Orange balls hanging above your head. Meet the Cucurbita, a puff of happiness that grows from a vine. The vegetable that is debated to be a fruit has proven itself, that it has the power to turn a farmland into a tourist attraction and the charm to lure people. Far away from the MRT Tamsui Station, it didn't stop locals from visiting a tunnel full of squash. What's interesting on this place? As the only foreigner who visited the farm, I think it's about time that I give the vegetables here that hype that it deserves.
A prelude to summer. As the temperature in Taipei continues to rise up for the arrival of the hot and humid months of Taiwan, flowers have developed into fruits in hangar-shaped vineyards in Tamsui District of New Taipei City. An empty tube at first but will eventually be filled with different varieties of the squash plant. At their ripening temperature of about 30 degrees Celcius, the vegetables are ready for picking.
|
Admission is free and you can even buy some pumpkins and other vegetables. |
Tamsui Pumpkin Tunnel. Everybody is welcome to visit this fertile land. “Can I take pictures?”, I asked the lady selling some of the already picked vegetables. “Yes”, she said. There was no entrance fee and at first glance the place looks empty. Standing from Datun Bridge, one could see five tube-like vineyards. They all look green but looking carefully with your eagle eyes you will see the orange balls that will eventually make your mind crazy.
Watch your head! The height of the tunnels are
not uniform. Tall people will find it difficult to explore some of the vineyards as their openings were not high enough. The two near the Datun Bridge were
tall and wide enough to accommodate a large number of people. As you find the right spot to observe the entire vegetation, bend your knees and look at the squashes from above. Go to the far-end of the tunnel and gaze at the length of the vineyard. The dome has been filled various pumpkins hanging from the ceiling.
|
The farmer removes the dried leaves from the vineyard and puts them on his wheelbarrow. |
Variety is king. There are different kinds of squash to see here. There are the gourds which look like ancient water bottles. For the pumpkins, some were colored green, others were dark orange ones. There were also round pumpkins with a lighter shade of orange. There were also pale ones, almost white in color. A cardboard with Chinese text explains to the visitors the different kinds of vegetables to see.
Size is queen. Of the many types of squashes here, two were striking. They have an unusual size compared to those hanging at the ceiling of the vineyard. The first one is a large, pale and rounded pumpkin. It is too heavy that its stem couldn't support its weight. A net is now being used to help carry its big size. Small orange pumpkins grow near to it making it easy to identify that it is larger than the usual. In one of the wider vineyards, an elongated green squash can be seen at the far-end of the tunnel. It looks like a green variety but gravity pulled the flesh of the fruit that it grew mostly at its end with the stretched part now acting as a false stem to bear all of its weight.
How to get here? From MRT Tamsui Station, board any of the low floor buses with these numbers: 821, 860, 861, 862, 863, 864, 865, 867, 874, 879, 882 and 892. Get off the vehicle at Datun Bridge (大屯橋) stop and walk towards the farm. Admission is free and you have all the freedom to take photos.
Our favorite vegetable during autumn is available to everyone during the month of May. Travel now to the Tamsui Pumpkin Tunnel and grab your imaginary basket once you are there. Enter the vineyard and get excited about the different kinds of squash that you can touch. Harvest the good vibes as you fill the fruits with your undying love for Taiwan. The time now is ripe to pump up the pumpkins.
***********************************
Tamsui Pumpkin Tunnel (淡水南瓜隧道)
address: 251, New Taipei City, Tamsui District, 北部濱海公路
How to get here: MRT Tamsui Station -> Bus 821, 860, 861, 862, 863, 864, 865, 867, 874, 879, 882 or 892 -> Datun Bridge (大屯橋) stop -> walk to the farm
Sakura Series - Taiwan
2025 Forecast
Taipei 101 first flowers
Tianyuan Palace backyard
Taipei Flower Test Center
Pingjing St. Lane 42
Broadwood Park
Sunshine Sports Park kawazu sakura
Wuling Farm (武陵農場)
SYS kawazu sakura
Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village
CKS Memorial Hall
Shibafen Yoshino Sakura
Hope River
Dongfang Temple
Tianyuan Palace
Neicou Stream Trail
Orange Garden Cafe
Yangming Park Visitor Information Center
Yangming Park Service Center Bus Stop
Huashan Road
Qianshan Park
Zhongshan Hall Entrance
Tenglong Sakura Farm
Flower Test Center Shōwa Sakura
Neihu Creek Trail
Shulin Land Office
Xióng Kōng Cherry Blossom Forest
Lung Yen Sakura Forest
Yangming Park cherry stream
Yangming Park fountain
CKS Memorial Hall Tairyō sakura
Wugu District Tianyi Road
CKS Memorial Hall yaesakura
Loving Farm
Yong Long Farm
Zhongbaling Sakura Road
Sun Link Sea
Tai'an Police Station
Cherry Hill Slope
Hsinchu Park
Taipei 101
Kāng Gào Kēng Creek
New Garden City
Broadwood Park
Tianyuan Palace backyard
Pingjing St. Lane 42
Alishan Ranger Station
Alishan House
Alishan Police Station
Alishan Forest Railway
Alishan Station
Alishan Entrance
Alishan Gou Hotel
Alishan Magnolia Garden
Wulai tour
Wun Chang Elementary School
Bishanyan
Sanzhi Sansei Trail
Sakura Series - Taiwan
Nei Cuo Stream
Orange Garden Cafe
Sansei Trail
Tenglong Sakura Farm
Yangming Park Cherry Stream
Yangming Park Fountain
Flower Test Center
Broadwood Park
New Garden City
Yinghua Park
Pingjing St. Lane 42
Yangmingshan Visitor Center
Taipei 101
Tianyuan Palace backyard
Sakura Series - Japan
Kamonyama Park
Near the Nippon Maru Memorial Park
Shinko Park
Minato-mirai 21 area
Tokyo Tech Suzukakedai Campus
Onda River
Tenryuji
Byodoin
Kiyomizudera
Himuro shrine and Yakushi-ji Temple
Hōryū-ji Temple
Nara Park attractions
Tokyo Tech Ookayama Campus
Sumida River
Tsuruma Park
Gion
Maple Series
Taipei Aowanda
Shimen Dam
Alishan
Aowanda
Shanlinxi
Taoyuan Valley Garden
Fushoushan Farm
|
Yehliu to Jiufen? Yehliu to Shifen? Cheaper than yellow taxis |
The "Taipei kong mahal" (My beloved Taipei)
Always in my heart
MRT birdman
Valentine's Day
Tulips Festival
2018 Taipei Lantern Festival
City of Azaleas
Linji Huguo Temple
Nanjichang Night Market
Gudetama Chef restaurant
Dalongdong Bao'an Temple
Shilin hollyhocks
Ningxia Night Market
Ximending graffiti
Discovery Center of Taipei
Chunghwa Postal Museum
Double-Decker Bus
Shilin Cold Balls
Jingimoo
GomanMango
mud volcanic ice
Fire and Ice Dumpling
Opium Fen-Yuan
Ichiran Ramen
Liu Shandong Beef Noodles
hydrangea flowers
National Palace Museum
Other attractions in Taipei
Taipei on a budget
Japanese buildings
Dāoxiāomiàn beef noodles
Presidential Office Building
Yongkang St. and Elephant Mountain
CKS and SYS Hall
City tour
Beitou ramen
MRT Monopoly Game
Winter city tour
Zhicheng Park
Shilin Plum Blossom
Art museums
Shopping in Taipei
Summer desserts
Qingtiangang
Qixingshan hiking
2015 Calla lily
2016 Calla lily
Beitou tour
Beitou-Zhuzihu tour
NTU
Confucius Temple
2015 Dadaocheng Festival
Puppet Museum
Fantasy Ice World
2016 Bread Show
Strawberry picking
2015 Rose Garden
Modern Toilet
Shilin Night Market
NASA Exhibit
Raohe Night Market
Longshan Temple
2013 Taipei Zoo
Maokong Gondola
Lupin flowers
Taipei 101 day visit
Taipei 101 night visit
Tiger Mountain
Din Tai Fung
Taipei Story House
2014 Flower Show
Chrysanthemum Show
Miramar Ferris wheel
Miniatures Museum
Archery
1600 Pandas
Wulaoguo hot pot
Upside Down House
2016 101 Fireworks
New Taipei
Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival
Elephant Rock SUP/kayaking
Meteor Garden school
Tamsui Pumpkin Tunnel
Shifen Waterfall
2017 Sand Sculpture
Dragon Caves
New Taipei tour
2016 Kite Festival
Pingxi Crags
Bitou Cape
2016 Sand Sculpture
2015 Christmasland
Juming - Jinshan
Houtong - Pingxi
Sandiaoling Waterfall
Jiufen foodtrip
Guanyinshan hike
Yehliu Ocean World
2014 Kite Festival
Pingxi Rail tour
Jinguashi tour
Vigor Kobo Pineapple
British Consulate
Yehliu Geopark
2014 Sand Sculpture
Paragliding
2014 Christmasland
2014 Pingxi Lantern
firefly watching
Yingge Ceramics Street
Jiufen tour
0 comments:
Post a Comment