Let’s admire the romantic May snow together: the hidden tung blossom spot in Taoyuan, “Gan’s Castle”

Text & Photos /Happy Cloud

I haven’t chased tung blossoms for many years. A few years back, I got into Taiwan’s May snow, but in recent years, because the tung trees bloomed in May when I wasn’t in Taiwan, I missed the tung blossom season every time.

This year, I was in Taiwan during that period, so the urge to go see the nearby tung blossoms came back. The once-secret “Xiao Cukeng” area, I heard, gets super crowded when the flowers are in full bloom. Some other tung blossom spots in Hsinchu also seem packed with people. With the unpredictable weather every year, it’s harder to estimate when the flowers will bloom, so I just have to rely on the Hakka Affairs Council’s Tung Blossom Festival schedule and take my chances.

That day, I偶然 learned there’s a hidden tung blossom spot in Longtan, Taoyuan, called Gan’s Castle. I’d never heard of this place or been there before!! I decided to check it out during the May Day holiday. I had wanted to visit yesterday, but got distracted by food and missed Gan’s Castle.

The weather was nice today. After Pipi finished work, we quickly headed out from home, hoping to visit the legendary hidden spot. When we arrived, even on a makeup holiday, there were still several cars and motorcycles. Maybe with the internet being so developed these days, there’s no such thing as a “hidden spot” anymore, hahaha. I just hope it doesn’t disappoint me!!

Before seeing the Gan family ancestral hall, I first spotted a pond. There’s a small path beside the pond, partly lined with tung trees and bamboo. Some tung blossoms were already blooming, waiting for passersby. I thought that was all there was, but after walking a bit further, I noticed—where is everyone?? There were cars, but no people. Where did everybody go??

Continuing toward the ancestral hall, I remembered seeing online that Gan’s Castle is private land. As soon as I got here, I could see the “Gan Family Ancestral Hall.” It’s a private shrine, so I thought I’d better not take photos or disturb the owners’ lives.

The low shrubs in front of the ancestral hall were interesting—they were trimmed into the shape of a dragon, giving off the vibe that this family has a playful side.

Heading toward the tung blossoms, next to the house there’s a pond. Someone was sitting on a chair fishing nearby—so relaxing!! A few tung trees by the roadside had some blossoms open, with around 70–80% still in buds. Looks like they’ll be even more stunning in a few days!!

Honestly, these tung trees aren’t very tall, and the flowers bloom right at eye level—it’s rare to get to see tung blossoms up so close. The clusters of flowers among the bushes also looked well-nourished!!

Just as I was thinking maybe this was all there was, I started seeing people walking toward me, getting ready to leave.

Hmm, I guess this is the way to go. Walk to the end, then make a left turn—there’s a paved path, so just follow it.

There’s shade from the trees above and a few white flowers on the ground. Looking up, I realized there were several tung trees overhead. When we turned around to look back, we saw how beautiful this short path actually was.

We happened to run into two young people taking jump shot photos. Their conversation was hilarious, and I couldn’t help but offer to take their jump shot too. They didn’t seem to have great timing and kept having to retake it. One of them said, “Are we going to be here until five o’clock?!”

Hahaha, yeah, it’ll be five in fifty minutes, so I went ahead and helped them out, even sending the photos to them via my phone on the spot. I could feel their “youth is amazing” energy.

Walking further along, I found quite a lot of tung blossoms—some already bloomed, others still in buds.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, and the white tung petals floated down like snowflakes. So, you can actually see “tung blossom snow” in Taiwan in May!! It was so beautiful, so romantic. Pipi stood under the tree, feeling like he was in a movie or TV scene.

Continuing along the path, some people had gathered fallen tung blossoms into heart shapes and even arranged them to display today’s date. Others brought their prized SD figurines for photos, while families came with kids and pets. Though it’s not a public holiday for everyone, there were still quite a few people enjoying a leisurely time. Fortunately, the area is pretty open. We passed some people along the way, but not many, and it felt really comfortable.

Walking further, there were patches of grass and a pond. Pipi said, “This feels like a southern manor.” Hahaha, that really hit the mark. I even thought of suggesting to my friend May that besides cherry blossoms, they should plant some tung trees too, so we can enjoy May snow.

The grass, pond, and melon vines gave this place a whimsical feel, full of a strong sense of daily life. You could really tell this is private land, with people tending to their own crops without a care for outsiders.

In some corners, I spotted more tung trees with blossoms. It had such a lived-in charm, reminiscent of how tung blossoms and Hakka life were once inseparable. In the past, the oil extracted from tung seeds was a seasonal but vital source of income.

Continuing uphill, the atmosphere here is so relaxing, attracting people to lounge on the grass or have picnics. The big tung trees don’t have too many blooms yet, but the fallen petals are enough for people to create words and designs. Hahaha, it’s like the fallen flowers are continuing their life in another form.

We spelled out our own names, hehehe. It was playful and had another layer of romantic charm. We spelled out Pipi’s name and Happy Cloud’s too. I used to never do stuff like this, but I guess the older I get, the more childish I become. But it’s a memory we share from flower-viewing—beautiful and priceless.

Gazing at the view from the grass, there were tung blossoms, distant factories, and power lines. Maybe we don’t have a stunning skyline, but having such a beautiful view like this makes us really happy!!

Today’s tung blossom viewing was pretty good—the blossoms were about 60–70% in bloom. They should be fully bloomed in a few days!! Earlier, a friend messaged me on Facebook asking about the flower conditions at “Gan’s Castle” and whether it’s worth a special trip.

Hahaha, that’s hard to answer!! Today, I saw what looked like hydrangea-like tung blossoms. Hahaha, feels like the tung blossoms here are super well-nourished!! Plus, having people around gives a sense of scale.

This is, after all, private land, and it feels like the owners generously opened it up for visitors. If we’re talking about tourism and overall completeness, it might not be that polished, but if you’re looking for a tung blossom-viewing spot that’s not too crowded or commercialized, I think this is a great choice. Paired with the nearby attractions, food, and coffee in Longtan, it’d make for a really relaxing and laid-back little trip!!

.......................................................To be continued

2016 Hakka Tung Blossom Festival:http://www.tyt.989.com.tw/
You can check the blossom conditions and related events online!!

Gan Family Fortress
Address: No. 20, 8 Zhang Li, Bade Village, Longtan Township, Taoyuan County, 325, Neighboring Area 34
(This is private property, please keep quiet and do not leave any litter!!)

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