A community walking tour in Tainan is connecting people to local food, crafts, and the story of the Zengwen River — a positive, feel-good look at reviving an old sugarcane village.

• A food studio held a walking meal event in Zongye village, Madou, Tainan, taking people through the community on foot to hear its history.
• Guests learned about the area's old sugarcane industry, local faith and temples, and why the flood-prone, often-shifting Zengwen River was nicknamed the "blind snake."
• The meal used food grown mainly along the river, like rice from Xiaying, served with containers and cloths made using local bamboo weaving and plant dyeing.
• Guests also visited a 70-year-old house under repair and made rice balls by hand, tying the food back to the land.

Outlook: A second 70-year-old house is set to be restored by year's end, part of a push to draw more owners of old homes and young people into reviving Madou.