Come to Miaoli to gnaw on wood, play with dyeing fabric, and admire the tung blossoms with One Piece puppets.

Text & Photography / Chen Guanxin, MOOK Travel Life Network

April snow, May frost — in this late spring to early summer season, the tung blossoms that blanket the mountains of Miaoli have become Taiwan’s hottest tourist attraction. A trip to Miaoli offers not only tung blossom viewing and historic site visits, but also many lesser-known hidden gems, such as the One Piece puppets exclusive to Sanyi, hand-dyed onion fabric that's uniquely messy, and Shitan Township — home to Taiwan’s highest population of owl activities and an owl sanctuary — allowing visitors to engage their hands and eyes in rural charm. In addition, the popular souvenir — tung blossom cakes, with a soft, cottony texture reminiscent of fluttering blossoms, and the locally recommended pig head Hakka noodles are absolute must-tries for delicious local flavors.

A gust of wind blows, and the fluttering tung blossoms slowly drift down, creating a romantic scene straight out of a fairy tale. The “April Snow Path,” leading from the Woodcarving Museum to the Ciji Mountain Tea Garden, becomes poetic in the blooming season when the mountains are covered with snow-white flowers, adding a dreamy touch to the greenery. It draws many girls to take their boyfriends’ hands and stroll through this magical tung blossom wonderland. Don’t be fooled by the delicate appearance of tung blossoms, which seem fragile in wind and rain — most tung trees grow on mountain slopes and hills, where harsher environments actually bring out more beautiful blooms. This mirrors the resilient character of the Hakka people who also live in these hilly areas, which is why tung blossoms have become a symbol of the Hakka community.

Play & Explore Agritourism: Owl Wind Chimes, One Piece Puppets, Onion Dyeing DIY

After enjoying the tung blossoms, don’t think you can just grab a bite and head home. In Sanyi, famous sights like the Longteng Broken Bridge, Liyutan Reservoir, and the Woodcarving Museum are all worth visiting. But beyond just sightseeing, there are plenty of hands-on hidden gems waiting for visitors to discover.