If you want to have a taste of rural life without leaving the city, Guandu in Taipei might be the place for you. Just minutes away from the city, the area has rice paddies and plenty of wildlife. To attract day-trippers, a local foundation has turned the rice paddies into a piece of art made with rice plants in different colors. Let''s take a look.

This greenery is among the last rice paddy in Taipei. It now bears an artwork made using different rice varieties designed by the Chi-Seng Water Management Research & Development Foundation. The picture on green field features seven stars, referencing the foundation''s name, an ox representing diligence and a bird representing the migratory birds in the area.

Chou Shih-wen
Chi-Seng management foundation
The first element in our painted rice field is the seven stars representing us. The second is an ox, representing the hard work of cultivating this land. There''s also a bird. We have a lot of migratory birds passing through Guandu, which just shows how healthy and natural this area is.

The paddy field is over 100 years old. By turning the field into a green canvas, the association hopes to preserve traditional rice culture and grow people''s appreciation for the Guandu plain.

Chou Shih-wen
Chi-Seng management foundation
This is a continuation of the 2020 Guandu plain rice paddy art event. We''d like to thank Taipei''s Department of Economic Development and the Irrigation Agency''s Chising Management Office under the Executive Yuan''s Council of Agriculture. They cooperated with us to promote the rice field drawings here in Guandu. Our goal is to let Taipei residents know that there''s a place in the citythat you can visit to relax and learn about rural life.

For those that would rather stay at home, the association has a video captured with a drone, offering a bird eye-view over the living artwork.