The Taiwanese town of Fenglin has grown a reputation as a place where life moves slowly and people can catch their breath.
Rather than push against this rhythm, the town of around 10,000 has chosen to embrace it and make it part of its identity. Enter the snails.
Fenglin has been putting on snail races as a way to celebrate its focus on a slower, sustainable lifestyle that values healthcare, longevity and community connections while bringing in more tourists in the wake of a strong earthquake in 2024 that dampened travel in surrounding areas.
“The earthquake two years ago had a relatively big impact on tourism because people are worried an earthquake may happen again,” said Hsu Lu, a 32-year-old resident. “Many people have left Hualien because of earthquakes,” Hsu said, referring to the surrounding county and the site of frequent quakes.
Snails are one way to bring tourists back, even if slowly.
Fenglin has associated itself with snails since 2014, when it joined the Cittaslow international network of small cities focused on quality of life and locally sourced foods. Cittaslow's symbol is a snail carrying an assortment of buildings on its back.
The designation of a slow city seemed to fit Fenglin, whose population has shrunk threefold over the past few decades. Today, it is also an example of Taiwan's “super-aged” society, with more than 20% of its residents older than 65.
To help reinvigorate local tourism after the April 2024 earthquake, which killed 19 people and injured more than 1,100, Fenglin residents decided to host a snail race the following month, said organizer Cheng Jen-shou.
“We thought that our event could attract people, and that would be a small help,” he said.
This year, the town held the third edition of the race over the May Day holiday.
Several dozen enthusiastic residents and tourists attended the event, which featured six snail races spaced out over two days. The winners from each race competed in the final, but not before posing in front of their audiences while slowly being pulled on a piece of plywood across a green carpet as their fans cheered them on.
Snail race attracts dozens from near and far
Li Cheng-wen, a 70-year-old retiree from Fenglin, brought several snails to the race. He caught them in his vegetable garden snacking on his leafy greens, and instead of killing them as some farmers do, he decided to raise them as pets, he said. He feeds them slices of bananas, papaya and vegetable leaves and showers them daily.
“As to the criteria for choosing snails for the race, I usually select those that are very active and pleasing to the eye,” Li said.
Kelvin Hong and Tiara Lin also brought a sightly snail to the race. The couple traveled all the way from the southern city of Kaohsiung, about a five-hour drive away, together with their 2-year-old daughter, Murphy, and their giant African snail, Aquaman.
The couple had signed up Aquaman for a previous race in 2024, but just as they were headed for Fenglin, Lin went into labor. Now the whole family returned to cheer on Aquaman.
Despite being larger than most of its homegrown competitors — which had been picked out from local gardens or the side of the road — Aquaman was rather slow.
Once the race started, it and nine other snails were placed near the center of a round table covered with a thin vinyl sheet. The first to reach the edge of the table was crowned the winner.
The absolute champion was Guage, or Brother Snail. Its owner, 39-year-old Tanya Lin from Hualien, had been raising the snail since 2024, when it also won one race.
This year, Brother Snail crossed the 33-centimeter (13-inch) tablecloth in 3 minutes and 3 seconds. That performance earned it the top spot on a tiny stadium and a prize of organic sweet potato leaves.
Besides the snail race, the local government has been trying to attract tourism by offering guided e-bike tours with stops at historic tobacco barns, Japanese colonial-era buildings and a Hakka-minority museum.
The idea of a slower pace of life was compelling enough to attract university students Annette Lin and Tanya Liu, who rode the train for about 30 minutes from Hualien on Saturday to check out the snail race and Fenglin’s slow vibes.
The friends found the competition unique and enjoyed Fenglin’s leisurely pace — but only as a respite from the busy city life.
“I think for travel or a trip, it’s a great choice,” Liu said. “But maybe living here would not really be my dream choice.”
