Nearly 11 months after the devastation of Typhoon Morakot, Kaohsiung County's Jiaxian Township is again ready to receive tourists with its fresh local delicacies this weekend.
The town will celebrate the 10th Jiaxian Taro and Bamboo Shoot Festival June 26-27 in conjunction with the reopening of Jiaxian Bridge, the main artery connecting the town to Provincial Highways No. 20 and No. 21, which were ravaged by the 2009 typhoon.
At a Taipei news conference June 23 marking the opening of the festivities, 50 elementary school students and women from Jiaxian performed percussion music with bamboo sticks, to showcase the vigor of the recovering town.
“The typhoon did not knock us down; instead, it has made us stronger,” said Liu Jian-fang, head of the mountain township.
As the festival will fall on the weekend, at least 10,000 visitors are expected, Liu said, adding that the entire town is getting ready for the long-awaited tourist season.
The local shops have also prepared souvenirs unique to the town, including taro ice cream, fresh bamboo shoots and plum vinegar, Liu added.
As Jiaxian produces abundant quantities of taro, bamboo shoots and plums, local restaurants expect to attract gourmets’ attention with exclusive meals and desserts made with these fresh ingredients.
The renovated Jiaxian Bridge is painted purple, the color of taro, and is also equipped with LEDs, which will light up in different patterns on special occasions and with changes in the seasons. (KL-THN)