Hui-i Chiang

Hui-i Chiang is one of Taiwan's pioneer environmental educators and a certified permaculture designer and teacher. Alongside her partner, Peter Morehead, she has spent almost three decades pioneering ecological design, community resilience, and sustainable living in Taiwan. In 2024 Hui-i and Peter, with the participation of a dedicated group of volunteers, co-hosted IPC15 Taiwan.

Hui-i has been instrumental in translating and adapting the global principles of permaculture (originally developed in Australia) to fit Taiwan's unique subtropical climate, dense urban environments, and traditional rural landscapes. Through Earth Passengers, she has organized and taught 40 PDCs and co-taught in 4 permaculture teacher trainings in Taiwan, Mainland China and Japan, training a new generation of permaculture designers. She is the chief editor for the Chinese editions of permaculture books - David Holmgren's 'Beyond Sustainability - Permaculture Principles', Rosemary Morrow's 'Earth User's Guide to Permaculture' and 'Earth Restorer's Guide to Permaculture'. She is also the co-author of 'Design for Life', written with Peter Morehead, in which they describe local examples of the permaculture movement in Taiwan.

In Taitung, Taiwan, she and Peter have established a dedicated permaculture learning center and demonstration site. The center serves as a living laboratory for passive solar building design, rainwater harvesting and greywater filtration systems, food forestry and soil regeneration, and renewable energy applications and appropriate technology (such as solar cooking, rocket stoves and woodgas stoves).

Founded in 2002, the name 'Earth Passengers' reflects her belief that humans are temporary travelers on Earth and must learn to coexist harmoniously with nature. The organization bridges the gap between urban consumers and rural producers, promoting local food systems and energy descent pathways.

Beyond land design, Hui-i is heavily involved in social permaculture. She works with local schools, indigenous communities, and municipal governments to develop disaster-resilient communities, eco-schools, and urban rooftop gardening initiatives. She is also the main activist initiating a local currency system, 'Mi bi', in her community on the east coast of Taiwan.