They may look like picturesque scenes of ancient Chinese landscapes, but take a closer look and what appear to be lush green mountains are in fact heaps of garbage.

The winter crops were lush and growing quickly, but much of the crop was already infected with yellow rust, a fungus that causes plants to mature early.

It's able to grow in both the lush wet lowlands and the dry mountainous regions, which means that farmers can plant crops in any of their seasonal dwellings.

Set in the lush Taiwanese countryside, the plant closed over a decade ago, but reopened as a museum-park-gallery about two years ago.

The ideal environment for today's aspiring entrepreneurs may well be more gritty and urban than the lush grass and quiet office parks of Santa Clara Valley.