Taitung Indigenous Botanical Garden Introduction
The Taitung area, due to the Pacific Ocean currents and the Kuroshio Current regulating the climate, has historically been free from serious environmental pollution and destruction, leading to the growth of various medicinal plants since ancient times. During the Japanese colonial period, herbs were cultivated in the mountainous regions around Taitung's Zhiben and Taimali, developing into what was known as "Herb Mountain." Besides a few introduced species, the vast majority are indigenous medicinal plants from the Taitung area (including Orchid Island). According to herbal experts, there are over 2,000 species of medicinal herbs in Taitung, making it known as the "Hometown of Taiwanese Herbs." The Taitung Indigenous Applied Botanical Garden was established against this backdrop. Although it has only been open for a short two years, the garden has created a tourist and recreational botanical garden area in Taiwan's eastern mountains, combining herb cultivation, biotech research, fresh cuisine, health relaxation, and promotion of health products, thanks to its professional management team and excellent management philosophy. The entrance features a stunning water curtain hall that seems to wash away the dust of visitors' daily lives. Once inside the garden, visitors can see the "Indigenous Exploration Botanical Garden," covering an area of 1,500 ping (approximately 5,000 square meters), filled with various herbs and flowers. It is divided into six main areas: health herbs, aromatic plants, medicinal cuisine plants, ground cover plants, herbal tea plants, and aquatic plants, with over 200 species, all being native plants of Taitung. Crossing through the Indigenous Exploration Botanical Garden and ascending the slope ahead, visitors walking along the central observation walkway are greeted with breathtaking scenery, with views extending along the ridges of the Central Mountain Range and the Coastal Mountain Range to the south, even catching glimpses of the Pacific Ocean, leaving a beautiful exclamation mark in the hearts of the visitors! The health restaurant is another unique highlight of the Taitung Indigenous Applied Botanical Garden, boasting excellent views of the mountains and sea. The health dishes presented here are also uniquely creative, featuring organic health vegetables grown within the garden for a hot pot dish, accompanied by special sauces such as chopped red onion and green tamarind, which cannot be found elsewhere! Under the chef's development, health vegetables such as red amaranth, white purslane, sorrel, nightshade, sweet potato leaves, thunder god vine root, Showa grass, mountain celery, and earth ginseng become delightful dishes on guests' tables; they can even be made into drinks and desserts. Through the explanations from the staff, a meal transforms into an intellectual feast filled with color, aroma, and flavor. Finally, don’t forget to visit the "Plant Life Souvenir Pavilion" located in the center of the garden to see various health products made from medicinal herbs. This is not your typical agricultural products market selling "local specialties" that can be found anywhere. Approximately 150 products are on display here, all high-quality items made from Taitung's indigenous medicinal plants and health products. For example, various herbal teas, health liqueurs, herbal foods, herbal bathing products, etc., most of which are developed in-house by the Taitung Indigenous Applied Botanical Garden.
