Ford – love Taiwan the Eco-culture tour

The most beautiful garden of Taiwan – Taidong, making a lot of people to fail in love with the beauty and pureness of this land. “Ford – love Taiwan the Eco-culture tour” will travel through Huatung Valley under the wonderful sunshine of July. The tour will visit the scene of the culture and people. In their attitude of living, hoping to see the meaning of travel again.

Because of leaving, finding back the flavor of life

“Chishang Flair” is a dessert shop, besides the good tasted dessert, it is famous for offering “free accommodation”. The owner of the shop is a couple: Carol and Xiao Wu. Xiao Wu is a photographer; Carol is a substitute teacher. They love traveling and have traveled all around Taiwan. Last year, they have finally find a sense of belonging in Chishang. They are deeply attracted by the atmosphere here in Chishang. Xiao Wu said goodbye to Taipei and came to Chishang to catch more touching scene and flavor of life. As a substitute teacher, Carol never set limits to her life. She likes to experience different countryside life. She has stayed in Yilan and Miaoli. Now, she is teaching at the Hairui Elementary School. “Most of people move to Taidong because they are teaching here. I move to Chishang for living. So, I come to Taidong to teach.”

Breakthrough the blind spot of the untrusty between people, couch surfing stimulates positive energy

The popular couch surfing around the world has encountered difficulty in Taiwan because of the distance between people and lack of trust. Xiao Wu and Carol hope to change this part. Chishang Flair not only sells dessert and opens its door to tourists coming from different locations for free.

If you read the guestbook in Chishang Flair, the basic unit is in “page”, which are all filled with the rich feelings from the tourists. The postcards sending from all over the world are sticked on the wall. Many postcard starts with this “My dearest family from Chishang Flair…” Chishang Flair is the recharger station in the journey, places to dump the sorrows, releasing the pressure, and where strangers become friends. This is the charm of the Chishang Flair. Here has no TV, no fast speed wifi. Therefore, people are forced to have conversation. They hope every stranger that stepped into the room can become friends. People who brought sorrow and pressure with them, will leave the place with energy and start their journey again.

A space filled with stories

Carol once invited screenwriters from Hong Kong to share working experience in the school she works. She hopes that children can expand their world by getting to know people from different area. So they can have more imagination about the future besides studying. As a teacher, Carol has more to expect on the future of Chishang Flair. She hopes to offer resources for students from needy families. So, the needy families don’t have to pay for the expensive tuition.

Living in “Chishang Flair”, people who spend the night their will eat and chat in the living room. There are also guests from Singapore, Hong Kong, Germany, French and all over the world. So they can share their own stories. In the journey, Xiao Wu and Carol has kept their enthusiastic. They hope to shorten the distance between people. This living attitude has become their sense of belonging and creating the unique Chishang Flair for travelers. Everyone can come here to discover the meaning of traveling.

Distance – cannot limit the greatness of dream

As a teacher, Carol has kept a hope and vision to set up special space for students coming from rural places and leads them to learn and grow. For also believes that active companion and care can prevent the limitation the distance has put on the greatness of dream. The geographic distance can be conquered. But how to transfer the distance between the souls.

Education has played major role in Ford’s global Corporate Social Responsibility. In Taiwan, Ford works closely with the non-profit organization – “Teach for Taiwan” (TFT) and fights for the education in rural places. Taidong is one of the starting points for TFT. The teachers servicing the first events have started here for the two-year teaching. So the students will not lose their basic right of having a long-term companionship of teachers and their caring.

Now, it is the third year since TFT has launched in Taiwan. Now, there is totally 29 teachers servicing in five main areas. Ford Education special forces have working hard with the teachers, who work in the front line. Every day, they travel with the teachers, as teachers’ transportation, and children’s playmate. So, teachers can bring the children out of their hometown and get to know different people.

The three years result of TFT has not only shown in the good feedback from the professional education organizations, but also the students’ progress, increased confidence, and more smiles. Ford has also announced this year to support the TFT’s development in long term. They aim to turn the education around and push for a gentle revolution.

Ford always believe, moving is not just moving from A to B. It cares about every flower and every grass in the journey, welcome every one that meet in the journey. The true meaning of travel is to feel the power of Taiwan. This is what “Ford – love Taiwan the Eco-culture tour” hope to bring, finding the right attitude to live. Let the detail in the trip to bring us a brand new feeling and expand the vision. The world is so big, and life can be so different.

“Ford – love Taiwan the Eco-culture tour”: the mysterious route “the fallen royalty by the Zhuoshui creek, reproducing the modern arts – Yunlin Xiluo” will start in August 6^th. More information please find on the activity website of “Ford – love Taiwan the Eco-culture tour”. Or, you can call the Ford Show Center in Taiwan and sign up for yourself and your family.