No need to travel all the way to Taitung — you can also admire seas of golden needle flowers in Xinshe, Taichung

▲Want to admire seas of golden needle flowers? No need to go all the way to Liushizhi Mountain in Taitung — you can see them right here in Xinshe, Taichung. (Photo / Provided by Taichung City Government)

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

Want to enjoy seas of golden needle flowers? No need to go all the way to Liushizhi Mountain in Taitung. In recent years, large areas of golden needle flowers have been planted in Choutengkeng Leisure Agriculture Area in Xinshe District, Taichung City. From May to September during the peak blooming season, the vast fields of golden flowers are breathtakingly beautiful, and the fame of Xinshe’s golden needle flower seas is gradually spreading.

The Choutengkeng Leisure Agriculture Area in Xinshe has been designated as a rural regeneration community by Taichung City, and also recognized as a leisure agriculture area by the Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan. Covering an area of 582 hectares, it is the sixth leisure agriculture area in Taichung City. Tsai Jing-chiang, Director of the Taichung City Agriculture Bureau, said that the wide stretches of blooming golden needle flowers in Choutengkeng are currently at their peak, and the mountainous sea of flowers is just as magnificent as those found in eastern Taiwan.

Golden needle flowers from Taitung are famous across Taiwan. Huang Jian-zong, manager of Muxinquan Leisure Farm, fell in love with their dazzling golden hue at first sight and decided to plant golden needle flowers on an 8-hectare mountain in Xinshe. However, the goal isn’t primarily for consumption, but rather to let the golden flowers bloom across the mountains. After ten years of hard work in land reclamation and road construction, the golden needle flowers truly blanketed the entire hillside — such stunning scenery has even attracted idol dramas to film there.

In recent years, there has been a growing number of individual travelers and tour groups from mainland China. Recognizing the tourism business opportunity, Xinshe Farmers’ Association doesn’t just focus on teaching crop cultivation, selling mushrooms, or planting golden needle flowers. They also aim to drive foot traffic and economic activity through these crops, transitioning into the tourism industry. Now, the association has even mapped out seven sightseeing routes in Xinshe, allowing tourists to explore the area following colorful route signs.