The "Youth Travel in Taiwan" program,initiated by the commission in 2005, was designed to encourage local and overseas students to join in-depth tours that provide rare opportunities to observe the island and its people from a deeper and broader perspective, said NYC Chairwoman Cheng Li-chun.

The 38 "Trekking Taiwan: Creative Tours" feature a wide variety of themes, including exploring Taiwan's art and history, observing how local people live, discovering Taiwan's ecosystem, and learning about Taiwan's indigenous people.

Depending on which tour they choose, Cheng said, participants can travel around the island county of Penghu or cycle through the eastern county of Taitung, raft down whitewater rapids in Hualien County or get a close-up view of Indigenous Peoples' lives by staying in their homes. They can also learn about brick-making by descending into a tunnel kiln, or experience the daily lives of farmers and fishermen.

Of all the theme tours, perhaps the most unusual is what the commission calls "a day in jail" in Chiayi, southern Taiwan. Participants are handcuffed, chained and fed prison food in jail to "let them feel what it's like if a person loses his or her freedom," Cheng said.

Instead of traveling abroad for new learning experiences, students can learn about the colorful aspects of the Taiwan's culture, customs and natural environment by enrolling in the program, which offers top quality trips at the lowest possible prices, Cheng said.

Young men and women aged between 15 and 30 who are interested in the program can register at the commission's Web site at www.youthtravel.tw/youthtravel.

The commission will also be offering 10 free spots on tours this winter to benefit 10 young people from lower-income families or from outlying islands, Cheng said.