The "Indigenous Brew" of the East Longitudinal Valley! The 2026 East Longitudinal Valley Festival: Tribal Food Paradise Officially Launches-East Longitudinal Valley National Scenic Area

Organized by the East Longitudinal Valley National Scenic Area Headquarters, Tourism Administration, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (hereinafter the Valley Headquarters), the East Longitudinal Valley Festival: Tribal Food Paradise—now entering its sixth year—was held at the Luoshan Visitor Center in Hualien from August 20 to 23. This year's event is themed "Indigenous Brew," with August 20–21 designated for corporate outdoor banquet and August 22–23 for public activities. Drawing inspiration from the brewing traditions passed down through generations of indigenous peoples, the event extends into a life philosophy of land, time, and sharing. More than one hundred tribal partners came together to participate, bringing visitors into the East Longitudinal Valley through signature cuisine, cultural experiences, a tribal market, and live music performances—offering a taste of the cultural flavors and everyday vitality nurtured by the land.

This year's East Longitudinal Valley Festival: Tribal Food Paradise expanded to four days for the first time. During the first two days (August 20–21), corporate outdoor banquet was introduced, inviting tribal partners from the East Longitudinal Valley to collaborate on menu design, bringing forest ingredients, traditional food culture, and contemporary culinary creativity to the table. This year, the dining setting was specially placed among rice paddies, allowing guests to be seated amid the sunset and valley scenery. Through food, music, and cultural sharing, visitors experienced the East Longitudinal Valley's distinctive approach to hospitality. The corporate outdoor banquet also continued to offer a variety of charity ticket categories. Over the two days, 11 corporations and members of the public lent their support and participation, sponsoring a combined total of 48 local children from Hualien and Taitung to attend the event and engage with the culture of their hometown—turning a dining experience into not just a journey, but a meaningful and sustainable act of cultural exchange and heritage preservation.

The public activities on August 22 and 23 continued the diverse programming that has long been beloved by visitors, including unique experiences Outdoor Picnic Feast, Mountain Hunting Ground, House of Aesthetics, and Mumu Kitchen; captivating performances on the Valley Stage, and a curated outdoor market featuring distinctive local labels. From food and crafts to cultural experiences and live music, every element was woven around this year's "Indigenous Brew" theme to present the rich and authentic cultural character of the East Longitudinal Valley. Visitors could not only savor signature dishes crafted from local ingredients and tribal culinary wisdom, but also take part firsthand in a variety of cultural activities—engaging all the senses of taste, smell, sight, and sound to indulge in the deep brewing heritage and magnetic allure of the land.

Yesterday (August 22), the East Longitudinal Valley Festival: Tribal Food Paradise officially opened. The opening ceremony began with the Bunun Bean Group—a group of Bunun elders from Zhuoxi Township—whose melodious traditional songs set a moving tone, showcasing the profound cultural heritage of the Bunun people through music passed down across generations. Distinguished guests in attendance included Legislator Huang Jian-Bin, Legislator Lin Qian-Qi; Su Mei-Lang, Executive Director of the office of Legislator Lu Xian-Yi; Chen Zheng-Xu, Director of the office of Legislator Fu Kun-Chi; Pan Wu-Ben, Township Representative from the office of Legislator Chen Ying; Huang Qun-Ce, Director of the Hualien Regional Branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, Ministry of Agriculture; and Zeng Zhi-De, Section Chief of the Eastern Taiwan Joint Services Center, Executive Yuan. Tourism Administration Director-General Chen Yu-Hsiu, Legislator Huang Jian-Bin, and Legislator Lin Qian-Qi jointly participated in the blessing and launch ceremony alongside tribal partners and visitors, bearing witness to the event's opening. Together they immersed themselves in the tribal cuisine, cultural experiences, curated market, and live performances, feeling the abundant cultural energy and warm atmosphere of the East Longitudinal Valley.

Experiencing the Unique Charm of the East Longitudinal Valley Festival, Tourism Administration Director-General and Legislators Join Forces to Promote International Tourism in Hualien and Taitung

Director-General Chen Yu-Hsiu noted that, although several scenic area headquarters were holding events simultaneously that day, she has a particular fondness for the East Longitudinal Valley Festival—drawn in by Eastern Taiwan's distinctive natural scenery and cultural character. Surrounded by the Central Mountain Range and the Coastal Mountain Range, the East Longitudinal Valley offers breathtaking starry skies overhead and is blessed with exceptional geographical conditions. The light, mist-like drizzle at the opening brought a refreshing coolness that made for a wonderful start to the event. The Director-General also remarked with a smile that, although she wasn't able to attend in person last year, the stunning valley photos had already become the "star attraction" of her Facebook page. This year, she was finally able to witness its beauty firsthand. She expressed her hope that the valley's rich tribal experiences can one day be brought to the international stage, allowing the world to discover the allure of in-depth tourism in Taiwan.

Legislator Huang Jian-Bin strongly agreed with Director-General Chen's sentiments, noting that the East Longitudinal Valley has given rise to a landscape of exceptional character that blends seamlessly with local indigenous culture, creating an incomparable and distinctive charm. He said it is highly worth recommending to the world and expressed his anticipation that more international visitors will come to discover the beauty of the valley.

Legislator Lin Qian-Qi expressed her firm belief that, with the active support of the Tourism Administration and central government agencies, the East Longitudinal Valley and the eastern coastline will soon demonstrate their potential as world-class destinations. She pledged that the Legislative Yuan will do its utmost to work in concert with administrative bodies, continuing to promote tourism in Hualien and Taitung and actively advancing environmental protection, while also calling on distinguished guests and the public to offer greater support and care for local communities.

Huang Chun-Tse, Director of the Hualien Regional Branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency under the Ministry of Agriculture, added that the agency and the Valley Headquarters have long collaborated closely with no barriers on tribal sustainable development, in-depth tourism, and ecotourism. The Hualien Regional Branch will continue to play the role of a "companion to the tribes," deepening resource sharing with the Valley Headquarters to expand and enrich the ecological and cultural tourism offerings of the East Longitudinal Valley, so that everyone may share in the fruitful outcomes of the valley's development. He also extended his best wishes for the success of this event.

Now in its sixth year, the East Longitudinal Valley Festival: Tribal Food Paradise continues to reinvent itself. From cool summer vibes, myths and legends, planting seeds of healing, and food preservation, to this year's theme of indigenous brewing, the event brings the flavors and cultural wisdom that can only be cultivated over time, showcasing the deep and ever-growing cultural vitality of the East Longitudinal Valley. In closing, Valley Headquarters Director Hsu Tsung-Min extended special thanks to all the visitors and corporations who participated in this year's East Longitudinal Valley Festival—particularly for their support of the corporate outdoor banquet. He invited everyone to join in passing on cultural values and educational meaning by taking part in the East Longitudinal Valley Festival: Tribal Food Paradise, an event that is as fun as it is sustainable.