Lupines in bloom at Muzha and Maokong — immerse yourself in the limited-time spring beauty of tea plantations

Written/Compiled and Reported by MOOK Travel Life Network, Chen Guanxin

 

The Muzha and Maokong area is one of Taipei City’s key tea-producing regions, where local tea farmers primarily grow Tieguanyin tea. Spring is a busy farming season and also a time when all things come back to life. At the same time, the lupines intercropped among the tea fields in the Muzha and Maokong area are also entering their blooming season.The lupine blooming period in the Muzha and Maokong area lasts until approximately late March. Local tea farmers utilize fallow land and tea fields after winter tea harvests for intercropping. To admire the lupines in Maokong, you can take the Maokong Gondola up the mountain and then follow the signs to the terraced area above the pond on the Camphor Tree Trail.In addition to the currently most vibrant and common yellow lupines, there are also shorter white-flowered varieties and purple-flowered varieties that will gradually enter their peak blooming periods—visitors to Maokong shouldn’t miss them.

Lupines are a green manure crop commonly used in northern Taiwan’s tea plantations. After the winter tea harvest, local tea farmers sow lupine seeds among the tea trees. After more than three months of growth, the tea plantation displays a beautiful scene of alternating lupines and tea trees, giving the landscape a vibrant and diverse appearance.

When the flowers are about to wither, tea farmers chop the lupine plants and turn them into the soil to provide nutrients needed for tea tree growth. This helps conserve the ecosystem and improve soil fertility, enabling sustainable development of the tea plantation. Visiting Maokong at this time not only allows you to enjoy the sight of various flowers swaying in the breeze, but also to sample locally produced fine teas nearby and stroll along the trails of Maokong to experience the beautiful scenery of Taipei’s suburban tea plantations.