ZHUO YE COTTAGE
Taiwan’s Sanyi Township in Miaoli County is one of four Taiwanese towns recognized as “slow towns” by the Italian slow living organization Cittaslow International. Sanyi’s beautiful scenery, rustic vibe—the town has over 200 resident craftspeople, mostly woodcarvers by trade, and antique architecture were key elements to this award. Zhuo Ye Cottage, a rustic eco-oriented Hakka retreat, can be found nestled in the rolling greenery of Sanyi Township’s backroads. Inside, an immersive slow living experience awaits travelers looking for something different.
Zhou Ye Cottage
Address: No. 1-9, Bongshanxia, Shuangtan Vil., Sanyi Township, Miaoli County
Husband-and-wife team Mr. and Mrs. Zhuo visited the land where Zhuo Ye Cottage now sits when it was still terraced farmland. The couple were blown away by the rural landscape, and a baby owl they found opened their eyes to the area’s rich ecology. Thus, the two agriculturalists set out to erect a 1960s-style Hakka farm village and operate it as an idyllic leisure farm. Mr. Zhuo’s landscape design background emphasizes spatial arrangement and recreating the social essence of old farm communities.
Each themed villa has its own entry way for privacy, as well as balconies which allow for serendipitous friendly interactions with residents in neighboring villas. The property, which also features a workshop area, restaurant, cafe, and garden, is isolated from the surrounding area by bamboo forest and protected from the strong tropical sun by a thick canopy of indigenous camphor trees. Winding stone paths, decorated with traditional Sanyi wood carvings (hand-painted ducks) and indigo fabrics, travel through gardens and around ponds to connect the various spaces. The attached restaurant only serves seasonal vegetarian cuisine in principle with their philosophy of “five vegetables, five grains and five fruits.”
Since 2015, the Zhuo Ye Cottage has used its own organically grown indigo to host DIY indigo dyeing workshops. Indigo dying has a long history in Taiwanese agricultural society and an important role in Hakka culture. Recently, the Cottage has also collaborated with artists and designers to create the brand “Zhuo Ye Dying Workshop” with the hopes of promoting traditional Hakka arts. In addition to cultivating indigo, the farm also plants and harvests over 50 other sources of plant-based dyes.
For more Hakka cultural experiences be sure to make traditional lei-cha (ground tea) in Hsinchu’s Beipu, and KCS Oil-Paper Umbrella Studio in Kaohsiung’s Meinong to make your own traditional oil-paper umbrella!
