The Romantic Underwater Christmas Tree in Taichung’s Liuchuan River & a Charming Christmas Market

Text and photos byKui Xiao Sun

Wow！This year’s “2017 Taichung Christmas Carnival” is really stunning and romantic, because we have Taiwan’s first underwater Christmas tree！Where is this nine-meter-tall Christmas tree?! It’s at Taichung’s newest popular photo spot: the Central District’s “Liuchuan Blue Ribbon Waterfront”！！

The Liuchuan Waterfront area used to be the old city district of Taichung. In recent years, after renovation, it has become an urban attraction that even locals love to stroll through and take photos. Moreover, the revival of the “Liuchuan Blue Ribbon Waterfront” has attracted the opening of many restaurants and hotels nearby！Not to mention, you can walk to the Zhonghua Night Market from here, and the bustling Yizhong Commercial Circle is also super close—just a 10-minute ride by scooter or Ubike！Super convenient～ XD

We used to often envy New Taipei for its “New Taipei Christmasland,” but this year, us Taichung folks don’t have to envy them anymore！Because we have a huge and gorgeous starry version of the Christmas tree, located right in the “Liuchuan Blue Ribbon Waterfront,” creating the beautiful reflection of two Christmas trees—one above and one below the water！Most importantly, from December 9 to December 25, not only do we have the incredibly beautiful underwater Christmas tree to accompany us through Christmas！There’s also a Christmas market near Taiwan Boulevard at the “Liuchuan Blue Ribbon Waterfront”！After this year’s Christmas, the “Creative Art Light Exhibition” will continue until March 4, 2018. Everyone is welcome to come to Taichung for a colorful holiday experience！！！

As someone who’s very dedicated and also very local, I’ve immediately drawn a map for everyone！Hahaha！The map clearly marks the “Entrance 1” and “Entrance 2” for you, and also shares the location of the underwater Christmas tree. Friends from other cities don’t need to worry about not finding it！Additionally, I’ve marked some spots with 'v', 'w', and 'x' on the map—these are my personally recommended areas for “eating, drinking, and having fun.” I’ll also summarize them for you at the end of the article～

This time, before going abroad, we specially came to capture our favorite Christmas tree！And this “underwater Christmas tree” is just eye-catching and unique～(big smile) Anytime there’s a “lake surface or water surface,” capturing that specific angle to form an “upside-down reflection” is one of our favorite shots！This underwater Christmas tree makes it super easy to capture both trees in one shot—it’s so beautiful！And don’t think that the “Liuchuan Blue Ribbon Waterfront” has only this one Christmas tree～ XD

Last time we were here, we couldn’t stop clicking the shutter—the two entrances not only feature the Taichung-themed “Taichung Archway” and a long, starry “Tunnel of Time,” but also include an “Underwater Wishing Pool,” a giant gift box, a colorful heart-shaped tree, strolling swans, a floral light sea, a romantic branch light corridor, and more... There will also be two interactive art installations on the sidewalk, allowing everyone to not only enjoy the romantic light art, but also stroll through a 3D flower sea, and even experience shadow puppet interactions！

We were there early for the test lighting to capture this romance, and are sharing it with everyone on the first official day of opening (December 9)！Hope you all like it！And don’t forget next year’s grand “2018 Taichung World Flora Exposition”—we’ll be waiting for you in Taichung！

Entrance 1. Taichung Archway (at the intersection with Minquan Road)

I’ll immediately share a few classic scenes we loved this time, the first being the Taichung Archway, which I marked on the map as “Entrance 1” :) This is the entrance to the “Liuchuan Blue Ribbon Waterfront” near Minquan Road (near the CPC gas station). That day when we drove here, we were immediately drawn in from this entrance～ The simple curved archway with its bent tubes displays the letters: Taichung. Just these few letters give off the romantic vibe of walking into a foreign Christmas pathway.

Entrance 2. Starry Tunnel of Time (at the intersection with Taiwan Boulevard)

The other entrance, Entrance 2, is our absolute favorite—a starry “Tunnel of Time”！This long tunnel is about the height of one floor and roughly 100 meters in length. The sea of white lights overhead forms a densely packed light ocean～ Shooting from below upwards allows you to admire its beauty from different angles！On the test lighting day, there were tons of people taking selfies on-site :) Although nighttime selfies under the lights might not be as stunning！ But if you find the right angle, it can really look beautiful and full of artistic mood. It’s definitely a must-visit photo spot for Taichung Christmas this year～

Underwater Christmas Tree (near the intersection with Minzu Road)

To help everyone clearly locate these “must-shoot spots,” I’ve included the intersection name in parentheses () after each point. For example, the most iconic underwater Christmas tree on the “Liuchuan Blue Ribbon Waterfront” this year can be found near Minzu Road！This intersection is also the most popular angle for photos！:)

Hi～～～ Successfully captured two underwater Christmas trees in one go！！！(It’s actually super simple XD On the calm waters of the “Liuchuan Blue Ribbon Waterfront,” it’s really easy to snap a photo with both Christmas trees in one frame！ Whether you’re shooting from the bridge or walking along the park pathway, you can get great shots. And the entire waterfront pathway is lined with beautiful “creative light art,” making you feel like you’ve stepped into a colorful fairy tale world on such a dark night！ White, yellow, orange, blue, purple, pink, or red lights—using the world’s simplest colors to heal our busy hearts throughout the year：)

No matter how busy, we should go to any place filled with starlight together... Maybe we haven’t had the chance to see the aurora or fly to the moon yet！ But in these ordinary days, we can still capture little moments of happiness in life, and enjoy every bit of it together：)

Life shouldn’t be all about work！ The busier you are, the more you should cherish the important people around you. Hold her hand and head to the “Liuchuan Blue Ribbon Waterfront” to feel the romantic Christmas atmosphere. I believe, no matter how busy or tired we are... our hearts will always be together！

Compared to colorful Christmas trees, we prefer ones that are simple, like stars scattered across the sky！:) This “underwater Christmas tree,” which made us want to come as soon as we heard about it, is truly beautiful！So beautiful that we couldn’t help but admire it from afar, up close, and even stop to quietly appreciate it. If you don’t step a little closer, you’ll definitely miss the details on it... those are the pride of the people of Taichung！ Each flower, laser-engraved with Taiwan’s four major export blooms: anthurium, lily, phalaenopsis, and gladiolus, are also the representative flowers of the “2018 Taichung World Flora Exposition”！

White LED lights form a transparent-looking Christmas tree. Each light is just a tiny dot, but when gathered together in large numbers, beauty emerges—and it becomes the highlight of the “2017 Taichung Christmas Carnival”！Everyone standing here, whether alone or in pairs, couples or families, can’t help but admire it as they pass by！ Some even leave with a full heart of joy：)

Photography enthusiasts, bring your phones or cameras！This kind of romance, available only on special holidays, is worth capturing and commemorating！Take photos of your own moments—whether you’re in the picture or just the Christmas tree... Post them on Facebook or Instagram, and it’ll spread nothing but beauty！A beautiful energy that can unconsciously bring “happiness” to those around you！Let’s close out 2017 together with gratitude：)

Underwater Wishing Pool (near Taiwan Boulevard)

The “2017 Taichung Christmas Carnival” features many creative light art installations, though I haven’t shared all of them here. I’ve captured and shared the ones we liked and recommend！But you (you) can also explore in person to find your own “2017 Taichung Christmas Carnival”！Walking along the Liuchuan Blue Ribbon Waterfront pathway at night, you’ll encounter the underwater “Wishing Pool,” where white LED lights are arranged to resemble flowing water—it looks really pretty and adorable from afar！:)

As you walk beside the “Wishing Pool” at night, the gentle sound of the Liuchuan River flows softly, making you feel as if the pool is really flowing XD Add in the floral arrangements and butterfly decorations nearby, and strolling through the light sea of the “2017 Taichung Christmas Carnival” is truly a heartwarming experience！

Step forward with your (your) own pace, and seek out the scenery of your life！Anything is possible, and any scenery can become your own exclusive experience. We love the starry light seas of the “2017 Taichung Christmas Carnival,” and we love looking forward to new emotions and surprises each year～～～ Just like how we look forward to the new year, getting closer to our dreams！And getting closer to becoming better versions of ourselves！

Christmas Market (located at the intersection with Taiwan Boulevard, Xingzhong Parking Lot)

On the day we visited, the Christmas market (market hours: December 9–December 25) of the “2017 Taichung Christmas Carnival” hadn’t started yet！ But over at Xingzhong Parking Lot, there were already a bunch of cute “gingerbread houses”！Even before it opened, we were drawn in by these gingerbread houses adorned with Christmas lights～ The lights on the gingerbread houses created a romantic atmosphere, and there were also super cute little snowmen and snow scenes on the ground :) I’m sure it’ll be bustling starting December 9！ Christmas market lovers mustn’t miss it—bring the whole family to play and take photos！XD

We’re sharing the beautiful moments we captured ahead of the “2017 Taichung Christmas Carnival” opening on December 9！ Although we missed the two interactive installations that would be at the opening: “shadow puppetry” and the “3D flower sea”—I think those will be another fantastic highlight and super photogenic photo ops！ Plus, they’re must-do activities for families！ The Christmas market also features plenty of local Taichung cultural and creative goods, baked goods from Central District bakeries, retro toys from Xingzhong Street, and artisan crafts from Central District startups—definitely making Taichung’s Christmas colorful and joyful！

No need to travel far and wide this Christmas, hahaha!! Let’s celebrate our very own Merry Christmas together at Taichung’s “2017 Taichung Christmas Carnival”～Everyone is welcome to visit Taichung!!!!

2017 Taichung Christmas Carnival Series of Events
Venue: Section 3, Liuchuan West Road, Central District, Taichung City
Christmas Party Events: December 9, 2017 ~ December 25, 2017 (includes underwater Christmas tree and other Christmas decorations, Christmas market)
Creative Art Light Exhibition: Until March 4, 2018

[Enjoy life, never boring. By Gui Xiaosun]、FB