It’s the perfect time to admire plum blossoms at Meiling before the end of the month.

By MOOK Travel & Living Network, Li Xinyi, compiled and reported

 

Currently, temperatures in the Meiling mountain area of Tainan have dropped sharply, and the plum trees are feeling the chill, with blossoms gradually coming into bloom. Popular spots for plum blossom viewing include the Wulong Trail and Meifeng Ancient Trail (Purple Peony), among others. Visitors can drive directly to nearby parking lots and then walk to admire the blooming plum blossoms, or park at the Er层坪 parking lot and walk to Guanyin Temple. Going downhill, you can reach areas such as the front of Meiyuan Restaurant and the Fulai Century-old Plum Garden to enjoy the blossoms. On another route, the Hongyuan in Zhuzaiji and the area around Guanyin Temple also feature plum blossom trails and scattered white-blossoming plum trees, giving the entire Meiling area a dusting of snow-like blossoms. It is expected that this year’s plum blossom season will last until the end of January, with blooms gradually opening from the mountains down to the foothills.

The Tainan City Government Tourism Bureau suggests referring to nearby accommodations in Nansi, Yujing, and Nanhua areas such as Guidan Leisure Experience Farm, Zengwen Homestay Mountain Villa, Zengwen Youth Activity Center, Zengwen Shan Furong Resort Hotel, Oweis Villa, Mango Story, and Mahogany, to plan your own 2-day-1-night itinerary. Whether it’s soaking in Guidan hot springs, admiring plum blossoms, tasting plum chicken, or visiting must-see attractions like the Jiang Family Ancestral House, Yongxing Suspension Bridge, and Xuan Kong Temple, or participating in local rural DIY experiences, it’s a perfect winter travel itinerary for families or friends.

To complement the plum blossom viewing event at Meiling, the Meiling Leisure Agriculture Area has launched several rural experience package tours, including longan picking, q"earthen oven cooking, starfruit picking, and mushroom picking. These newly launched tours are related to the area’s winter fruits and include visits to their own plum orchards. Visitors can not only enjoy the fragrance of white plum blossoms up close but also find great photo spots in the vast plum gardens. In addition to admiring the plum blossoms, they can enjoy a few cups of hot tea or locally produced limited-edition Taiwanese coffee. For example, Junming’s Home offers a starfruit picking tour, and depending on weather conditions, visitors may also get to pick and roast mushrooms on the spot. At Hongyuan, after the earthen oven activity, visitors are taught how to make homemade ginger candy—made with chemical-free old ginger and black or brown sugar, it becomes the perfect winter tonic for those who feel the cold. For more details, please visit the Meiling Leisure Agriculture Area information website at www.plum-meiling.org.tw.

 

 

● Read more: 2-Day Tainan Trip ~ Reliving the Charm of Old Houses

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