Winter at Aowanda is dazzlingly beautiful with vibrant red maples, fragrant oranges, and pink cherry blossoms.

By MOOK Travel & Lifestyle Network Editorial Team

In the winter of 2015, influenced by global warming and the El Niño phenomenon, various regions across the Northern Hemisphere broke long-standing high-temperature records, and Taiwan was no exception, even recording its highest ever Winter Solstice temperature of 30.5°C in 67 years. Located in central Taiwan, Aowanda not only experienced a disrupted maple leaf viewing season but also saw its usual springtime stars—delicate pink cherry blossoms—begin blooming unexpectedly early. These blossoms made their premature debut alongside the delayed color-changing sweet gums, creating a rare spectacle in the cherry blossom area with an unusual mix of red, yellow, orange, and green foliage set against the blue sky—an astonishingly colorful scene.

In previous years, the red-leafing tree species in the park—such as the green maple and sweet gum—changed color around the same time, usually finishing their colorful display and preparing for winter after mid-December. However, this winter’s warmer average temperatures delayed the red-leaf season. The green maples began shedding leaves in mid-December, while the bald cypress, dawn redwood, and sweet gums only slowly started donning their yellow hues. After several cold fronts passed through, some leaves deepened to orange-red, but the cold spells didn’t last long and temperatures soon rebounded. These abnormal temperature fluctuations also confused the biological cycles of the mountain cherry blossoms, which typically bloom in late January. Unable to tell whether it was winter or spring, they couldn’t help but sprout delicate pink buds, creating a charming contrast with the orange-yellow hues of nearby dawn redwoods and sweet gums. This attracted mountain birds to join in the unusual activity, making this winter’s scenery at Aowanda anything but quiet.