In his prime years, he went to the countryside to farm, going from being lost to leading the way, becoming a new force in rural revitalization

In recent years, young people returning to their hometowns has been all the rage, but it is not necessarily common for people in their prime years to go down to the countryside to work on rural villages. The Rural Regeneration Act has been in force for nearly 5 years, with a planned budget of 150 billion yuan, guiding nearly 4,000 farming and fishing villages across Taiwan toward "transformation." In practice, however, many people in their prime years who work on rural villages run into problems of difficult communication and being questioned as "outsiders." The Council of Agriculture therefore set up the "Pilot Award," hoping to select 30 elites to go to Japan to learn from experience and deepen the existing foundation of rural regeneration.

From city to countryside: Xie Yaqing, as an outsider, opened a farm and took up rural regeneration

The Rural Regeneration Act has been in force for nearly 5 years. Looking back at the various controversies at the time of legislation, including the allocation of 150 billion in funding, how to deepen engagement with local residents, and the need for more integrated planning by the competent authorities, Chen Rongjun, head of the Rural Construction Division of the Soil and Water Conservation Bureau, believes that efforts are still moving toward the comprehensive goal of "production, livelihood, and ecology."

As for the most urgent aspect, the regeneration of the rural "industry," Chen Rongjun said the Soil and Water Conservation Bureau will integrate resources according to local specialty industries, regional industries, or a "service industry" that combines tourism, culture, and ecology. "The most important thing is to first use the 'empowerment program' to help residents change their thinking and get to know themselves."

In order to expand the number of people driving rural regeneration and give different regions opportunities for exchange, the Council of Agriculture hopes to select 30 "rural heroes" who have made contributions in industry, ecology, and the aesthetics of daily life, and send them to visit rural villages in Japan, so as to deepen the results of rural regeneration in Taiwan.