Yeheng Terrace Introduction
Ye Heng Terrace is located in Yeheng Village, southwest of Bali. The Yeheng area has long been famous for its "terraces" and "hot springs." Many photography enthusiasts love to come here to capture the rare terraced fields of Taiwan, with the best photography spot being San Guang on the opposite bank of Yeheng, where one can capture the undulating, beautifully-lined terraced landscape, making it an unforgettable classic scene along the Northern Cross-Island Highway. Yeheng is a village of the Atayal indigenous people, situated beside the Maliko River on the Northern Cross-Island Highway. It has the second-largest plateau in Taoyuan's Fuxing District, second only to Jiao Ban Mountain and was once known as the "granary of the rear mountain." Access can be made through the Guanghua Road from the lower part of Bali. Though the Yeheng village is not a popular tourist destination, it has retained the original simplicity and rustic charm of the mountain village. In this tranquil mountain village, there are terraces built during the Japanese colonial period for high-altitude rice cultivation. At that time, rice farming was promoted, mobilizing local Atayal residents to cultivate terraces from the mountain tops down to the riverbed and to divert mountain spring water for irrigation, creating the most beautiful terrace landscape in the village. At its peak, there were over a thousand tiers and a vertical drop of more than one thousand meters. This self-sufficient method not only provided the residents with a stable livelihood but also enhanced the village’s landscape. If you want to see the entire terraced fields clearly, you can capture beautiful views from the highway leading to San Guang on the opposite bank of Yeheng, admiring the verdant terraces interwoven with distant mountains and blue skies, which is truly refreshing. In addition to appreciating the geometric beauty of the rice paddies, you can see low houses scattered among the terraces, and straight roads bisecting the fields, with occasional vehicles passing through. The leisurely pace of life here makes urban dwellers yearn for this pastoral lifestyle. Historically, the Yeheng terraces were planted with rice, and the seasonal landscape changed with the growth of the rice, from the seedlings during planting, to the lush green when mature, and finally to the golden-yellow grain before harvest, which is particularly charming; and as the farmers toil in the fields, one can easily lose track of time until sunset, creating a rural scene rarely seen in the city. In recent years, Yeheng Village has started cultivating "Mama Peach," which ripens in May, to rival the famous peaches of La La Mountain. The name comes from the fact that the peak harvesting season coincides with Mother's Day, and the planting farmers are single parents or Atayal mothers over sixty years old. The fruit has a delicate, sweet, and juicy flesh, so visitors should not miss it.
