New Addition to the Changhua County Muslim Industry Chain! The “Magical Mushrooms Tribe” leisure farm in Puxin Township, Changhua County was certified as a Muslim Friendly Environment by the “International Muslim Tourism Industry Development Association” in December last year (2019) and was presented with the certificate yesterday (18th). The Magical Mushrooms Tribe is the first business in Changhua County to be certified as an environment suitable for Muslim recreation and leisure.
According to Magical Mushrooms Tribe, the farm attracts crowds of visitors every weekend. The giant mushroom-shaped ticketing booth by the road is its most distinctive landmark, while the farm itself contains many family-friendly activities and facilities including the fungus cultivation area, event lawn, health restaurant, specialty shops, mini-locomotive, and DIY spaces. The founder quit his high-paying job and became a mushroom farmer because he loved eating mushrooms so much. Knowing that traditional cultivation relies on heavy use of chemicals to control pests and bacteria, he focused on the cultivation of organic mushrooms. He not only traveled around the world to study different methods of cultivation but also made the promotion of family leisure, eco-tourism and LOHAS cuisine his goals. The Magical Mushrooms Tribe leisure farm was established in 2009 and has now obtained the Muslim Friendly Environment certification. Halal restaurant certification is now being applied for as well. People of all ages as well as followers of Islam are welcome to come explore the world of fungi in Taiwan and embark on a fun fungus journey.
The Changhua County Government Department of City and Tourism said that the 1.8 billion Muslims in the world accounted for approximately one-quarter of the global population. Around 60% live in Asia as well. Last year, more than 660,000 visitors to Taiwan came from major Muslim countries in Asia such as Indonesia and Malaysia. The county government has been actively promoting Muslim-related certifications to help Changhua County businesses take advantage of the global Muslim market. The “2020 Changhua County Symposium on Muslim Tourism” held in February 13 this year provided businesses with an overview of current Muslim tourism in Taiwan, hosting tips, and halal-certification. The symposium was enthusiastically received by 46 local businesses and improved their understanding of Muslim tourist culture, taboos, dietary habits and certification information. The county government will continue to assist businesses with obtaining Muslim-related certification.
The county government hopes that its promotion of certifications will progressively build a Muslim friendly environment. In the future, it plans to connect the tourism resources of nearby regions such as Taichung City, Nantou County, and Yunlin County to expand travel itineraries from points to counties and then to entire regions. The building of tourism word-of-mouth among Muslim tourists will help win them over so they can eat without fear and play to their hearts’ content when they come to Changhua.