【明報專訊】A vine-enveloped wooden house in Tainan houses a large collection of seeds. Bags of them hang from the ceiling and jars of them line the wall and cabinets. The place is called the Thousand Fields Seed Museum, founded by Liang Kun-chiang, a farmer who has a lifelong hobby of collecting seeds. Every visit starts with a guided tour, where Liang fondly introduces the colourful private collection of his. From the bright red poisonous Abrus precatorius, also called the love pea, to the humble-looking winged bean, Liang speaks of them as if they were family members of his native Taiwan, a land he describes as a haven for plants to grow. Indeed, Taiwan is blessed with an optimal climate. Also, frequent typhoons bring species from afar. As such, it boasts an area of biodiversity second to none in the region.