Breathtaking paper crane prayer lantern sea of lights—a must-visit for spring outings to admire flower fields by day and water shows by night

Text / Scenic Spot Home compiled and reported

As one of the Ministry of Transportation’s Top Ten Spring Festival Travel Destinations, the “Flowers in Changhua” series of events this year runs from January 25 to February 9—Lunar New Year’s Day to the 16th—from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily at Xizhou Park.

The “Guashan New Year’s Prayer Lantern Area” on Bagua Mountain was lit up on December 22 last year, while the “Floral Shadows and Water Dance Lantern Area” at Xizhou Park will be illuminated on Lunar New Year’s Day, January 25. The two lantern zones, north and south, will shine brilliantly in tandem until the 16th day of the first lunar month (February 9), offering visitors floral sights by day and lantern displays by night.

“2020 Flowers in Changhua” this year breaks away from the traditional zodiac theme and introduces an innovative “agricultural therapy” experience, including horticultural therapy, wellness dietary therapy, aromatherapy, forest healing, and recreation—all with therapeutic and educational significance.

The event combines with the Changhua County Lantern Festival, immersing visitors in a sensory visual feast of flowers and lights interplaying. Visitors can also explore nearby popular attractions such as Tianwei Highway Garden, Pitou Baibao Village, and Beidou Old Street.

In addition, Xizhou Park grandly unveils two themed pavilions: the highly talked-about and fun “Therapeutic Flower Joy Pavilion” and the “Taiwan Succulent Exhibition.”

Themed around the recent popular concept of “agricultural therapy,” the “Therapeutic Flower Joy Pavilion” is a floral and vegetable-themed pavilion that engages all five senses—sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. It features a chibi-style Bagua Mountain Giant Buddha, a miniature Tianwei electrically illuminated chrysanthemum maze, creative four-color cauliflower flower fields, and agritourism education DIY activities. Visitors taking photos at the net-favorite flower wall in front of the pavilion can also enter a major prize draw, with an extra 200 agricultural product discount vouchers given away daily.

The “Taiwan Succulent Exhibition” showcases a rich variety of Taiwan’s succulents and cacti, and hosts daily parent-child DIY activities and sales of succulent-themed cultural and creative merchandise. The park also features multiple flower sea landscapes, nursery flower carpets, edible landscapes, cheerful flower parade floats, and countless Instagram-worthy spots. School and community group performances, special programs for the Lantern Festival, parent-child markets, the Changhua Youxian Agricultural Specialty Product Fair, children’s play areas, cute animal zones, specialty food areas, and more create lively scenes. At night, the interactive water dance show and themed lantern displays are especially delightful.