Fenglin Hosts Third Snail Race for Tourism

In the Taiwanese town of Fenglin, residents and visitors gathered over the May Day holiday for the third annual snail race, a quirky event highlighting the community's embrace of a slower pace of life and efforts to revive tourism after a devastating earthquake.

The competition drew several dozen participants and spectators to tracks set up on round tables covered with thin vinyl sheets. Snails started from the center, with the first to reach the edge declared the winner. Six preliminary races spanned two days, culminating in a final where Brother Snail, also known as Guage and owned by 39-year-old Tanya Lin from nearby Hualien, claimed victory. The champion completed the 33-centimeter course in three minutes and three seconds, earning a prize of organic sweet potato leaves and a spot atop a miniature podium.

Fenglin, a town of about 10,000 in Hualien County, has leaned into its reputation for leisurely living since joining the international Cittaslow network in 2014. The movement, symbolized by a snail bearing buildings on its shell, promotes quality of life, local foods, healthcare, longevity and community ties. The town's population has declined threefold in recent decades,...