Yangmingshan National Park

Yangmingshan National Park

Yangmingshan National Park features well-preserved volcanic landforms, where traces of volcanic activity from 2.5 million years ago can still be seen. The park is covered with various cherry blossoms, azaleas, camellias, peach blossoms, and more, earning it the nickname “Back Garden of Taipei.” It is a favorite holiday destination for Taipei residents.

Yangmingshan National Park is the closest national park to an urban area in Taiwan, encompassing the mountainous regions formed by Datun Mountain, Qixing Mountain, Shamao Mountain, and Little Guanyin Mountain. The area is quite extensive, including the Shilin District of Taipei City,

parts of Beitou’s mountainous areas, as well as the mountainous regions of Tamsui and Sanzhi in Taipei County.

Originally named Caoshan (Grass Mountain) due to its abundant grass, the park was later renamed in honor of the philosopher Wang Yangming. It features a traditional Chinese garden layout with small bridges, flowing water, pavilions, and rockeries, making it the largest and most scenic suburban park in Taiwan.

The highlights of Yangmingshan National Park can be summed up as: flower viewing, firefly watching, and hot spring soaking.

Flower Viewing

Entering through the park gate along Hubin Road, the first thing you see is a large colorful fountain. The surrounding flower stands are planted with seasonal plants, complementing the fine mist above the pool, creating a stunning scene. Known as the “park symbol,” the floral clock is built next to the square, featuring a central plum blossom-shaped flower bed in vibrant colors that plays pleasant melodies on the hour.

The park is planted with native Taiwanese mountain cherries, Japanese cherries, plum blossoms, azaleas, camellias, peach blossoms, apricot blossoms, and other flora, which bloom successively from December to April each year. Spring is the liveliest season in Yangmingshan National Park, with blooming flowers everywhere, offering breathtaking views and attracting crowds of flower-loving visitors.

Yangmingshan Flower Festival

Held annually from after Chinese New Year to before Tomb-Sweeping Day in Yangmingshan National Park, the Yangmingshan Flower Festival is recognized by Taipei residents as the foremost event in the city. The festival primarily showcases cherry blossoms, azaleas, and camellias, with the main visiting route centered along Zhongshan North Road, Fulin Road, leading via Yangde Boulevard to Yangmingshan Park, connecting various scenic spots along the way. To enrich the tourist experience, the decorations and landscaping in Yangmingshan National Park have been further enhanced, making each spot a must-see attraction.

Firefly Watching

Yangmingshan National Park is a great place for firefly watching in the Greater Taipei area. The park is home to about ten species of fireflies, divided into aquatic and terrestrial types.

To watch fireflies, you can visit areas such as Pingdingli Pingding Ancient Irrigation Channel Trail, Jing Mountain, Zhuzihhu, Machang, and Erziping Trails. Different seasons and locations allow you to observe different firefly ecologies.

In April and May, the main species at Pingding Ancient Irrigation Channel Trail are black-winged fireflies and yellow-breasted black-winged fireflies; in October, it’s orange fireflies. Jing Mountain has flame fireflies from May to June. Zhuzihhu mainly features yellow-margin fireflies in spring and autumn. The Machang area has yellow-breasted black-winged fireflies and flame fireflies from April to June. Erziping has flame fireflies in June and orange fireflies in October.

Hot Spring Soaking

Additionally, centered around the Datun Volcano Group, Yangmingshan National Park boasts uniquely shaped conical and bell-shaped volcanoes, as well as distinctive geological features such as volcanic craters and crater lakes. Areas within the park like Greater and Lesser Yuhu, Machang, and Dahuangzui feature intense fumarolic activity. Meanwhile, several hot spring areas scattered throughout the park, such as Machang Hot Springs, are already widely renowned.

Machang Hot Springs

Machang Hot Springs feature an explosive vent terrain and are located in an igneous rock area. They are divided into green sulfur springs and white sulfur springs. The semi-transparent water is acidic, with a pH between 2 and 4, and temperatures ranging from about 60°C to 90°C, reaching up to 99°C. Machang Hot Springs are classified as acidic sulfur springs.

Other Attractions

Zhuzihhu

Zhuzihhu is a valley plain located among Datun Mountain, Qixing Mountain, and Little Guanyin Mountain. Due to its cool climate, it has become a specialized production area for high-altitude vegetables and flowers, serving as one of the major suppliers of summer vegetables for the Greater Taipei area.

The terrain of Zhuzihhu originated about 350,000 years ago when lava from the eruption of Qixing Mountain blocked a mountain pass. Rainwater accumulated to form a barrier lake, which locals then called a lake. Later, as the lake water gradually drained, farmers reclaimed the land for cultivation, creating today’s farmland landscape.

The most famous plant in Zhuzihhu is the calla lily, introduced from Japan, covering about 13 hectares, with various colors developed. The calla lily blooming period runs from December to May of the following year, with peak production occurring in March and April. Visitors can come during this time to attend the famous Zhuzihhu Calla Lily Festival, which features different themed activities each year such as farm experiences, pastoral landscape sketching, calla lily exhibitions, and photography competitions—letting you fully enjoy the beauty of calla lilies.

Lengshuikeng

This location has existed since the mid-Qing Dynasty and generally refers to the flat valley area between Qixing Mountain, Qigu Mountain, and Zhugao Mountain. Here, you can view unique volcanic geothermal landscapes such as volcanic vents, sulfur vents, and fumaroles.

Notable scenic spots in the Lengshuikeng area include:

● Silk Waterfall: This waterfall is the source of the NeiShuangxi River. With a drop of about 14 meters, the water flows down like silk hanging, hence the name.

● Milk Lake: The water in the marsh appears murky due to free-floating sulfur particles. After gradually settling, these particles form a clay-like mineral layer at the bottom of the pool. The sulfur-rich soil takes on a white-yellow or light gray hue, which is how the lake got its name.

● Dream Lake Ecological Reserve: Its distinctive feature is a rare fern that grows in the lake—Taiwan water celery. This plant is extremely rare and is classified as a “national treasure-level” natural species.

Wang Shouren (1472–1529), a Chinese philosopher of the Ming Dynasty, was the great synthesizer of the idealist school of mind (Xinxue). His courtesy name was Boyan and his pseudonym Yangming; he was from Yuyao, Zhejiang. A renowned thinker, writer, philosopher, and military strategist of the Ming era, Wang was the preeminent proponent of Lu-Wang School of Mind, well-versed in Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Alongside Confucius, Mencius, and Zhu Xi, Wang Shouren is honored as one of the “Four Sages”—Confucius, Mencius, Zhu Xi, and Wang. His philosophical doctrine, known as Wangxue or Yangmingism, was the most influential school of thought during the Ming Dynasty. His academic ideas spread across China, Japan, the Korean Peninsula, and Southeast Asia. A paragon of both virtue and scholarship, Wang’s achievements in the Ming era were unparalleled... [More details about Wang Shouren]++