’s know-how
Dried red dates can serve as traditional Chinese herb medicine. They have skincare and healthcare properties, so they are considered precious medicine. Adding red dates to your food can elevate taste and increase nutrition. Recently, people in Gongguan have invented red date wine, red date honey, red date vinegar, preserved red date, red date tea and red date healthy meals. Visitors can sample different red date delicacies there.
You probably don’t know that “fresh red dates” can be sampled as fruits. It is a novel experience to pick some greenish dates with red dots from the loaded trees. Every year during the red date season, many red date orchards are open to tourists. Visitors can have fun picking their own red dates. They can also purchase boxed fresh fruits there.