First-ever Flower Viewing Shuttle Launched！ Travel Essentials for the Golden Needle Flower Season at Liushishi Mountain in Hualien

▲The golden needle flowers at Liushishi Mountain are currently about 30% in bloom, with the peak season expected from mid-to-late August to just before the Mid-Autumn Festival. (Photo by reporter Yang Xiaorou, the same below (photo taken on August 5, 2016))

Reported and photographed by Yang Xiaorou / Hualien

The “2016 Hualien Fuli Liushishi Mountain Golden Needle Flower Season” officially began on August 5 and will last for 46 days until September 19. In previous years, due to the rugged road conditions on Liushishi Mountain and the absence of a comprehensive traffic plan, traffic accidents frequently occurred during the flower viewing period. This year, the Fuli Township Farmers' Association and Ding Yun Tourism Group have joined forces for the first time to arrange legally operated flower viewing shuttles and insurance, hoping to offer a safer travel experience for flower enthusiasts.

▲The specially designated legal shuttle buses feature flower season flags on the front, and drivers wear staff hats and uniforms.

▲A specially painted shuttle bus for the Golden Needle Flower Season at Liushishi Mountain.

Zeng Yumin, an agricultural guidance officer at the Fuli Township Farmers' Association, said that in previous years, large numbers of tourists flocked to admire the beautiful scenery, but due to the mountain’s steep and winding roads with many hairpin turns, those who drove up themselves often got into accidents because they were unfamiliar with the terrain. Unlicensed chartered vehicles (“white plate cars”) that took tourists up the mountain not only lacked insurance coverage, but there were also instances where they took passengers to shops selling “non-local golden needle flowers,” which could harm the market price of the flowers and offered even less protection for consumers. Therefore, this year, the Fuli Township Farmers' Association has specifically partnered with a tourism group to launch flower viewing shuttles, aiming to provide visitors with a higher-quality travel experience.

▲Ticket for the Liushishi Mountain Golden Needle Flower Season shuttle, with the yellow portion being the raffle stub—visitors can drop it in the raffle box after descending the mountain to enter the draw.

▲Complimentary local agricultural products from Fuli Township are given as souvenirs for those taking the loop shuttle bus for flower viewing.

The Liushishi Mountain loop shuttle flower viewing buses are divided into three sections: Section A departs from the Fuli Township Farmers' Association and goes to the “Yellow Flower Pavilion”; Section B starts from the Yellow Flower Pavilion, passing through the dancing ground, the mountain descent entrance, and the 964 Station Forget-Worry Pavilion, then returns from the Forget-Worry Pavilion back to the Yellow Flower Pavilion, forming a loop; Section C departs from the Forget-Worry Pavilion and goes downhill back to the Fuli Township Farmers' Association. Among these, Section B allows unlimited boarding and alighting at these loop stops, which visitors are encouraged to take advantage of. Zeng Yumin suggests that flower viewing tourists take the bus all the way to the highest point, the Forget-Worry Pavilion, to enjoy the panoramic view of Liushishi Mountain, and then walk to various points afterward for a more relaxing experience.

▲From beside the Forget-Worry Pavilion, one can see the East Rift Valley and vast fields of golden needle flowers covering the mountains.

The Fuli Township Farmers' Association provides two parking lots with over 300 spaces for those driving to Fuli. Visitors can park their cars at the farmers' association parking lot, then purchase tickets to take the loop shuttle flower viewing bus. Travelers starting from Hualien City can sign up online in advance for the “Flower Season Forget-Worry Shuttle” that provides pickup from the city to the Fuli Township Farmers' Association. Due to the narrow and steep mountain roads, those who wish to drive up the mountain themselves must pay close attention to driving safety and traffic signs. Additionally, locals familiar with the area advise that:navigators should not be used on Liushishi Mountain, as the complex road layout often leads to incorrect directions, potentially guiding people onto dangerous routes.

▲Drivers can follow the flower season flags along the way to Fuli Township.

2016 Hualien Fuli Liushishi Mountain Golden Needle Flower Season
Event Period: August 5–September 19, 2016
Event Location: Liushishi Mountain, Fuli Township, Hualien County

Liushishi Mountain Loop Shuttle Flower Viewing Bus
Boarding Location: No. 6, Donghu, Liumountain Village, Fuli Township, Hualien County (Fuli Township Farmers' Association)
Ticket Sales Location: On-site ticket sales at Fuli Township Farmers' Association
Ticket Price: NT$400 (includes fare, passenger insurance, bottled water, and a souvenir)
Departure Times: First uphill bus at 7:30 AM, last at 4:00 PM; first downhill bus at 10:00 AM, last at 7:00 PM (buses run approximately every 5–10 minutes)
Notes: Tickets are not valid for multiple days, must be used the same day, and are non-refundable once used.

Flower Season Forget-Worry One-Day Tour Shuttle (Departing from Hualien City)
Departure Time and Locations: 7:30 AM Qixingtan – 7:45 AM Meilun Hotel – 8:00 AM Hualien Railway Station – 8:30 AM Cheng Trip Crystal Hualien – 8:40 AM Hualien Jia Si Lu
Return Time and Location: 3:30 PM Fuli Township Farmers' Association
Ticket Price: NT$1500 (includes fare, passenger insurance, bottled water, Fuli lunchbox, and a souvenir)
How to Purchase: Please see the fan page link to register and book
Notes: The Forget-Worry Shuttle is a one-day tour ticket and is not valid for multiple days.

Drive by car
After arriving at Zhutian Village, Fuli Township, turn east onto the east side of kilometer 308.6 on Provincial Highway 9. (Mountain road conditions are poor; please drive carefully.)
Flower season parking information: Parking lots are available at Huanghua Pavilion and Wangyou Pavilion stations.