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.…