In March 1923, the Japanese established rice fields in Zhuzihu to plant a type of japonica rice which was named penglai rice in 1926. Zhuzihu is therefore honored as the hometown of penglai rice because of its important role as the source of the seed stock of this uniquely Taiwanese rice. As 2014 is the 88th anniversary of the naming of penglai rice it is only right that Zhuzihu should be recognized for its significance to Taiwan’s rice industry. 

In 1928, the Japonica Rice Seed Farm Office in Zhuzihu was opened. The office was closed down at a later date after the fields declined, and the ground was later used by the Department of Defense as the Mei He Learning Center. In order to restore it to its role as the home of penglai rice, the Department of Defense returned the land to the YMS Park Service in 2010. 

The Chinese character for rice （米） looks like a combination of the characters for 88 （八十八） so an 88th anniversary in Taiwan is called a "rice birthday." Since Taiwan's penglai rice was named 88 years ago it will be its rice birthday this year. The Northern Taiwan Penglai Rice Promotion League and the Yangmingshan National Park Headquarters, National Taiwan University Iso Eikichi Association, National Taiwan University Department of Agronomy, and the Zhuzihu Community Industry Development Cooperative will jointly host a series of rice birthday events. 

For the rice celebration events, on April 24 （Thursday） the Iso Eikichi Association will invite the National Taiwan University Department of Agronomy's Honorary Professor Hsieh Jaw-shu to talk on the theme "Rice Birthday, Penglai, The Future" at National Taiwan University. This event will be open to the public. 

On April 25 （Fri）, at the regenerated rice fields of Dinghu （Zhuzihu）, we invite school teachers and students from the surrounding area to participate in a rice growing activity. From April 26 to 27 （Sat-Sun） there will be an exhibition of old pictures, videos, and guide services at the historic Japonica Rice Seed Farm Office in Zhuzihu （originally the Mei He Center） building. On April 28 （Mon） the community and our staff will begin plowing the fields at Dinghu and planting rice seedlings. 

For more information about the Penglai Rice 88th Anniversary celebrations, please visit the Yangmingshan National Park website （http://www.ymsnp.gov.tw）, the Iso Eikichi website http://iso-house.agron.ntu.edu.tw/index.html, or the Zhuzihu Penglai Rice Farm Recovery Club Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ZhuZiHuClub.