Too cold from the cold wave！ Wuling cherry blossoms have only bloomed 30%, with the cherry blossom season possibly extended further

▲ Wuling Farm’s cherry blossoms are not doing well this year due to the cold wave, with only 30% in bloom. (Photo / FromWuling Farm’s official fan page)

Reported by reporter Lai Wen-xuan / Taipei

In previous years, the cherry blossoms at Wuling Farm were in full bloom, always attracting large crowds of visitors to the mountains to admire the sea of pink across the valleys. But this year, many might be disappointed. Due to the impact of the January super cold wave, many cherry blossom buds were damaged by the frost and their flowering sequences disrupted. Currently, only 30% of the cherry blossoms at Wuling Farm have bloomed. The originally planned Wuling Cherry Blossom Season entry and traffic controls were only scheduled to run until the 22nd. Wuling Farm and the Directorate General of Highways will soon discuss whether to extend the season based on blossom conditions and visitor turnout, with a decision expected as early as Friday.

▲ In previous years, Wuling Farm’s cherry blossoms were in full bloom, attracting many visitors. (Photo / Provided by Wuling Farm, archival image)

The Wuling Farm Cherry Blossom Season runs from February 6 to 22, a total of 17 days. To prevent traffic congestion in the surrounding areas and within the farm, the Directorate General of Highways and Wuling Farm implemented entry quotas and surrounding traffic controls. But this year, the blossom conditions are poor. Where there would normally be around 50% of cherry blossoms in bloom, only about 30% have flowered so far. Wuling Farm estimates that the peak blooming period will last from the 15th to early March. Wang Chin-piao, deputy director of Wuling Farm, said that the super cold wave at the end of January damaged many cherry blossom buds that had not yet bloomed, resulting in worse blossom conditions than in previous years—but the flowers are still gradually blooming.

▲ Wuling Farm’s cherry blossoms are not in great condition this year. (Photo / From Wuling Farm’s official fan page)

In response to this year’s later blooming period, could the Wuling Cherry Blossom Season, originally ending on the 22nd, be extended? Wang Chin-piao said that an extension would require follow-up measures and would need further discussion with the Directorate General of Highways. A planner from the Directorate General of Highways’ Planning Division stated that they will assess the situation based on bus ticket bookings and blossom conditions, and whether to extend the season may be decided as early as this week.