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Snail races showcase sleepy side of town in Taiwan

First held in 2019 and brought back in 2024, the event celebrates the town’s slow, sustainable lifestyle and helps it keep pace with fast-changing tourism and population issues.

Published: 5:00pm, 8 May 2026

Read more on Taiwan: https://sc.mp/nuiu4

In the small, sleepy town of Fenglin in Taiwan’s eastern Hualien County, snail racing has become more than just quirky entertainment. First held in 2019 and revived in 2024, the event celebrates the town’s slow, sustainable lifestyle while tackling some rapidly changing issues. Challenges such as tourism and population shifts have grown since a devastating April 2024 earthquake killed 19 people and injured more than 1,100 in the area.