Written by the MOOK Scenic Spots Travel Life Network Editorial Team
The annual May "snow viewing" tung blossom season is about to arrive with the warm spring sunshine, drawing visitors to hike and enjoy the blooming flowers. The Taipei City Government’s Department of Urban Development recommends six tung blossom hiking trails: Zhanghu Trail, Bixi Trail, Datou Mountain Trail, Xianji Rock Trail, Hushan Jifu Temple Trail, and Zhangshan Temple Trail. All are within a half-hour drive from the city outskirts, allowing for an easy trip to enjoy the enchanting sight of snow-like blossoms dancing in the air.
Beautiful tung blossoms along the Zhanghu Trail. (Photo source / Taipei City Government Department of Urban Development)
Huang Liyuan, head of the Department of Urban Development, said that the best tung blossom hiking trail in Taipei is the “Zhanghu Trail,” located near the Maokong Gondola Station and known as the “Muzha Tung Blossom Secret Path.” Walking along this rhythmically designed trail, you can see snow-white tung blossoms swaying in the wind, with petals gently falling in the breeze like romantic snowflakes. The connected “Zhangshan Temple Trail” also features blooming white tung blossoms along the way. As you climb and admire the scattered petals, you can also enjoy stunning views of Taipei 101, Datun Mountain, and Qixing Mountain, temporarily escaping the hustle and bustle of the city while fully immersing yourself in the joy of tung blossom-covered forests.
Xia Xiantong, head of the Roads and Trails Section, mentioned that the “Bixi Trail,” located at the border between Neihu District and Shilin District, is also a great spot to view tung blossoms. Along the trail and around the area of Shitoucuo, you can find traces of tung blossoms falling like snow. Meanwhile, near the entrance of the “Datou Mountain Trail,” the woods are also adorned with snow-white tung blossoms, covering the path as if blanketed in white, inviting you to stroll through and enjoy this natural beauty.
Snow-white, delicate tung blossoms swaying on the treetops. (Photo source / Taipei City Government Department of Urban Development)
Chen Yancheng, a senior engineer from the Roads and Trails Section, recommends the “Xianji Rock Trail” in Wenshan District, which can be reached in about fifteen minutes on foot from Jimei MRT Station. The “He Xiangu Tung Blossom Grove,” themed around the Eight Immortals, captures the fresh and elegant charm reminiscent of May’s snow-like tung blossoms. Each year when the tung blossoms bloom on the nearby hillsides, the ground is covered in a beautiful blanket of white. At the mountaintop, there is a tung blossom viewing platform where you can look down upon the white blossoms on both sides. The platform features seats shaped like tung blossom stamens and tables resembling the five petals of the flower. It’s common to see visitors sipping tea and admiring the “snow” here, creating a poetic and romantic atmosphere.
Transportation information for the six tung blossom hiking trails. (Photo source / Taipei City Government Department of Urban Development)
Huang Juncui, a seasoned hiker from the Republic of China Hiking and Mountaineering Association, noted that the entrance to the “Hushan Jifu Temple Trail” in Lane 51, Fude Street, Xinyi District, also features tung blossoms. With the gentle spring breeze, the surrounding greenery, chirping cicadas, and birdsongs, complemented by white tung blossoms dotting the branches, every glance—whether upward or downward—offers a uniquely delightful natural experience.
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