By MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Network, Reported by Chen Guanxin
In recent years, climate change has caused the flower season to start earlier. This year, the Alishan Flower Season will run from March 10 to April 10, five days earlier than usual. Many flowers in Alishan National Forest Recreation Area have already begun to bloom quietly. Mountain cherry blossoms, Ryukyu mountain cherry blossoms, calla lilies, daisies, and golden rhododendrons are all vying for attention. To serve early spring visitors coming up the mountain to admire the flowers, the Chiayi Forest District Office under the Forestry Bureau began offering free shuttle buses outside the recreation area starting March 8, providing parking and transfer services for flower-viewing tourists.
The Alishan Flower Season will kick off on March 10. (Photo provided by Chiayi Forest District Office, Forestry Bureau)
Every year between March and April, the famous “Alishan Flower Season” attracts many visitors on a pilgrimage. The cherry blossoms in Alishan bloom in sequence: first come the Beni-shidare cherry, Ryukyu mountain cherry, Wuhan cherry, and Thousand Island cherry; then the star of the season, the pink-and-white Somei Yoshino cherry, takes center stage. The single-petal Oshima cherry, shaped like a star, marks the end of the single-petal blooms, followed by double-petal varieties at the end of March, including the weeping cherry, Takasago cherry, Kanzan cherry, Sekiyama cherry, Beni-higan, Kirin cherry, Gyoiko cherry, Ichihara cherry, Tulipa, and Wanlixiang, all competing in a dazzling display. To catch the fleeting beauty of spring, head to Alishan National Forest Recreation Area to admire the diverse colors and forms of cherry blossoms.
The vibrant beauty of cherry blossoms makes Alishan a popular destination for blossom viewing. (Photo provided by Chiayi Forest District Office, Forestry Bureau)
In addition, the Chiayi Forest District Office also recommends three cherry blossom viewing routes, allowing netizens to fully enjoy the cherry blossoms of Alishan.
Family-Friendly Easy Walk
Recreation Area Entrance (Kirin cherry, Oshima cherry) → First Checkpoint (Beni-shidare cherry, mountain cherry) → Alishan Hotel Area (Somei Yoshino cherry) → Alishan Work Station (Beni-shidare cherry, Ryukyu mountain cherry, Thousand Island cherry, Oshima cherry, Wanlixiang, weeping cherry) → Heading to the Sankakuyama Cherry Blossom Trail (Somei Yoshino cherry, Maose azalea) → Ciyun Temple (Taiwan lady’s slipper). Estimated one-way walking time is about 1.5 hours; you can take the park shuttle bus and get off at Xianglin Bridge Station.
Lohas Health Walk
Recreation Area Entrance (Kirin cherry, Oshima cherry) → First Checkpoint (Beni-shidare cherry, mountain cherry) → Alishan Hotel Outer Courtyard Café Area Footbridge (Somei Yoshino cherry, pieris) → Zhaoping Park (Beni-shidare cherry, crabapple, Somei Yoshino cherry) → Alishan Police Station (Somei Yoshino cherry, calla lily, Takasago cherry) → Sakura Path (stroll through the cherry blossom woods) - Sisters Ponds → Next to Shouzhen Temple (Ryukyu mountain cherry, Beni-shidare cherry). Estimated one-way walking time is about 2.5 hours; you can take the park shuttle bus and get off at Zhaoping Station.
Two-Day-One-Night Full Cherry Blossom Tour
Day 1: Recreation Area Entrance (Kirin cherry, Oshima cherry) → First Checkpoint (Beni-shidare cherry, mountain cherry) → Alishan Hotel Area (Somei Yoshino cherry) → Alishan Work Station (Beni-shidare cherry, Ryukyu mountain cherry, Thousand Island cherry, Oshima cherry, Wanlixiang, weeping cherry) → Heading to the Sankakuyama Cherry Blossom Trail (Somei Yoshino cherry, Maose azalea) → Ciyun Temple (Taiwan lady’s slipper).
Day 2: Zhushan → Alpine Botanical Garden (Beni-shidare cherry, mountain cherry, Maose azalea, wisteria) → Ogasawara Observation Deck (chance to see Mikado pheasant!) → Alishan Guest House (Taiwan lady’s slipper, red leaves, Takasago, Wanlixiang, Gyoiko) → Zhaoping Park (Beni-shidare cherry, crabapple, Somei Yoshino cherry) → Alishan Police Station (Somei Yoshino cherry, calla lily, Takasago cherry) → Sakura Path (stroll through the cherry blossom woods) → Sisters Ponds → Next to Shouzhen Temple (Ryukyu mountain cherry, Beni-shidare cherry). You can also combine this with a ride on the Alishan Forest Railway and the Alishan park shuttle bus.
Cherry blossom conditions and blooming times are greatly affected by weather factors. Alishan National Forest Recreation Area is equipped with “Taiwan Look-Through” surveillance cameras that monitor the Cherry King in front of the Alishan Work Station and the blossom conditions in Zhaoping Park in real time. Netizens can visit the Taiwan Look-Through website to check the latest blossom updates.
● Further Reading:
Wuling Cherry Blossom Season Begins – Daily Entry Limited to 6,000 People
www.mook.com.tw/article.php?op=articleinfo&articleid=9603
Following the routes recommended by the Chiayi Forest District Office allows you to enjoy over ten varieties of cherry blossoms across Alishan. (Photo provided by Chiayi Forest District Office, Forestry Bureau)