“Sightsee the flower carpets by day, ring in the New Year by night” — the most convenient way is to take the free shuttle buses.

The municipal government has planned shuttle buses, circuit buses, trains, high-speed rail, public buses, and private car routes, along with their traffic flows and schedules. (Photo by Chen Shizong)

The leopard cat family takes you on a one-day tour of the flower carpets. (Photo by Chen Shizong)

The “2017 Taichung International Flower Carpet Festival” kicked off and will run until January 7, 2018, at the Houli Flower Field Green Corridor, presenting a colorful spectacle. This is the second year the event is being held in Houli as a warm-up for the 2018 Flower Expo. During the festival, free shuttle buses will take you directly to the flower carpet every day. To make flower viewing more convenient for the public, the Transportation Bureau has planned five shuttle bus routes to the festival venue, with each route distinguished by color to enhance passenger convenience.

Chen Shengshan, Director of the Tourism Bureau, said that the flower carpet festival coincides with the New Year celebrations. On December 31, the municipal government will host a grand “2018 Shining Stars Welcome Flower Expo” countdown party at Lihpao Land in Houli. Visitors to the flower carpet festival are encouraged to plan a “day of flower viewing and a night of New Year’s celebration,” allowing you to enjoy the flowers and ring in the New Year with ease.

The theme of this year’s flower carpet exhibition is “The Sound of Blooming Flowers.” It features Taiwan’s first giant dynamic musical flower box, “Mountain Cherry Blossoms in Bloom,” along with vast fields of beautiful flowers and playful three-dimensional floral installations shaped like insects and animals, offering visitors a vibrant visual feast. With the upcoming New Year’s Day holiday expected to draw larger crowds, the Transportation Bureau has made thorough traffic arrangements.

In line with the flower carpet festival’s theme of “green environmentalism” and the core concept of “GREEN” for the 2018 World Flora Exposition, the strategy for this year remains centered on full shuttle services combined with rail transport. In addition to using colors to manage the various shuttle routes, the flower expo’s “Leopard Cat Family” — Papa Leopard Cat, Mama Leopard Cat, Baby Leopard Cat, Happy Leopard Cat, and Omega Horse — represent each route. Let the Leopard Cat Family guide you through the flower carpets. By simply following the colors, passengers can ride conveniently and enjoyably.

The Tourism Bureau reminded the public to cooperate with on-site traffic police for traffic guidance and control during the event to ensure smooth road conditions and shuttle operations. The bureau again urges the public to make use of public transportation and transfer to the free shuttle buses. Shuttle buses to the exhibition area run from 8:20 AM to 3:00 PM (last bus to the exhibition area departs at 3:00 PM), while return trips (from the exhibition area back to major shuttle stations) are available from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Please pay attention to the shuttle bus schedules.

During the flower carpet festival, the Social Affairs Bureau also provides a variety of accessible shuttle services, including both reservation-based and fixed-point shuttle options to enter the park. Individuals holding a disability card or certificate, and who have been assessed as needing accessible transport, can call the reservation center of their residential area to arrange direct shuttle service from home to the flower carpet festival venue.

To help the public better explore local tourism in Houli, the Houli District Office has partnered with the flower carpet festival to host the “Flowers Bloom Happiness – Fun Tours in Houli” event from now until January 7, 2018. Two colorfully painted shuttle bus routes have been planned to introduce major attractions in Houli, such as Lihpao Land, Starry Sky Earth, Chang Lien-Cheng Saxophone Museum, Houfeng Bicycle Path, Taian Railway Park, and Zhongshe Flower Market, through both shuttle services and onboard guided tours. This allows visitors nationwide to gain a deeper appreciation of Houli’s cultural charm. The flower expo mascot, the Leopard Cat Family, will also make surprise appearances. After enjoying the flowers at the festival, visitors are welcome to transfer to the free shuttle buses to Lihpao Land and hop on the colorfully painted shuttle buses to easily explore Houli.

For more details on related activities, please visit the official website of the “2017 Taichung International Flower Carpet Festival” at http://flowercarpet.com.tw or search for the official Facebook fan page “Taichung International Flower Carpet Festival” to stay updated on the latest event information.