April Snow Falls from the Sky—The Hakka Tung Blossom Festival Kicks Off on April 4th to Celebrate Spring

▲ The tung blossom season typically runs from April to May every year. (Photo / From the 2014 Taoyuan Hakka Tung Blossom Festival Facebook fan page)

Reported by Chen Ruizhong / Taipei

With April here, Taiwan enters the tung blossom season. The 2015 Hakka Tung Blossom Festival will take place across 14 counties and cities nationwide from April 4 to May 17. This year’s event, themed “Blossoms Bloom in Hakka Villages,” showcases the scenery and culture of the Hakka people.

▲ The blossom conditions were uniform across Taiwan on April 1. (Photo / Screenshot from the Hakka Tung Blossom Festival official website)

Currently, there are 108 blossom-viewing trails across Taiwan, allowing visitors to enjoy the scenic beauty of falling white petals. Aside from the initial leafing-out seen along the Chengtian Temple Trail in Shihcheng District, flower buds are visible throughout the country, with areas such as Nantou, Changhua, and Yunlin already beginning to bloom. Travelers are encouraged to plan their blossom tours early.

Now in its 14th edition, this year’s Hakka Tung Blossom Festival involves collaboration between 14 counties and cities, as well as 12 local governments and organizations, and is expected to attract up to 8 million visitors.

▲ This year’s Hakka Tung Blossom Festival features a variety of art and cultural performances related to Hakka culture and the tung blossoms. (Photo / By reporter Chen Ruizhong, same below)

During the opening ceremony on April 11, the Nantou Niuer Arts Resort offered free admission and included events such as a heaven-worshipping ritual, a street carnival, a tung blossom music festival on the grass, and activities for children including glove puppet shows and storytelling. This year also features performances by Wei Li-an, Lo Wen-yu, and several bands to highlight the hospitality of the Hakka people. On April 18, the Council of Hakka Affairs, in partnership with Hsinchu County Government, will host a fun run and musical performances at Hexing Station on the Neiwan Line.

%The event was jointly inaugurated by [a person’s title?] (phonetic: bendan lüxian) and Hsinchu County Magistrate Chiu Jing-tsung.

Head of the Council of Hakka AffairsLiu Qingzhongstated that compared to previous years, this year’s event has strengthened ties with local governments and aims to introduce more people to Hakka culture through popular Hakka music. Visitors can also check the latest blossom conditions across Taiwan and admire the beauty of tung blossoms via the official Hakka Tung Blossom Festival website.