Ming-Chung, Lu

“Slow” Projects and Characteristics of the Municipality of Sanyi

Year of certification: 2016.

Environmental Protection and Energy: Sanyi’s certification dossier documents periodic air and water quality monitoring, alongside separate waste collection and the recovery of kitchen waste and used cooking oil for fertilizers and animal feed. Industrial wastewater regulation is enforced through licensed treatment systems across local factories. Energy policies promoted energy-saving household appliances, electric bicycles, solar water heaters, and wind and solar energy installations across Miaoli County, including Sanyi Senior High School and the Bronze-level Green Building township office. The replacement of mercury streetlights with LED lighting and the “Rainbow Ribbon” ecological planting project, supported by environmental education at the Hoyenshan Forest Ecological Education Center and West Lake Resortopia, were also recorded.

Sustainable Mobility and Accessibility: The dossier recorded three cycling routes totaling 15 kilometres, alongside bicycle parking spaces near public buildings and tourist attractions. Free township shuttle buses connected residential areas with schools, hospitals, and municipal offices, while dedicated tourist shuttles linked Sanyi train station to major festival venues to offer alternatives to private cars. Accessibility measures included wheelchair ramps, tactile routes, lifts with Braille signage, and service bells in public facilities and schools, supported by annual inspections and barrier-free improvement procedures.

Urban Quality and Heritage: Urban enhancement focused on unifying shop signs along Provincial Highway 13, Shuimei Street, and Zhongshan Road, integrating Hakka cultural elements, and developing the Old Mountain Line railway area and Sanyi Old Street. Green enhancement projects covered the Liyutan railway bridge area, the Sancha River banks, and urban green spaces planted with crape myrtle, glaucous cassia, bald cypress, and willow trees. Projects for the adaptive reuse of historic and underused spaces included transforming Shengxing Train Station into a cultural and tourism site, establishing the Shiliufen Culture and History Exhibition, and opening a Senior Citizens Learning Center in unused space at Jianzhong Elementary School. Visitor information centres, the Miaoli mobile touring app, interactive municipal services, and public Wi-Fi were also documented.

Local Agriculture and Food: Agricultural policies encouraged organic cultivation across 52 hectares, the recovery of fallow land, a prohibition on GMOs, and rapid pesticide residue testing prior to marketing. Local products included peaches, plums, persimmons, tangerines, pears, pomelos, rice, and camellia seed products. Direct sales were supported through the Sanyi Farmers’ Association, an organic farmers’ market, the Shuangtan Recreation and Tourism Center, and agricultural exhibition booths at the Ruins of Longteng Bridge. The dossier also described school meal programmes using certified local ingredients with online menu transparency, seasonal cooking contests, low-interest start-up loans for young farmers, and rural rejuvenation initiatives in the Shuangtan, Liyu, and Longteng communities, alongside Slow Food exchanges with Cittaslow Fenglin and Japanese soba-making collaborations.

Traditional Crafts and Cultural Identity: Sanyi’s cultural identity is closely tied to its woodcarving heritage and the presence of Hakka, Hokkien, Indigenous Pazih, and new immigrant communities. The Sanyi Wood Sculpture Museum and Shuimei Woodcarving Street served as centres for preserving, exhibiting, and marketing traditional wood, stone, and iron crafts. Training classes, academic-industrial woodcarving heritage camps, and municipal cultural asset censuses supported the transmission of carving techniques. In the Liyu community, the Taiwan Pazih Association worked to preserve Indigenous Pazih craftsmanship, fishing tools, and cultural antiquities.

Hospitality, Participation and Cittaslow Awareness: Volunteer tour guide training, bilingual street signage, and an authentication and certification system for wood sculptures ensured transparency and quality for visitors. Slow travel itineraries and local cultural news were shared through the Miaoli Travel website, the Miaoli Art and Escape to Miaoli magazines, and the “Cultural and Creative Miaoli” digital platform. Seven Community Development Associations and regular village meetings provided channels for residents to participate in local decision-making, while Cittaslow awareness was promoted through municipal events, training programmes, and the “Fall in love with Sanyi” campaign.

Social Cohesion and Community Services: Documented services included birth subsidies, breastfeeding rooms, prenatal examinations, parenting support through the South Nursery Center, and free after-school programmes across four elementary schools. Six community care centres supported older residents through home visits, telephone contact, meal delivery, and “Dine Together” initiatives, complemented by health education on diabetes and obesity. Healthcare access was reinforced by ten local clinics, home medical and vaccination services for residents with reduced mobility, and a mobile vision screening unit. Measures for people with disabilities and low-income households included employment reconstruction services, assistive equipment, public transport and housing subsidies, a volunteer time-credit system, and shared community spaces such as libraries, parks, and activity centres.

Cultural Events and Local Traditions: Events recorded in the dossier included the annual Sanyi International Woodcarving Art Festival—recognised among the Taiwan 12 Festivals and featuring exhibitions, cultural performances, and DIY workshops—alongside the Hakka Tung Blossom Festival. Culinary and community traditions were celebrated through the Middle Region Hakka Food Cooking Competition focusing on pickled dishes, annual local cuisine contests, and traditional Pazih New Year celebrations. Together with sightseeing activities along the historic Old Mountain Line railway, these events connected craftsmanship, railway heritage, gastronomy, and multicultural identity with Sanyi’s approach to slow living.