Taitung Indigenous Plants Garden Introduction
Taitung is located in an area where the Pacific Ocean currents and the Kuroshio current regulate the climate, and it has not suffered from severe environmental pollution or destruction. As a result, many medicinal plants have thrived since ancient times. During the Japanese colonial period, the Japanese cultivated medicinal herbs in the mountainous areas of Taitung's Zhiben and Taimali regions, developing what became known as "Medicine Mountain." Apart from a few introduced species, the vast majority are native medicinal herbs from the Taitung region, 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 Botanic Garden was established against this backdrop. Although it has only been open for a short time of two years, it has created a picturesque tourist recreational area in Taiwan’s eastern mountains, combining herb cultivation, biotechnology research, exquisite fresh cuisine, wellness recreation, and health product promotion, thanks to a professional management team and outstanding operational philosophy. The entrance features an impressive waterfall hall, seemingly meant to wash away visitors' worldly worries. Once inside the garden, one is greeted by a vast 1,500-ping area filled with various herbs and flowers known as the "Indigenous Exploration Botanic Garden," which is divided into six main sections: health herbs, aromatic plants, medicinal cuisine plants, ground-cover plants, herbal tea plants, and aquatic plants, encompassing over 200 species, all of which are native plants from Taitung. Proceeding through the Indigenous Exploration Botanic Garden leads to an elevated area where a central viewing walkway allows visitors to witness breathtaking scenery. The view extends southward along the ridgelines of the Central Mountain Range and Coastal Mountain Range, even providing a distant glimpse of the Pacific Ocean, leaving a beautiful exclamation mark in the hearts of visitors! Another unique selling point of the Taitung Indigenous Applied Botanic Garden is its wellness restaurant, which not only offers stunning mountain and ocean views but also features creatively designed health dishes. The signature dish revolves around organic wellness vegetables grown within the garden, served with unique sauces like minced red scallion and minced Chinese toon—items you won't find anywhere else! Under the chef's development, various wellness vegetables such as red phoenix vegetables, white purslane, sorrel, black nightshade, sweet potato leaves, thunder god root, Showa grass, mountain celery, and earth ginseng have all become delightful dishes for guests. These can even be made into beverages and desserts. With explanations from the staff, a meal transforms into an intellectual feast for the senses. Lastly, don't forget to visit the "Botanical Life Souvenir Pavilion," located at the center of the garden, to explore a variety of wellness products made from medicinal herbs. This is not just an ordinary agricultural specialty shop selling ubiquitous "local products." Instead, it showcases about 150 types of high-quality products derived from Taitung's native medicinal plants and health specialties, such as various herbal teas, wellness medicinal wines, herbal foods, and herbal bathing products, most of which are developed by the Taitung Indigenous Applied Botanic Garden itself.
