Zhuo Ye Cottage (卓也小屋) is a nostalgic leisure farm located in central Taiwan’s Miaoli County. It is like a retreat away from the turmoil of the world and is an awesome destination for those who want to experience country life and explore traditional Hakka culture.
Please watch the following video of “A Nostalgic Leisure Farm in Taiwan.”
With red lanterns hanging outside the cottages and spring festival couplets pasted on the front doors, visitors may have the feeling of entering a rustic village when strolling along the main alley of the cottage compound.
In addition to its quaint cottages, the compound also comes with a unique vegetarian restaurant, a café, an indigo dyeing house, an indigo dyeing shop, and a beautiful garden.
History
Zhuo Ye Cottage was founded in 2004 in central Taiwan’s Taichung City by a couple, both of whom have master’s degrees in agriculture. The husband, surnamed Zhuo, used to be engaged in a landscaping business, while his wife was a high school teacher.
The couple purchased this piece of long-abandoned land covering an area of 0.7 hectares (1.7 acres) to realize the husband’s childhood dream of creating a “village” featuring a traditional Taiwanese ambiance.
They started with flora planting in the compound. After they put in the effort to explore this farm over the past 10 years or so, it has turned into a vintage-inspired compound with unique characteristics.
Cottages
Scattered on the two sides of the main alley and the adjacent trails thick with trees and bamboo are various barn-shaped cottages and other traditional Taiwanese-style cottages.
Each cottage is different and unique. The guest rooms are spacious and equipped with other amenities, such as a large bathtub with a good mountain view, a king-size bed, and even a small living room, a patio, and a Jacuzzi tub.
Visitors can hear the crowing of the rooster, quacking of the ducks or geese, chirping of the birds, and even the insects calling and seemingly responding to each other around the guest rooms.
Restaurant
The restaurant has various dining areas in separate traditional wooden houses around a placid duck pond. They are nestled in a small forest filled with lush trees, bamboo, and other plants and beautiful flowers. All of the dining areas have big windows that allow visitors to take in the natural beauty while enjoying their meals.
The restaurant is open to all guests, including non-lodging visitors. It only serves Hakka vegetarian dishes, but all of them are very unique and delicious. Among them is a vegetarian hot pot that is the signature item of the restaurant. Additionally, self-service ice cream with various flavors is available for free.
Indigo dyeing
Zhou Ye Cottage’s claim to fame is not merely its vintage cottages and tasty Hakka vegetarian food. Another good thing about this farm is its indigo dyeing operation.
To promote the declining Hakka culture of indigo dyeing, not only did Zhou Ye Cottage establish a studio in 2015, but it has also planted indigo dyeing raw materials on the farm.
In order to allow visitors to experience making their own indigo dyeing cloth, DIY workshops are conducted in the studio all year round. Additionally, Zhuo Ye Cottage has invited indigo artists, craftsmen, and designers to create an innovative business model for the sustainable development of this traditional Hakka culture.
Combining agriculture and craftsmanship, Zhuo Ye Cottage has set a good example for the leisure tourism industry in Taiwan. It also created its own brand name in 2014, and its indigo dyeing products have won several international awards.
Indeed, Zhou Ye Cottage is not only an ideal destination to enjoy tasty Hakka vegetarian meals and experience Hakka culture, but it is also a paradise where visitors will be in for a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of city life.
