By MOOK Travel Life Network / Chen Guanxin, compiled and reported
Taiwan’s famous tung blossom destination—Miaoli—is set to host the “2012 Miaoli Hakka Tung Blossom Festival” from April 29 to May 20. During the event, various towns in Miaoli including Tongluo, Sanyi, Toufen, Zaobridge, Gongguan, Tongxiao, Zhuolan, and Nanzhuang will roll out a series of themed activities such as music, photography, dance, nature experiences, hands-on workshops, and sports. The opening concert on April 29 will be combined with a “Hundred People Tea Banquet,” featuring tea ceremonies set up under the tung blossom trees where visitors can watch tea masters perform, enjoy the blossoms and tea, and listen to performances by singers Peng Chia-hui, Guan Lingzhi, and Dai Shiyao.
The Charcoal Museum in Zaobridge, Miaoli, will offer charcoal crafting experiences and tours of ancient charcoal kilns. (Photo provided by Monochrome Editing Department)
In Miaoli’s Hakka villages, you can not only admire tung blossoms but also take part in a rare Hakka wedding ceremony and experience a wedding amidst falling blossoms. On May 5–6, Tongluo Township and Nanzhuang Township will respectively hold a mass Hakka tung blossom wedding for 101 couples, as well as a street parade to welcome the bride following traditional customs. Among them, Nanzhuang Township’s “Tung Blossoms in Full Bloom, the Perfect Season—Nanzhuang Street Parade to Welcome the Bride” will feature two free guided tours of the tung blossom trails each day, DIY experiences in exchange for receipts, and bamboo toy-making. On the morning of the 6th, a couple dressed in blue and red Hakka floral attire will follow traditional Hakka wedding customs in a street parade to welcome the bride, accompanied by Electric Three Princes performances.
For those who can’t get enough of the tung blossoms and are eager to share their photos, the “Shining Miaoli Tung Blossom Photography Marathon” will take place on May 5, with registration open until April 30. This competition invites participants to shoot photos themed around tung blossom fairy models in tung blossom costumes, Hakka courtyard cultural artifacts, or tung blossom scenery. Submit your chosen photo to the Miaoli County Tourism Association’s Facebook fan page by May 8 to complete entry.
2012 Hakka Tung Blossom Festival official website: tung.hakka.gov.tw
Participants in the Tung Blossom Photography Marathon can choose one of three themes to shoot. (Photo by Scenic Spots Chen Guanxin)
● Extended reading: Cycle through the countryside and admire tung blossoms—head to New Taipei’s Hakka homeland on May 12
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