Nature's springtime raiment draws crowds

This article was written by Rita Fang and published by the Taiwan Journal on March 24, 2006. It features various areas in Taiwan where spring flowers are in full blossom and form spectacular scenes for local and international visitors to enjoy.

Yangmingshan (Yangming Mountain) in Taipei City's Beitou District has long been a favorite springtime destination for the city's residents. Its flower-viewing season generally lasts about one month, from late February to late March. In 2006, statistics provided by the Yangmingshan National Park show that more than 1 million people visited the area in January. On weekends, as many as 120,000 people visited the park every day.

Yangmingshan features four types of flowers - cherry blossoms, wild peach blossoms, azaleas and camellias. Other plants and shrubs also offer brilliant flowers. Indeed, one of the most famous landmarks on the mountain is a giant floral clock. Among all the flowers, the cherry blossoms in particular grab the public's attention. They are considered symbolic of spring and rebirth.

There are about 2,000 cherry trees of various species on Yangmingshan. About 10 out of the world's 200 or so species of cherry trees are found in Taiwan, six of which are indigenous. The most representative species in Taiwan is the mountain cherry, which is also known as the Taiwan cherry. It is a robust indigenous species that is able to adapt to the warmer temperatures of lowland areas in northern Taiwan.

The Taiwan cherry can reach 8 to 10 meters in height and is most commonly found in mountain areas at elevations between 400 meters and 2,500 meters. Its bell-shaped flowers, which dangle from the tree stems with their openings downward, are generally a vibrant crimson hue. Its fruit is also a brilliant red.

The other five indigenous cherry species in Taiwan are the Taipingshan (Taiping Mountain) cherry, Wushe cherry, Lanyu wild cherry, Shan white cherry and Alishan mountain cherry. Meanwhile, in Yangmingshan, a private cherry orchard near the floral clock has 70 trees of a special species of cherry that was introduced to Taiwan from Japan. This species is unusual because its flowers can be either pink or greenish yellow.

In addition to cherry blossoms, Yangmingshan is also famous for its calla lillies. In 2006, the Chutzehu (Bamboo Lake) area on the mountain will produce about 2.5 million flower stalks, accounting for 90 percent of Taiwan's production of calla lilies. The 2006 Chutzehu Calla Lily Festival will take place from March 26 to April 16. Hundreds of thousands of local and international visitors will be able to pick their own lilies or buy them at a very low price.

Several other mountainous areas in Taiwan are also popular destinations for springtime flower viewing. These include Taipei County's Wulai, Nantou County's Wushe, and Chiayi County's Alishan (Mt Ali).

Wushe is often referred to as the "capital of cherry blossoms". The Japanese colonial authorities planted many cherry trees during their occupation of Taiwan (1895-1945). Local and international visitors also come to Wushe to enjoy its hot springs. Meanwhile, Alishan is also a good choice for viewing cherry blossoms.

The article concludes by featuring the azalea, Taipei's city flower. From March to May every year, azalea bushes with a wide range of colors are found everywhere in Yangmingshan and around the city. In 2006, an additional 20,000 azaleas were planted on Yangmingshan. Pots of a new "high-mountain azalea" hybrid with bigger, more vibrantly colored flowers are on display in front of the giant floral clock.