Mud Games for all ages

Fenglin welcomes the Mud Games – A Fun Holiday in Scenic Hualien

找到田國際泥巴運動會

The Beilin Village Community Association (北林社區) of Fenglin Township (鳳林) is organizing its fifth annual Mud Games event, for fun and sports in its early summer rice fields.  The annual event has attracted a growing number of local and international visitors over the years, for a taste of rural Taiwan and the best opportunity for all-natural organic fun, in the middle of the fertile and scenic fields of eastern Taiwan. 

In a creative twist, watermelon rugby has been the event’s main attraction, with the town’s most popular produce at the center for grabs.  Tug of war in the mud has also been popular among different age groups, and track competitions give the participant a feel for the traditional farmer’s daily tread across the rice fields. 

Watermelon Rugby fun in the mud.  Photo photo by 曾瑞騰 from the official Mud Game facebook site 

I organized a team last year and competed in the tug of war event against a group of students of the Rainbow Club of nearby Donghwa University.  A bystanding kid thought I wasn’t muddy enough and started splashing muddy water on our team.  It was indeed a unique experience.

There I am in a tug of war match, while being splashed mud by this bystander kid

Fenglin was the first Taiwanese township to be recognized by Cittaslow International as a “Slow Town,” or a town that prides itself on its slow and easy paced lifestyle.  Located in the central Hualien Rift Valley, Fenglin is a rural town nestled between the Central Mountain Range and the Coastal Mountain Range.  The town hosts a colorful mixture of different ethnic cultures, including Hakka and indigenous Amis heritage.  Watermelons, rice, and peanuts are its main products, and the vast agricultural lands decorated with the majestic mountains in the background, provide one of the most scenic and relaxing spots in Taiwan. 

This year, the annual Mud Games will take place on Saturday, June 2 at 1:00pm.  Registration is free and open to people of all ages.  

Fenglin town is reachable by train, with daily direct trains from Taipei.  More flights and train stops are available to Hualien City station, and the town is about a 40 minute drive south of Hualien City, or by bus stop at the Formosa gas station at Nanping.  There are several resort hotels in the nearby area, as well as individually-styled bed and breakfast hostels, perfect for a relaxing yet fun-filled holiday for people of all ages. 

Follow updates for registration information on the official facebook site of this event, search 找到田國際泥巴運動會 

Muddy but lots of fun for everyone