Dayan Village Sheshui Community Introduction
The Sheshu Community is located on the west side of the Dayan Tunnel along the Zhongtan Highway, surrounded by mountains. From a high vantage point, the terrain resembles a blossoming lotus flower valley, with residences distributed at the base of the lotus heart and petals, creating a picturesque basin landscape. The name "Sheshu" has two interpretations: one is that spring water often seeps out in the mountains, which is called "leakage water" in Taiwanese; the other is that the spring water in this area used to have astringent taste, hence the name "Sheshu." Initially, the community focused on rice farming, but in the 1940s, the rise of "Assam black tea" led villagers to switch to tea cultivation, becoming a major industry in the Yuchi area. The soil in the Sheshu basin is suitable for pottery, and an early potter’s workshop named "Huaizai Kiln" was established to produce daily pottery; however, it declined with the advent of plastic products. After the 921 earthquake, residents rebuilt a wood-fired kiln with the assistance of the National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute and established a community pottery classroom, using the "white fairy clay" produced in Sheshu for pottery creation, attracting tourists to experience the joy of clay crafting. In 2007, Sheshu Community stood out in the fiercely competitive national agricultural and fishery village selection, ranking among the top ten classic agricultural and fishery villages. Today, Sheshu has become a great place to "drink tea, play with clay, and experience ecology," surrounded by mountains and possessing undeveloped valleys, flowing waterfalls, and paths lined with towering trees, each reflecting unique charm in various weather conditions. By integrating homestays, forest natural environments, and plant interpretation, it has developed into a forest community, becoming a popular leisure destination for the public.
