Spring is the perfect time for flower viewing—fragrant blooms fill Maokong as apricot and cosmos flowers compete in beauty

▲ Apricot blossoms and cosmos flowers are in full bloom at the “Apricot Blossom Grove Leisure Farm” in Muzha Maokong. (Photo / Screenshot fromApricot Blossom Grove Leisure Farmofficial Facebook page)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

In addition to tea tasting and night scenery views, the tea-scented Muzha Maokong also boasts a vast apricot blossom grove, home to over 4,000 trees and a popular northern Taiwan flower-spotting destination. Covering an area of 4.5 hectares, the apricot grove is a private garden owned by the Zhang family of tea farmers. The site is open to the public free of charge. The blooming season can be divided into two parts: the cherry blossom season, which ends around early February, and the apricot blossom season from February to March. Recently, not only are the apricot blossoms in full bloom, but cosmos flowers can also be spotted within the garden.

The full name of the apricot grove is the “Apricot Blossom Grove Leisure Farm.” Originally, this land, like the surrounding areas, was used for tea cultivation. It wasn’t until Mr. Zhang Dingding retired from tea farming that he began cultivating flowers out of personal interest. Starting with Taiwan wild peach as the base and grafting apricot branches onto it, he initially planted on a small plot of land, which gradually expanded to become the beautiful garden it is today in the Muzha Maokong area. The thousands of apricot trees in the garden were all planted by him and are divided into three zones: A, B, and C. Zone A has a steeper slope and also houses the agricultural produce section. Zone B features well-maintained walking paths and is the main area for flower viewing. Next to Zone B, there is also a teahouse run by Mr. Zhang’s son, where visitors can take a break and sample homemade teas. Zone C at the bottom preserves a large expanse of pristine woodland. This year, the farm has also planted some new apricot varieties, featuring delicate and charming new branches with slender twigs.

Enjoying tea, chatting, admiring the flowers, and taking in the scenery here is a uniquely delightful experience, especially with the subtle fragrance of apricot blossoms in the air. If you’d like to take some apricot blossoms home, you can purchase pre-arranged bunches for NT$100 or NT$200. There are also many homemade local specialties such as kumquat jam, dried longan ginger paste, pickled radishes, vegetable crackers, preserved mustard greens, apricot blossom dew, homemade soy sauce, and freshly roasted tea leaves. The “Apricot Blossom Grove” teahouse is usually only open in the evening, but during the flowering season, it opens at 10:00 AM. For more details, please contactApricot Blossom Grove Leisure Farm.

Apricot Blossom Grove Leisure Farm

Address: No. 30, Lane 45, Laquan Street, Wenshan District, Taipei City
Phone: 02 2937 8959
Transportation: Take the Maokong Gondola to Maokong Station, then transfer to bus route 小6 and get off at “Apricot Blossom Grove Farm.”
Alternatively, take the Brown Line (Wenhu Line) of the Taipei Metro to Wanfang Community Station, then transfer to bus route 小10 and get off at Zhangshan Temple. Walk 500 meters to reach the destination.