A “Golden Carpet” Spreads Across Taitung’s Chishang: Rapeseed Flower Season to Begin

Reported by You [Name Redacted] / Taipei

Recently passed through the Chishang area, have you noticed it looks as if it’s been covered with a golden-yellow carpet, vibrant and bustling in brilliant yellow? The rapeseed flowers in Taitung’s Chishang have begun to bloom, and the long-awaited rapeseed flower season event will return on January 19th in front of the Daguan Building in Chishang Township.


▲ Blooming rapeseed flowers in Chishang; photo is from 2008 (Image / Courtesy of the East Rift Valley National Scenic Area Administration)

This year’s event has chosen the field area in front of the Daguan Building beside Belong Boulevard in Chishang Township as the venue for the rapeseed flower activities. This site was once where pianist Chen Guanyu performed in a rice paddy, which was even featured on the cover of TIME magazine. Looking south across the entire area, there are no power poles within 400 hectares—offering vast, unobstructed views of the dazzling golden seas of rapeseed flowers, their majestic beauty set against the colorful earth, offering a truly delightful trip down memory lane. The event also designates this area as a demonstration zone for winter off-season cropping. Thanks to careful cultivation by local farmers, this complete expanse of rapeseed flowers has been preserved throughout the variable winter months.


▲ A beautiful view of Chishang’s rapeseed flower fields with mountain ranges in the background. Photo is from 2008 (Image / Courtesy of the East Rift Valley National Scenic Area Administration)

In addition to inviting local performance groups to this year’s rapeseed flower event, organizers have also used the leaves of the rapeseed plants to make juice, which is then used to create green dumpling wrappers, while the flower stamens are used as filling—to create “green ingots.” Visitors can try their hand at making these green ingots just before Lunar New Year, sampling freshly wrapped and cooked ones on-site. There will also be opportunities to experience dyeing fabric with green floral patterns. The event also marks the start of a series of Lunar New Year activities, including the launch of celebrations at the Hakka Cultural Park, flower sea viewing, and the Chishang Farmers’ Association Sightseeing Factory.