Cherry Blossom Shuttle to Wuling Farm Goes on Sale on the 19th – Taipei to Wuling in Just 4 Hours

▲The Directorate General of Highways launches the Wuling Farm cherry blossom shuttle. (Photo provided by Wuling Farm, the same below)

Reported by Lai Wen-xuan / Taipei

Cherry Blossom Fever Grips Taiwan! The popular cherry blossom destination, Wuling Farm, kicks off its blossoming season on February 6, but during the viewing period, all guest rooms and camping sites at the farm have been fully booked. The Directorate General of Highways announced that on the 19th, it will begin selling one-day cherry blossom shuttle tickets to Wuling Farm, departing from Taipei and Yilan, taking just 4 hours to reach the farm. Ticket holders can enter the park for free.

▲This year’s Wuling Farm cherry blossom season coincides with the 9-day Lunar New Year holiday.

Wuling Farm’s cherry blossom season runs from February 6 to 22, totaling 17 days, during which visitors can enjoy stunning cherry blossoms across the mountains and valleys. This year’s season overlaps with the 9-day Lunar New Year holiday, and the Directorate General of Highways anticipates heavy traffic in the area. As such, four major traffic management measures have been planned: “on-site visitor limits, road traffic control, group reservation entry, and public transport shuttles.”

▲Traffic control will be enforced around Wuling Farm, with access limited to permit holders.

Wuling Farm has set a daily visitor cap of 6,000 people, including 1,800 overnight guests and 4,200 day-trippers. Among the day-trippers, 1,000 are group ticket holders and 3,200 are individual travelers using public transport. Traffic controls will be in place, and overnight guests can exchange for a permit to enter. Those without a permit will not be allowed access. However, all 800 guest rooms and 1,000 campsites at Wuling Farm (during the Lunar New Year) have already been fully booked. Visitors wishing to see the blossoms must opt for group day trips or use public transport.

▲Six cherry blossom shuttle routes go on sale on the 19th.

The Directorate General of Highways has launched six bus routes: [Taipei Main Station – Wuling Farm], [Taipei City Hall Bus Station – Wuling Farm], [Yilan Bus Station – Wuling Farm], [Sanxing Township Sports Complex – Wuling Farm], [Datong Township Jiuliao Visitor Center – Wuling Farm], and [Lishan – Wuling Farm]. Each route has a limited number of presale tickets per day, available via Kuo-Kuang Bus ticketing windows (province-wide network) and convenience stores (7-11, FamilyMart, Hi-Life). Pre-sales begin on January 19.

▲The cherry blossom shuttle takes only 4 hours to get to Wuling Farm.

Departing from Taipei or Yilan, it takes just 4 hours to reach Wuling Farm. Ticket holders can enter the park for free. In line with Wuling Farm’s management plan, visitors have a 4-hour window to explore the park. The shuttle operates on a same-vehicle round-trip basis, with four designated boarding points for the return journey, based on transfer locations within the park. Bus drivers will remind passengers of their return bus times and locations when they disembark.

Additionally, to prevent fatigue from long-distance and nighttime driving between Lishan and Wuling Farm, the Directorate General of Highways encourages visitors to stay overnight in Lishan before visiting the farm the next day. Fengyuan Bus will sell tickets and park entry passes at the Lishan Visitor Center from 6 to 8 p.m. the evening before departure, in coordination with farm staff. Each person can purchase up to 6 tickets, with the sales period running from February 5 to February 21, 2016.

▲Wuling Farm’s cherry blossoms in full bloom make it a renowned destination in Taiwan.

▲The Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters produced the 2016 “Cherry Snow Romance – Spring Tour in Wuling” promotional video. (Video provided by Shei-Pa National Park Headquarters)

Daily ticket availability for each route is as follows:
1. [Taipei Main Station – Wuling Farm]: 1,000 people/day.
2. [Taipei City Hall Bus Station – Wuling Farm]: 1,000 people/day.
3. [Yilan Bus Station – Wuling Farm]: 400 people/day.
4. [Sanxing Township Sports Complex – Wuling Farm]: 300 people/day.
5. [Datong Township Jiuliao Visitor Center – Wuling Farm]: 300 people/day.
6. [Lishan – Wuling Farm]: 200 people/day.

Ticket prices for each route are as follows:
1. Taipei – Wuling Farm: Regular NT$730, Concession NT$450
2. Yilan – Wuling Farm: Regular NT$610, Concession NT$310
3. Sanxing Township Sports Complex – Wuling Farm: Regular NT$520, Concession NT$280
4. Datong Township Jiuliao Visitor Center – Wuling Farm: Regular NT$500, Concession NT$260
5. Lishan – Wuling Farm: Regular NT$160, Half-price NT$80