Sunday, April 21, 2013

Melaleuca

This tree is growing bigger at Toucheng Leisure Farm premises and look at its
beautiful leaves.
 It is an endemic specie ro Australia that's why its other name is Australian Tea tree.
 The Australian natives used to chew its young leaves for medical purposes like alleviating headache or other ailments.

This tree belongs to the myrtle family and famous for its cleansing  and natural soothing
properties.

Sunday, April 14, 2013

ABS- CBN TV media from the Philppines

A group from the ABS CBN media visited the Cang Jiu Winery last April
14 for a visit and recording of the special restaurant of Toucheng Leisure Farm in the Mountain.
The ABS-CBN is a major commercial TV network in the Philippines. It is the largest, oldest and leading network of the country.
 
ABS - Alto Broadcasting System
CBN- Chronicle Broadcasting Network
This is the meal they consumed and many more.
The carps swimming at the Winery's open aquarium is also an attraction!
 
Cheers! to our hostess, Mandy who was so hospitable and welcoming to the guests.
 
 
Photographers in action!
 
Some pictures taken at the Winery...
 

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Five colors & flavors sweet rice balls soup

 
At the snack bar of Toucheng Leisure Farm corridor, we have a newly created traditional snack.
This snack is made of glutinous rice and mixed with different flavors to make it colorful.
 
It is mixed with sugar syrup to attract your eyes and delight your tongue!
 
Would you like to guess which flavor each color taste?
 
Here's the secret:
 
white - original rice flavor
yellow - pumpkin flavor
red - a special chinese herb
green- some green vegetables
brown - brown sugar flavor
 
Visit us and taste these traditional snacks to your delight!!

Friday, April 5, 2013

Ficus elastica


 
 A huge tree grows at the Farm animals area which keep the goats cool during summer.

If you have been to this place you see how tall it is!

Fius elastica or rubber tree is a large banyan tree which can grow up to 40 meters high. It originated from Northeast India and South Indonesia, and sometimes we call it Indian rubber tree.
 
 
 
 
Ficus elastica produces a milky white latex which was used to make rubber.
It is different from the main source of rubber which is the Para rubber tree.
 
Make sure you keep out from this tree's latex as it could irritate your skin or eyes and could be fatal when consumed.

Horsetail reed plant

One special plant grows  at Toucheng Leisure Farm which has survived on earth for millions of years, they say!
 This hallow, leafless and jointed plant is also slender, are green tubes, segmented, grows vertically and resembles a horse' tail, that's why its called so!
Summertime, they can grow "fatter" and they can serve as materials for games or other
activities.
 
But what amazes me is: pulling them from the segmented part, makes it stronger and its roots generates, but cutting it will slow down its growth.
(Thanks to Wikipedia for the information).

Erythrina caffra Tree

Erythrina caffra, the coastal coral tree, is a South eastern African native tree.
It has an orange-scarlet flowers and tiny coral-red seeds, and its other vernacular name is "flame flowers",
You can watch this colorful, attractive tree near the stairs going up to the new
Parking lot.
As its flowers fall down the stairs, they are as delicate like the ones on the tree, until they dry up 
as days go by.

This simple beauty of nature decorate Toucheng Leisure Farm, and "enflame' the hearts of many guests coming here.

you have to see it for yourself to really enjoy this beauty.

 

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Walleriana Impatiens

Impatiens flowers are seen in almost every corner or the mountains and plains of Yilan County.
 The scientific name of this ever flowering plant is Impatiens, which has hundreds of species.
In the U.K. they are also called "busy lizzie".
 This double impatiens flower variety now can be seen in the Farm's garden.
This attractive flower comes in various colors of red, pink, white or orange.
 A double impatiens variety, too!

All impatiens flowers taste bitter and a little toxic when ingested.
Their common name is "touch-me-not",which refer to their seeds capsules.
When these seeds matures, they "explode" when touched, thus scattering seeds several meters away
and propagating them rapidly.

We play with the seeds, touch and watch them explode during the tour as I did when I was young!

Bird's nest fern

Asplenium nidus or bird's-nest fern is a tropical Asian native fern.
(Polypodiaceae)
This lovely fern with  apple-green fronds can grow up to 50-150 cm long.
They propagate by division or by spores which can be found under its fronds
when matured.
Here at Toucheng Leisure Farm, they are a common sight and gives delight and freshness to the beholder!
 As you walk along the pathways, enjoy their beauty and keep some memories like photos as I did!
It did gave inspiration to the architects of the Bird's-Nest Stadium used during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China!

Welcome to Toucheng Leisure Farm on your next holiday.

Don't miss this beautiful sight!

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