Have you ever been to Jingshan Road or Pingjing Street up in Yangmingshan National Park? If you follow the trail from Cingtian Temple in Beitou up to Mientianping, you will probably wonder why places like "Dingjingque," "Zhongjingque," and "Xiajingque" have such unique-sounding names. The "jing" in all of these names actually refers to Assam indigo （Strobilanthes flaccidifolius Nees）, also known as "dajing" in Mandarin Chinese. Assam indigo was introduced in Northern Taiwan in the early 19th century by colonial Dutch, and was widely cultivated in the valleys of Yangmingshan for the production of indigo dye. "Que" is how pits or small ponds are pronounced in Taiwanese, so "jingque" literally means round or square pits molded out of stone near the natural creeks of Yangmingshan. Harvested Assam indigo is soaked in these pitted ponds, left to ferment and sediment, then sifted and drained to obtain mud indigo, a silt-like blue dye used for fabric coloring.
Nature in all its bounty provides us with countless beautiful colors that can be extracted from common flowers, plants, medicinal herbs, and fruit and vegetable peels. Natural dyes can be easily made within a few hours even in your own home, making it the perfect pastime for a fun and relaxing weekend. Join us for an exciting tale that delves into the rich history and precious art of herbal dyeing.

The Yangmingshan National Park Headquarters invites you to take part in "Explore the Beauty and Wonder of Indigo Dye: An Ecological Adventure," a special tour designed for families and individuals that showcases both the natural beauty of Yangmingshan and the wonderful history of indigo dye production. For those interested in the art of herbal dyeing and ecological history of Assam indigo cultivation, please join us on September 20 or September 21, 2014 for a unique day's journey into breathtaking nature and the fascinating art of indigo dyeing. For event registration, please visit the Yangmingshan National Park Headquarters official website （http://www.ymsnp.gov.tw） starting at 9:00AM, August 20, 2014 and select the News section for latest information on "Explore the Beauty and Wonder of Indigo Dye: An Ecological Adventure" online event registration. Participation is limited, so please be sure to register early! The event fee is NT$1,200 per participant.