Lily House - Taomi Academy Introduction
Creating a Learning Space for Traditional Rice Food Culture in Taiwan, the "Taomi School" Education Center is a brick-built red-tiled house that has quietly stood in the Taomi community for nearly half a century. Chen Guoming, who has been running the Liraiju handmade udon restaurant in Taichung for 20 years, joined the Department of Tourism and Leisure Management at National Chi Nan University as a part-time assistant professor and professional technical teacher in 2011, where he fell in love with Puli’s beautiful landscape. In early December 2012, guided by villagers, Professor Guoming encountered this dilapidated old house located at No. 1, Zhonggua Road, Taomi Village. He recalls the situation at that time: "The old house's destruction isn’t something that can be expressed in just a few words. Not only was the house without doors and windows, but items were scattered all over; due to severe roof leaks, weeds and small trees were everywhere. The concrete yard was completely taken over by weeds; the low brick wall in the back yard had collapsed, making it impossible to enter or exit; the awning on the side courtyard had also fallen apart; at that time, friends advised me that demolishing and rebuilding was the best choice!" At this moment, when we stand before the old house and observe its current appearance, it is indeed hard to connect with Professor Guoming's memories. His dedication to restoring the old house of Taomi School must have required tremendous effort. A Pioneer in the Transmission of Handmade Udon Noodle Techniques in Taiwan In addition to providing reservation-based experience services daily, Professor Guoming is also the first to publicly teach the art of making Taiwan's handmade udon noodles. Over the past decade, he has conducted countless free udon-making workshops throughout Taiwan, including two voluntary teaching sessions at the "Kids’ Store - Wuwei House" outside Hualien Fengtian Train Station. The Brick-and-Mortar House as a Base for the Transmission and Education of Traditional Rice Food Culture What does a rural landscape look like? Brick houses, red-tiled roofs, spacious yards, an old stove for burning materials, the scents of flowers changing with the seasons, and the laughter of residents - this is the everyday life at Taomi School. In front of Taomi School stands a small rice threshing area; "As a child, the rice threshing area in front of our home was the liveliest place! It was not just where my six siblings and I played, but also a place for drying rice in spring and autumn, drying Mino melons in summer, and drying radishes before the New Year..." This is a cherished memory of Professor Guoming's childhood. Since 2014, Taomi School frequently invites community partners to hold dining events and market activities in this small rice threshing area, and brings students from National Chi Nan University to share his expertise and joy in the area. Professor Guoming, born in a rural Sanhe courtyard, has deep feelings for old houses. The production of various rice foods during festivals, such as red turtle cakes, taro cakes, radish cakes, and making dumplings, serves as happy reminders of accompanying his mother in his childhood, which is a significant reason for nurturing Taomi School. Professor Guoming happily states, "These traditional snacks that used to be commonly seen during Taiwan's festivals, if not passed down and recorded, will one day become a world heritage (forgotten treasures)!" Creating a learning space for Taiwan's traditional rice food culture has become an important mission in Professor Guoming’s future life. Handmade Udon Noodle Making Experience and the Dining Table in the Courtyard In addition to the production of traditional Taiwanese rice foods, continuing the operation of Liraiju restaurant for 20 years, the two-hour handmade udon noodle making experience is a main service item at Taomi School. Utilizing high-quality flour and Ailan spring water sourced from Puli Shaoxing wine, the process of kneading, foot-treading, rolling, and cutting creates a fresh and chewy noodle that combines time, memory, and effort, redefining your perception of noodles. If you have extra time, you can stay overnight in the old house for a 15-hour noodle-making experience to gain a deeper understanding of this craft. Currently, the experience activities at the "Taomi School" Education Center also include making traditional rice foods (cakes), taro balls, sweet potato balls, and coffee roasting; seasonal activities include picking sweet bamboo shoots, hibiscus flowers, and coffee plantation tours. Guests are welcomed to invite friends and form groups to book the "Dining Table in the Courtyard" experience. The "Dining Table in the Courtyard" is an event where participants cook their own meals, making it the best choice to sample the local flavors of Puli; this four-hour experience combines handmade noodle making, a tour of the Paper Church Park, visits to an eco-village coffee farm, making hibiscus buns, and cooking with the old stove, and is very popular among tourists.
