【New Year Travel】Cherry Blossom Trails × Colorful Flower Fields – Taiwan’s Spring Flower Viewing Guide

By MOOK Travel Life Network, Chen Guanxin – Compiled & Reported

 

Visiting popular attractions and amusement parks isn’t the only way to spend the New Year holiday with family. This season is also perfect for flower viewing. In addition to the popular cherry blossoms, the tulip fields in Taichung, the “Great Flower Sea Area” in Kaohsiung, and the flower seas in Hualien’s Da-Nong-Da-Fu Plain Forest Park are all highly recommended flower viewing spots.

Taipei City — 22 Cherry Blossom Trails × 10 Top Cherry Blossom Spots

Many trails in Taipei City are lined with native or early-planted cherry blossom trees, which have now grown tall. When they bloom, the sight is spectacular and colorful. Among them, Beitou District has the highest density of cherry blossoms in Taipei. The Baike Villa Trail leading to Yongchunliao Trail and Shangqing Temple Trail passes by popular cherry blossom spots such as Baike Villa, Anguo Temple, Shangqing Temple, and the Wu Family Ancestral Hall. In Neihu District, the Bixi Trail in “Taipei Little Xiaotou” features mountain cherry blossoms near the Bishan Camping Area Trail. The Dagouxi Riverside Trail also has a good number of mountain cherry blossoms and can be reached in a 10-minute walk from Dahu Park MRT Station. Additionally, the Bishan Rock Trail showcases mountain cherry blossoms, double-petal cherry blossoms, and Yoshino cherry blossoms. The crimson cherry blossoms complement the purple Baishi Lake Suspension Bridge, offering not just cherry blossom viewing but also a chance to stroll across the bridge.

 

In addition, Taipei City Government’s Taipei New Flower Style website has been fully revamped this year and launched a “Cherry Blossom Special Page,” recommending10 top cherry blossom spots based on blooming periods. These include Yangmingshan Park where cherry blossoms are at their most beautiful, Pingjing Street which sparked a cherry blossom craze last year, as well as urban cherry blossom viewing spots like Zhongzheng Memorial Hall and the Gongguan Water Treatment Plant. They invite everyone to go out together for a spring “cherry blossom mini-trip.”

Taipei City’s 10 Top Cherry Blossom Spots & Bloom Forecast

Location	Cherry Blossom Variety	Bloom Time Forecast	Transportation Info
Pingjing Street Lane 42	Kanhigan Zakura (Cold Cherry)	Mid-January to Early February (Reference Dates: 1/20–2/5)	Transportation: Take bus 小19 to Pingdeng Li Station, or bus 303 to Zai’wei Tail Station, then walk.
Taipei Water Treatment Plant (Siyuan Street)	Edo Zakura (Riverbank Cherry)	Late January to Early February (Reference Dates: 1/28–2/10)	Transportation: Take the Xindian Line to Gongguan Station, exit at Exit 4, head toward the intersection of Siyuan Street and Tingzhou Street, and walk about five minutes.
Flower Research and Testing Center	Mountain Cherry Blossom	Late January to Early February (Reference Dates: 1/28–2/15)	Transportation: Take buses 260, 303, Red 5, or Royal Bus Jinshan Line to Shanzihou Police Substation Stop, then walk about 3 minutes.
Yangmingshan Park Cherry Blossom Grove	Mountain Cherry Blossom	Early January to Mid-March (Reference Dates: 1/10–3/15)	Traffic Information: Zhishan Station, Jiantan Station (transfer to bus 260 District to First Parking Lot (Flower Clock) Station or bus 260, Red 5 to Yangmingshan Station, then walk about 30 minutes along Section 2 of Hushan Road), Beitou Station (transfer to bus Xiao 8, Xiao 9 to Yangmingshan Park Service Center Station or bus 230 to Yangmingshan Station, then walk about 30 minutes along Section 2 of Hushan Road)
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall	Mountain Cherry Blossoms	Early to late February (reference dates: 2/5–2/28)	Traffic Information: Exit at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall MRT Station
Rear Entrance of Fuhsing High School	Mountain Cherry Blossoms	Early to mid-February to late February (reference dates: 2/8–2/20)	Traffic Information: Exit at Xinbeitou MRT Station, walk to the intersection at No. 366 Zhonghe Street, Beitou District, turn right, enter Kaiming Street opposite the OK Mart, and look left at the first alleyway
National Security Bureau Green Space	Winter Cherry Blossoms	Early to mid-February (reference dates: 2/1–2/10)	Traffic Information: Take bus 260, 303, Red 5, or Royal Bus Jinshan Line to Yan Shan Li Station, walk about 5 minutes
China Lily Hotel	Somei Yoshino Cherry Blossoms	Early to mid-February (reference dates: 2/2–2/15)	Traffic Information: Take bus 260 or Red 5 to China Hotel Station, and you will arrive
Yangmingshan Park Flower Clock Plaza	Somei Yoshino Cherry Blossoms	Early to mid-February (reference dates: 2/3–2/15)	Traffic Information: Zhishan Station, Jiantan Station (transfer to bus 260 District to First Parking Lot (Flower Clock) Station or bus 260, Red 5 to Yangmingshan Station, then walk about 30 minutes along Section 2 of Hushan Road), Beitou Station (transfer to bus Xiao 8, Xiao 9 to Yangmingshan Park Service Center Station or bus 230 to Yangmingshan Station, then walk about 30 minutes along Section 2 of Hushan Road)
Fuxing 3rd Road (Shangqing Temple Trail)	Mountain Cherry Blossoms	Mid- to late February (reference dates: 2/15–2/28)	Traffic Information: Take the MRT to Beitou Station, transfer to bus Xiao 6 to Bai Gong Villa Station, and you will arrive
Yongjing Park	Somei Yoshino Cherry Blossoms	Mid- to late February (reference dates: 2/15–2/28)	Traffic Information: Exit 1 of MRT Minquan West Road Station, walk about 5 minutes toward Zhongshan North Road, then turn right and walk about 3 minutes
Yangmingshan Park Fountain	Showa Cherry Blossoms	Late February to early March (reference dates: Feb 25–Mar 10)	Transport info: Zhishan Station, Jiantan Station (transfer to bus 260 District to First Parking Lot (Flower Clock) Station or bus 260, Red 5 to Yangmingshan Station, then walk about 30 minutes along Section 2, Hushan Road), Beitou Station (transfer to bus Xiao 8, Xiao 9 to Yangmingshan Park Service Center Station or bus 230 to Yangmingshan Station, then walk about 30 minutes along Section 2, Hushan Road)
Yangmingshan Park Service Center	Yoshino Cherry	Early to mid-March (reference dates: Mar 1–Mar 12)	Transport info: Zhishan Station, Jiantan Station (transfer to bus 260 District to First Parking Lot (Flower Clock) Station or bus 260, Red 5 to Yangmingshan Station, then walk about 30 minutes along Section 2, Hushan Road), Beitou Station (transfer to bus Xiao 8, Xiao 9 to Yangmingshan Park Service Center Station or bus 230 to Yangmingshan Station, then walk about 30 minutes along Section 2, Hushan Road)
Flower Research Center	Yoshino Cherry	Early to mid-March (reference dates: Mar 3–Mar 15)	Transport info: Bus 260, 303, Red 5, Royal Bus Jinshan Line to Shanzihou Police Station Stop, then walk about 3 minutes

 

“The 2014 New Taipei Sakura Season—A Mini Sakura Trip” runs from now until March 31, featuring famous cherry blossom viewing spots and hidden gems across various districts including Tamsui Tianyuan Temple and Wulai Scenic Area. In addition, early blooms in Pinglin Detention Center, Sanzhi Qingshan Road, Shiding Erguei Park, Tucheng Tonghua Park, and Tucheng Taiji Ridge herald the arrival of spring. For the latest cherry blossom information in New Taipei City, check the Facebook fan page “Flower Viewing Bulletin.”