Slow Taitung
Part of Taiwan Digital Fest (TDF), Taiwan’s largest and most iconic digital nomad festival, bringing together global nomads, creators, entrepreneurs, and local communities across Taiwan. Learn more at fest.dna.org.tw.
Slow Taitung | How Taitung Operates: Unlocking the Local System
Discover the beauty of Taitung, and the logic that sustains it.
Many fall in love with Taitung for its "slow" pace, but behind this tranquility lies a sophisticated and vibrant operating system. This seminar dives deep into the internal logic of Taitung, exploring how the region functions through the lenses of design, slow food, local media, education, agritourism, and community incubation.
We believe that Taitung’s charm is no accident; it is a meticulously built "local system" crafted by dedicated practitioners over the years. This session invites outsiders to move beyond mere observation and truly understand the collaborative effort that makes Taitung a sustainable and enchanting destination.
Key Discussion Pillars:
Design & Aesthetics: How local branding reflects the spirit of the land.
Slow Food & Agritourism: Building a sustainable ecosystem from farm to table.
Media & Narrative: The role of local media in capturing and amplifying authentic voices.
Education & Social Good: Connecting grassroots education with community growth.
System Synergy: Exploring how different sectors intertwine to form a resilient local network.
Speaker Introduction
1.Co-living: Not Just Living, but Redefining Life
Speaker:Scott
Organization & Title:都蘭共好Co-Living Space
Brief Professional Introduction
I run a co-living space in Dulan, Taitung, exploring how people live, work, and connect through slow, shared living.
Topic Description
Co-living is often seen as shared accommodation, but it goes far beyond that. In Taitung, it becomes a space to explore new ways of living—where work, rest, and human connection naturally blend. This talk shares real experiences from running a co-living space in Dulan, revealing both the beauty and challenges of shared living. From cultural differences to everyday negotiations in shared spaces, co-living invites us to rethink boundaries, community, and belonging. It is not about perfect harmony, but about learning how to live together. In a slower place like Taitung, co-living becomes a practice—of awareness, contribution, and redefining what a meaningful life can be.
2.From Experience to Co-Creation: Reimagining Local Work in Taitung
Speaker:釧南雁 Nanyen
Organization & Title:Founder of Imagine Taitung & Chairperson of the Red Oolong Cooperative
Brief Professional Introduction
釧南雁 (Nanyen) is the founder of XiangXiang Taitung and Chairperson of the Red Oolong Cooperative. She focuses on developing talent training programs for experiential tourism and building integrated platforms that connect local industries with international markets.
Topic Description
This talk draws on hands-on experience in Luye, Taitung, exploring how local agricultural products, immersive experiences, and community partnerships can be integrated into a cohesive model. It further introduces an emerging approach in which international travelers are not only participants, but active co-creators of local value and work.
Many rural industries lack global connections, while digital nomads often lack meaningful roles within local contexts. Through an “experience co-creation” model, this approach aims to bridge both gaps. By combining training and collaboration, nomads can transform their participation into roles such as experience facilitators, content creators, or market promoters—generating income while amplifying local impact.
As an ongoing experiment, this initiative seeks to connect local communities with global networks, and invites potential collaborators to join in shaping a more integrated and sustainable future.
3.Coexistence of Local Industries
Speaker:謝政義 Nathan
Organization & Title:COO, Dagedan House Group
Brief Professional Introduction
Born into the Rukai community, he spent his early years in rural Taitung before moving to Taichung for his education from junior high through university. After serving in the military, a photo of his mother harvesting millet inspired him to return home and support his family’s farming.
Topic Description
This talk explores how to find a balance between tourism development and environmental sustainability. It begins with a group of individuals from different industries and communities who independently practiced sustainable values, eventually forming the South-Link Sustainable Travel Alliance.
The alliance is built on three core principles: cultural sustainability, behavioral sustainability, and ecological sustainability. Through education, local collaboration, and integrating sustainability into business operations, the alliance demonstrates how economic value and local revitalization can coexist.
By creating a support system for those returning to their hometowns, mutual assistance becomes the key to helping partners quickly establish sustainable business models. Over the past decade, these efforts have grown from individual practices into a regional movement, shaping the South-Link area into a unique and sustainable tourism network.
This journey also serves as a reminder: never lose sight of one’s core profession, as it is the foundation for contributing to public initiatives and driving long-term local development.