Lily's Home - Taomi Academy Introduction
Creating a Platform for the Preservation of Taiwan's Traditional Rice Food Culture The "Taomi Academy" Education Center is a brick-built house with red tiles, quietly situated in the Taomi community for nearly half a century. For 20 years, Chen Guoming has been operating a handmade udon restaurant in Taichung City. In 2011, he was invited to become a part-time assistant professor at National Chi Nan University’s Department of Tourism and Leisure Management, where he fell in love with Puli's beautiful environment. In early December 2012, guided by local villagers, Professor Guoming encountered this dilapidated old house located at 1 Zhuanggua Road, Taomi Village. He recalls the situation back then: “The old house was so run-down that it can't be described in just a few words. Not only did it have no doors or windows, but the inside was cluttered with debris. Due to severe roof leaks, weeds and small trees were scattered throughout. The cement floor in the yard was already overrun by weeds; the low brick wall in the back yard had collapsed, making it impossible to enter or exit; the rain awning in the side yard had completely collapsed. At the time, friends advised me that tearing it down and rebuilding would be the best option!" Now, as we stand in front of the old house, we truly cannot connect with Professor Guoming's memories. His commitment to restoring the old Taomi Academy must have been immensely dedicated. Pioneering the Transmission of Taiwan's Handmade Udon Technique In addition to providing appointment-based experiential services, Professor Guoming is the first person to publicly teach the technique of making Taiwanese handmade udon. Over the past decade, he has conducted numerous free udon-making classes across Taiwan, including two volunteer teaching trips to "Nizai Ren-ei Dian" - Wuwei House outside Hualien Fengtian Railway Station. The brick house has become a base for the transmission and education of traditional rice food culture. What does a rural landscape look like? Brick houses, red-tiled roofs, open courtyards, old stoves for burning wood, the fragrance of flowers in all seasons, and the continuous laughter and chatter of residents – this is the daily life at Taomi Academy. In front of Taomi Academy, a small rice threshing area has been set up. "When I was a child, the threshing floor in front of our house was the liveliest place! It was not only where my six siblings and I played, but also where we threshed rice in spring and fall, sun-dried melons in midsummer, and prepped radishes before the New Year..." These are fond memories from Professor Guoming's childhood. Since 2014, Taomi Academy often invites community partners to hold dining events and initiate market activities at this little threshing floor, bringing National Chi Nan University students to share his expertise and joy. Born in a rural Sanhe courtyard, Professor Guoming has deep emotions for old houses. The various rice food preparations during festivals, such as red turtle cakes, taro cakes, turnip cakes, rice dumplings, and steamed buns, accompanied him beside his mother during childhood, nurturing the importance of Taomi Academy. Professor Guoming smilingly says, "These traditional snacks, often seen during Taiwanese festivals, if not passed on and documented, will one day become a world heritage (a property forgotten by the world)!" Creating a learning space for Taiwan's traditional rice food culture has become an important mission in Professor Guoming's future life! Hands-On Udon-Making Experience and Dining Table in the Yard In addition to making Taiwan's traditional rice foods, the two-hour hands-on udon-making experience is a major service offered by Taomi Academy, continuing the operations of the restaurant for 20 years. Utilizing the spring water from Ailan Springs, which is used to brew Puli Shaoxing wine, along with flour, kneading dough, stepping on it, rolling it out, and slicing noodles results in a fresh and chewy noodle that will refresh your perception of noodles. If you have ample time, you can stay in the old house for one night, gaining a deeper learning experience in noodle-making over 15 hours. The current experiential activities at the "Taomi Academy" Education Center also include traditional rice food (cake), taro balls, and sweet potato balls production, as well as coffee roasting experiences. Seasonal activities include picking sweet dragon fruits, roselle flowers, and traveling through coffee plantations for agricultural experiences. Visitors are welcome to gather and reserve the "Dining Table in the Yard" itinerary. The "Dining Table in the Yard" is an activity where you cook your own meal, making it the best choice for tasting the local flavor of Puli. This four-hour experiential activity combines hands-on noodle making, a guided tour of the Paper Church Park, a visit to an ecological village coffee farm, the making of roselle-flavored steamed buns, and cooking on an old stove, which is very popular among tourists.
