Where's the Mayor Taking Us

A Cup of Tea in the Storm: Taitung, Part 1 | TaiwanPlus News

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Taitung has long been seen as Taiwan’s quiet edge — remote, rugged, and far from the island’s urban centers. But what if that distance is exactly its strength? In part one of our five-part series “Where’s the Taitung County Chief Taking Us?” Andrew Ryan travels to Taiwan’s southeastern coast to meet Taitung County Magistrate April Yao, an official with an ambitious vision: turning Taitung into Taiwan’s capital of calm. As a typhoon approaches, Andrew and the county chief take shelter in a minimalist tearoom, beginning their journey with a guided tea and meditation experience rooted in nature. From wild-grown forest tea to wellness festivals that blend sound, movement, and mindfulness, this episode explores how Taitung is embracing a “slow economy” — one that values balance, sustainability, and inner stillness. WATCH other episodes of Andrew Ryan’s journey through Chiayi County in our series playlist for "Where’s the County Chief Taking Us?” https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLu5MSnfNvpMb3ZFYxt5_eJfl9tPzPRywj&si=sNf234QSf4h5C1QN [Taiwan’s Mayors and County Chiefs] Taiwan is home to 13 county chiefs, six mayors of special municipalities (New Taipei, Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung) and three mayors of provincial cities. These elected officials serve a maximum four-year term and can be re-elected for one additional term. The first episodes of the series aired prior to the local elections in 2022.

REPORTER:   

An unforgettable performance in a picturesque rice field.   

The nation’s most remote independent bookstore.   

And debris from the sea reborn as unexpected works of art.   

These are just some of the things you’ll find in Taitung. 

 

REPORTER:   

Taitung County lies on the southeastern coast of Taiwan, cut off from the rest of the island by a wall of mountains.   

A typhoon is brewing on the day I’m set to meet the county chief, but she’s arranged for us to take shelter in a minimalist tearoom, safe from the wind and rain.   

We begin with a guided tea experience. 

 

Wang Shao-yun (TEA MASTER):   

The tea I’ll be serving you is called wild-grown tea. It grows in the mountains and forests, not in a typical tea plantation. It’s in a forest environment—the tea trees are part of it. The tea we’re about to drink comes from the young shoots of a one-year-old plant. And the sun, air, water, and soil—all of nature’s essence is contained within it.   

So when paired with meditation, it can help us quickly recenter as we find our inner stillness. 

 

REPORTER:   

Taitung has become a place where people come to slow down and reset.   

Since 2021, the county has invited people to make use of the local environment to get in touch with nature’s rhythms.   

Every month or so they host events that use sound, movement, tea, meditation and the arts to help people center both body and mind.   

It’s touted as the only wellness-focused series in Taiwan organized by a local government. 

 

April Yao (TAITUNG COUNTY MAGISTRATE):   

That’s why I’ve been promoting Taitung Spirit Festival and the wellness economy because they can instantly help people find inner calm. 

 

REPORTER:   

This is the best way to test your ability. It's giving you a typhoon and seeing how you deal with it. 

 

April Yao (TAITUNG COUNTY MAGISTRATE):   

Spirit festival. 

This is really impressive. Thank you.   

It’s very good.   

This third brew brings out the deeper notes of the soil.   

It’s fragrant – like a forest.   

Taitung should remain just that: a forest.   

 

REPORTER:   

So is this what you mean by ‘slow economy’?

 

April Yao (TAITUNG COUNTY MAGISTRATE):   

Yes. As it grew, it became more about following nature’s way.   

It’s not about doing nothing but about slowing down so you can pause and think about what truly benefits everyone.   

This tea carries the taste of Taitung’s terroir along with its environment and the flavors it’s taken on over the years.   

It gives you a feeling of ‘putting down roots’, it's very grounding, and I think that’s essential to this tea. 

 

REPORTER:   

Putting down roots – like I’ve put down roots here in Taiwan.   

It helps you find that feeling of settling in.   

Taitung really does grab a hold of you. 

 

REPORTER:   

There’s something about Taitung that grows on you. People from all over Taiwan -- and beyond -- come here to slow down, connect with nature, and find a bit of inner calm.   

So it kind of makes sense that the county chief has brought me here for a cup of tea in the middle of a typhoon.   

Join us for part two in our series, we’ll meet the artists who’ve found inspiration here in what many call “Taiwan’s quiet backyard”. 

Eason Chen, Hank Hsu, Pichi Chuang and Andrew Ryan for TaiwanPlus