Liyouju - Taomi Academy Introduction
The "Tao Mi Shu" educational center, a brick house with red tiles, has quietly stood in the Tao Mi community for nearly sixty years, promoting Taiwan's traditional rice food culture. Chen Guoming, who has been operating the Li Lai Ju handmade udon restaurant in Taichung for 20 years, became a part-time assistant professor at the Department of Tourism, Leisure, and Hospitality Management at National Chi Nan University in 2011 and fell in love with Puli's bountiful environment. In early December 2012, guided by local residents, Professor Guoming encountered this dilapidated old house located at No. 1, Zhuanggua Road, Tao Mi Village. He recalls the scene at that time: "The dilapidation of the old house cannot be described in just a few words; the house had no doors or windows, and clutter was scattered all over the floor. Due to severe roof leaks, weeds and small trees were everywhere inside. The concrete ground of the yard was already overrun by weeds; the low brick wall in the back yard had collapsed, making it inaccessible; the rain awning on the side was completely down. At that time, my friends all advised me that tearing it down and rebuilding it was the best choice!" At this moment, as we stand in front of the old house admiring its current appearance, it is indeed hard to connect with Professor Guoming's memories. He must have devoted enormous effort to restoring the old house of Tao Mi Shu. As the first person committed to passing down the technique of handmade udon noodles in Taiwan, aside from providing reservation-based experience services, Professor Guoming has also publicly taught the craft of making Taiwan's handmade udon noodles. Over the past decade, he has conducted countless free udon-making classes across Taiwan, including two volunteer sessions at the "Nai Zai Ren's Shop - Wu Wei House" outside the Hualien Fengtian Train Station. The brick house has become a base for the inheritance and education of traditional rice food culture. What does a rural scene look like? A brick house, a red-tiled roof, a spacious yard, an old stove used for burning materials, fragrant flowers throughout the seasons, and the unending laughter of the residents – this is the daily life in Tao Mi Shu. A small rice paddy has been set up in front of Tao Mi Shu; "When I was young, the rice paddy in front of my house was the busiest place! It was not just the playground for my six siblings, but also the place to dry rice in spring and autumn, the site for drying beautiful melons in midsummer, and the spot for drying radishes before the New Year..." This is Professor Guoming's fond childhood memory. Since 2014, Tao Mi Shu often invites community partners to hold dining events and initiate market activities in this small rice paddy, bringing students from National Chi Nan University to share his expertise and joy in the paddy. Born in a rural Sanhe courtyard, Professor Guoming has a deep affection for old houses. The various rice food preparations during festivals, such as red turtle cake, taro cake, radish cake, and making dumplings and buns, are happy memories of his childhood spent with his mother, which is a significant reason for nurturing Tao Mi Shu. Professor Guoming smiles and says, "These traditional snacks that were often seen during Taiwanese festivals will eventually become a world heritage (a forgotten treasure) if they are not passed down and recorded!" Thus, creating a learning space for Taiwan's traditional rice food culture has become an essential mission in Professor Guoming's future life. The handmade udon noodle making experience and the dining table in the yard are also key offerings at Tao Mi Shu. In addition to making traditional rice foods, continuing the operation of Li Lai Ju restaurant for 20 years, the two-hour handmade udon noodle making experience is a primary service at Tao Mi Shu. Using the water from Ailan Spring and flour from Puli, the process includes kneading the dough, foot-treading, rolling, and cutting noodles, resulting in fresh, elastic noodles that combine time, memory, and effort, refreshing your perception of noodles. If you have ample time, you can stay overnight in the old house and gain a deeper understanding of noodle-making through a 15-hour experience. The current experience activities at the "Tao Mi Shu" educational center also include traditional rice food (cakes), making Taro balls and sweet potato balls, coffee roasting experiences; seasonal activities include picking sweet dragon beans, hibiscus flowers, and coffee plantation tours. We welcome guests to gather and make reservations for the "Dining Table in the Yard" program. "Dining Table in the Yard" is a cooking activity where you can prepare dishes with your own hands, making it the best choice to taste local flavors from Puli; this four-hour experience combines handmade noodle making, guided tours of the Paper Church Park, visits to an ecological village coffee farm, making hibiscus flower buns, and cooking in an old stove, all of which are beloved by tourists.
