【2025 iNGO Academy】Youth Grand Tour × Local Revitalization × Global Perspective

The iNGO Academy aims to deepen NTU interns’ understanding of Taiwan’s spirit of sustainability and how local revitalization takes root and flourishes in rural communities. This time, 24 students—both from Taiwan and 9 other countries—headed south for a 3-day, 2-night journey through Yunlin and Chiayi, immersing themselves in Taiwan’s natural landscapes and cultural heritage through a youth grand tour themed around “Local Revitalization.”
➤ Tukuyi Cocoa Farm

In Tuku, Yunlin, a once-forgotten piggery and landfill has been reborn as the Tukuyi Cocoa Farm—a space where chocolate tells the story of local revitalization. What was once waste and silence now hums with creativity and community spirit. Visitors may come for the taste of cocoa, but they leave with something deeper: a glimpse of how agriculture, design, and imagination can transform a rural town’s future. By introducing cocoa cultivation, weaving in the wisdom of local farmers, and pairing it with the fresh ideas of young creatives, the community has created not just a product, but a brand with international recognition—one that proudly puts Yunlin on the global stage.

➤ Cayama Indigenous Community and Dena'iyu Valley in Alishan

Further south, where Kaohsiung, Tainan, and Chiayi meet, lies the Cayama Indigenous Community and the lush Dena’iyu Valley of Alishan. Here, the Tsou people remind us that sustainability is not a trend but a tradition. Their efforts go beyond conservation; they are a commitment to living in harmony with the land. Through eco-friendly farming, protecting native species, and reviving their language and craftsmanship, they breathe continuity into their culture while opening it up to the world. Young Tsou return home not just to live, but to guide, to teach, to tell stories—ensuring that the flame of heritage continues to burn.

For iNGO interns, the experience was more than observation; it was immersion. Under a sky scattered with stars and fireflies, they listened to the Tsou tale of the Fire from the Gods—a story that illuminates how belief, environment, and identity intertwine. It was a reminder that sustainability is as much about spirit and narrative as it is about policy and practice.

Over three days and two nights, students witnessed Taiwan’s central and southern communities not as static places on a map, but as living laboratories of revitalization. They saw how abandoned spaces can be reimagined, how traditions can evolve without being lost, and how communities can thrive by rooting themselves more deeply in their culture and land. More importantly, they carried home the realization that these lessons were not confined to Yunlin or Alishan, but spoke to a universal challenge: how each of us might reimagine our own paths toward a sustainable future.