Tainan Farm-to-Table Tour | Yujian Happy Farm Guantian Seasonal Farming Experience | Water Caltrop Picking, Mango Picking, Family Food & Agriculture Education

- Highlights -

• Follow the seasonal farming cycles and step into the rural daily life of Guantian.

Every water caltrop, bowl of rice, and bite of summer mango has spent a long time being nurtured by farmers and the land before reaching your table.

Visit Yujian Happy Farm in Guantian, Tainan, and start your journey right in the fields where the work happens. Through harvesting, planting, or field observations, you will learn the true origins of your food and add a memory of connecting with the land to the flavors you know so well. Spring brings the tart fragrance of green mangoes, summer invites you into orchards and water caltrop fields, August is for learning about rice transplanting, autumn involves harvesting water caltrops, and winter focuses on sesame flowers and bees. Throughout the four seasons, you can understand Guantian in different ways.

• Guantian Local Stories | A Landscape Interwoven with Waterways, Settlements, and Agriculture

Located in the agricultural belt of the Chianan Plain in Tainan, Guantian features a landscape where paddy fields, orchards, and dry farmland shift with the seasons. The Wushantou Reservoir and the Chianan Irrigation Canal are essential clues to understanding local irrigation and agricultural development; the daily lives of farmers unfold in accordance with water sources, weather, and crop rotations.

Guantian was formerly known as Guantian (官佃), and the Guantian District established in 1901 serves as a node in local administrative development. Along the settlements and fields, you can see the traces left by years of agricultural life. At Yujian Happy Farm, you can experience the rhythm of life that continues on this land through the farming activities still taking place today.

• Home of Water Caltrops | Understanding Guantian Through a Single Leaf

In autumn, water caltrops give the paddy fields their most iconic look. The water caltrops we usually eat are hidden among the leaves on the water's surface, and harvesting them requires farmers to be familiar with both the crop and the field conditions. From summer planting to autumn harvesting, follow the growth of a water caltrop and rediscover the industry landscape where Guantian and its paddy fields are inextricably linked.

• Guantian Mangoes | Spring Tartness, Summer Sweetness

Guantian's agricultural story also includes mangoes. In spring, green mangoes are harvested, connecting to the familiar taste of 'lover's fruit' (pickled green mango) in Taiwan. In summer, step into the Irwin mango orchards to learn about fruit ripening and harvesting. From green to ripe, and from fresh consumption to processing, every method of utilization responds to the different life stages of the crop, allowing travelers to see how farmers plan their annual production.

• Hu Yu-Jian's Story of Returning Home | Planting Happiness Back into the Land

Hu Yu-Jian originally worked in plastic injection molding for automotive headlights. Facing the aging of his parents and the needs of the family farm, he chose to return to Guantian. He started from scratch, learning through agricultural courses, exchanges with young farmers, and hands-on field work, gradually accumulating methods to care for the land.

With the philosophy of 'Planting with heart, eating with peace of mind,' Yujian Happy Farm manages crops such as rice, mangoes, water caltrops, and sesame, while also transforming seasonal farm work into experiences that travelers can participate in. Happiness can be a harvest nurtured with care, or the moment a child first understands where their food comes from. This trip invites you to step into the season where farmers are currently at work.

• Seasonal Farming Experiences | Different Packages Available Based on Harvest Seasons

1. Early Spring - Field Harvesting | Late February to Mid-March

   Rediscover familiar agricultural products from the market by learning about their growth and harvesting methods. The specific crops and activities for early spring will be announced after confirmation by the farm; booking is currently unavailable.

2. Spring - Green Mango Harvesting x Lover's Fruit | Late March to Early May

   The sweet and tart taste of lover's fruit begins with a single green mango. Step into the orchard to participate in harvesting native mangoes or Jin Huang mangoes and learn how to make lover's fruit, while understanding the stages of fruit maturity and different ways to consume them. The actual varieties, production, and take-home items depend on the confirmed package.

3. Midsummer - Irwin Mango Picking | Late June to Mid-July

   Irwin mangoes in the orchard are the most direct memory of the season. Learn about ripening and harvesting from the fruit on the trees, and connect every sweet bite back to the farmer's year-long care. The fee includes one take-home portion per person; the specifications for each portion of Irwin mangoes and additional purchase prices are to be confirmed.

4. Summer - Water Caltrop Planting | Late June to Mid-July

   Before the autumn harvest, learn about the summer planting work. Starting from the paddy field environment and water caltrop growth, understand how a season of harvest begins. Planting methods and field arrangements are subject to confirmation by the farm.

5. Midsummer - Rice Transplanting | August

   The rice we eat every day starts as a seedling in the field. Through the rice transplanting experience, feel the relationship between the land, water, and rice cultivation, and connect a bowl of rice back to the site of agricultural work.

6. Autumn - Guantian Water Caltrop Harvesting | Mid-October to Mid-November

   Search for fruit among the leaves on the water surface and participate in the harvest to experience Guantian's most iconic agricultural landscape. Operating methods, equipment, and the amount of harvest to take home depend on the confirmed package.

7. Winter - Sesame Flower and Bee Field Observation | Mid-November to Late December

   The fragrance of sesame oil originally comes from the tiny flowers and fruits in the field. Get up close to sesame flowers and bee activity to observe sesame growth and field ecology. Natural flowering and insect activity vary with the weather and cannot be guaranteed to be the same every time.

The above is a seasonal forecast for the whole year. Actual available dates and packages are subject to announcements after confirmation. Activities for periods not listed as harvest seasons are pending confirmation by the farm.


- Trip Information -

• Experience Area: Yujian Happy Farm fields in Guantian District, Tainan City.

• Start Time: Morning session 09:30 / Afternoon session 13:30.

• Capacity: Max. 40 people per session.

• Duration: Approx. 2 hours.

• Check-in Time: Please complete check-in before the activity starts.

• Estimated End Time: Morning session approx. 11:30 / Afternoon session approx. 15:30, adjusted according to the day's activity progress.

• Language: Chinese.

• Meeting Point: Yujian Happy Contact Office.

• Transportation: Arrive on your own, or add the shuttle service option in your KKday package.

• Meeting Address: No. 200, Duzitou, Duba Li, Guantian Dist., Tainan City (Yujian Happy Contact Office).

• Contact Person: Tsai Mei-Feng; Phone: 0912-987-838.