By the MOOK Scenic Spots & Lifestyle Network Editorial Team
Do you know what the most important travel event in Hualien was in August 2014? Without a doubt, it was the Hualien Golden Needle Flower Festival that took center stage. August is the season when golden needle flowers are in full bloom. Among Taiwan’s three top golden needle flower scenic spots — “Liushitou Mountain in Fuli Township, Hualien County,” “Chike Mountain in Yuli Town, Hualien County,” and “Taimali Golden Needle Mountain in Taitung” — Liushitou Mountain in Hualien boasts the most stunning scenery, earning it the title of “Taiwan’s Most Beautiful Golden Needle Flower Garden.” It has also become an immensely popular destination for flower viewing during summer trips to eastern Taiwan.
Liushitou Mountain, renowned for its breathtaking scenery, has been crowned “Taiwan’s Most Beautiful Golden Needle Flower Garden.” (Photo provided by the Chinese Green Living Leisure Development Association)
With picturesque mountain views reminiscent of a painting, Liushitou Mountain is hailed as the place with the most European charm. Every year during the golden needle flower season, it attracts throngs of visitors eager to enjoy its alpine landscapes and seas of golden blooms. Known as the “beauty of a day” and the “herb of forgetfulness,” golden needle flowers come in various graceful forms, their bright yellow hues particularly eye-catching. In the early morning, the buds are tightly closed, but once the sun rises, they bloom into radiant smiles. Their charm varies beautifully with the time of day.
The name “Liushitou Mountain” is rather unique, inevitably bringing stones to mind. One theory suggests the mountain got its name due to the abundance of rocks, while another claims it’s because local residents used to earn only sixty dan (an old unit of weight) of grain per year in the early days. Compared to the steep terrain of Taitung’s Golden Needle Mountain, Liushitou features more rocks, gentler slopes, and a slightly larger area. It resembles a magnified garden bonsai and is celebrated for its immense beauty.
The scenic Liushitou Mountain, with its picturesque beauty, is hailed as the place with the most European charm. (Photo provided by the Chinese Green Living Leisure Development Association)
At an altitude of about 800 meters, Liushitou Mountain offers sweeping views from its highest point, Wangyou Pavilion. From here, you can gaze over the valleys, streams, farmlands, and settlements, and even catch a sunrise — the beautiful panorama resembling a layered Swiss landscape painting. The hillsides and valleys are adorned with seas of golden needle flowers, laid out like vibrant orange-yellow tapestries among the forests, grasslands, and rooftops. Occasionally, you might spot a “little” farmer wearing a floral straw hat, bent over picking golden needle flowers, while “tiny” cars and “small” people wind along the white concrete farm roads. This scene might make you feel like Gulliver wandering into Lilliput — everything appears smaller, yet the view is all the more captivating.
Wangyou Pavilion offers commanding views of the beautiful surroundings. (Photo provided by the Chinese Green Living Leisure Development Association)
For years, the mountain has drawn countless photographers who return annually to capture the golden needle flowers’ enchanting beauty. Another unique feature of Liushitou Mountain is its pavilions, each named after an alias of the golden needle flower. Aside from Wangyou Pavilion, each offers a distinct vantage point, allowing visitors to take home beautiful memories of the mountain’s diverse scenery. Now that it’s August, the golden needle blossoms are flourishing, with peak bloom occurring mid- to late-month. “Golden carpets spread on Liushitou, golden leaves and hills never tires the eye, petals drift like waves upon the stream, golden hues paint the flower season’s dream.” This poem captures the essence of Liushitou Mountain’s splendor.
During the golden needle flower season, make a beautiful summer rendezvous with millions of golden blooms. Beyond admiring the stunning seas of flowers, visitors can also savor healthy, natural, eco-friendly sulfur-free golden needle flower meals, embarking on a deep flower-viewing and culinary journey.
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