Pink cherry blossoms bloom in Pingtung — the Wutai and Sandimen areas are painted with splashes of pink

▲ Due to the recent low temperatures in Pingtung County, the cherry blossoms, which typically bloom around the end of January, have appeared early this year. The photo shows the cherry blossoms in full bloom in Wutai Township. (Photo / Courtesy of Pingtung Tourism Website)

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

Netizens have recently been spreading the word on Facebook: the cherry blossoms in Pingtung are in bloom now. Although not yet at their peak, this year’s cherry blossoms in Pingtung have bloomed considerably earlier than in previous years. From Wutai Township to the Daren Mountain area in Sandimen Township, you can now catch glimpses of the beautiful "lovely ladies in pink."

The Wutai Township Office stated that many people, upon hearing the news of the mountain cherry blossoms blooming, have taken advantage of the good weekend weather to visit. Coupled with the opening of the “Guguan Bridge,” reputed to be the highest bridge in Taiwan, which was opened to traffic last October (2013), access to Wutai Township has become more convenient. It is estimated that the number of tourists visiting the mountains to admire the cherry blossoms has increased by about 30% compared to previous years.

Sandimen Township is also a popular cherry blossom destination in Pingtung. In recent years, as road conditions have gradually improved, the number of visitors has steadily increased. In addition, "Daren Coffee" has also gradually gained a reputation. Many visitors sharing the local scenery have said, "It's so romantic to stroll under the cherry blossom trees while sipping on Daren coffee, which has a mildly sour, slightly bitter, yet richly aromatic flavor." The local cherry blossoms are expected to reach their peak during the Lunar New Year and continue to bloom abundantly until around mid-February.