Hsinpu Ancestral Shrine

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Today's post is going to be a short one and without the typical amount of context that I'm able to give with these things - I thought it important however to document this historic building due to the fact that on the day I took these photos I learned that it would soon be demolished. 

Since then the building has been torn down and all thats left are photos to remember it.  

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For a bit of a backstory - During the Lunar New Year holiday I had taken an excursion to Jhudong to take photos of the semi-abandoned (and soon to be restored) Timber Industry Dormitories from the Japanese Colonial Era. On my way back I decided to take a different route and drove through the quaint and peaceful Hsinpu village to follow up on a lead I had on an abandoned church.

While driving down the road with rice paddies on either side between Hsinpu and Longtan I noticed a beautiful 'Sanheyuan' (三合院) - a traditional Taiwanese farmhouse.

These houses are actually quite common in that area of Hsinpu and in many parts of the Taiwanese countryside but are largely unkept and are more often than not in a sad state of disrepair. 

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What stopped me at this particular building though was that the door was wide open and it looked pretty much abandoned. The building was in rough shape which meant that no one was living in it anymore so I decided to get off my scooter and take a look to see what I could find.

As I approached the open gate however someone nearby called out to me and started walking over.

At this point I figured I was about to get yelled at for trespassing but instead he let me in and explained that the central portion of the building was an ancestral shrine for the Wu family (吳家) and that because it was the first day of the Lunar New Year, family members had been returning to pay their respects.

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The interior of the building had some really cool hand-drawn portraits from the Qing dynasty on either side of the main shrine as well as some portraits of the family from a time when photography was just becoming a 'thing' in Taiwan. The main shrine in the front was very simple with some spirit tablets and empty space to give offerings. 

The room also had several antique wooden tables in front of the main shrine which would have been used for family dinners in the main courtyard when the family was celebrating a special occasion.  

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The sad thing is that the person who allowed me to go in (who I assume was a member of the Wu family) and check it out told me that the old building had structural issues and was prone to leaking. The leaking was causing a lot of water damage in the old wooden building which meant that the main frame was likely to collapse and the inside was also unfortunately rotting and the smell was evidence of that. 

To the right of the main entrance were several red pieces of paper stuck to the wall. Each piece of paper was recognition of a member of the family who donated to tear down the existing building and replace it with a new one.

Unfortunately these beautiful buildings are starting to disappear at an alarming rate and I'm afraid that in the future all we'll have to remember them by is photos like these.

So, if you see one in your travels, stop by and take a minute to appreciate it.

Respect your local Sanheyuan, they won't be around forever. 

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Gallery / Flickr (High Res Shots)

Tungxiao Shinto Shrine (通宵神社)

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A few months ago while doing research about the Taoyuan Shinto Shrine I learned about some of the other shrines that are still in existence in Taiwan today. The Taoyuan shrine had just recently finished a massive restoration project and opened to the public but my research pointed out that there were a few other shrines of historical importance around the country that were unfortunately in various states of disrepair despite their cultural and historical significance.

One of the shrines I learned about while doing my research was the Tungxiao Shinto Shrine which is situated in the small Hakka village of Tungxiao (通霄) on the western coast of Miaoli county. The small village which was originally named Thun-Siau (吞霄) in the Hakka language has a long history of development dating all the way back to the Kingdom of Tungning era (東寧王國) in the 1600s and experienced a period of urban redevelopment during the Japanese colonial era.

The shrine was originally named "Tsūseujinja" (つうせうじんじゃ) or the Tungxiao Shinto Shrine (通霄神社) and was one of the largest of its kind in the area with resident priests and various religious ceremonies held throughout the year. 

Unfortunately the shrine opened just a few short years before the end of the colonial era which saw the end of Japanese political, cultural and religious influence in Taiwan and ultimately the destruction of the majority of the buildings of Japanese religious and cultural significance throughout the island.

Now 80 years old, the shrine has withstood the test of time, political turmoil and natural disasters and for the most part remains in great condition - As one of the few larger Shinto shrines remaining in Taiwan it has become somewhat of a popular tourist attraction for locals and was recently listed as one of the Top 100 religious sites to visit in Taiwan by the Ministry of the Interior.

 The Japanese Colonial Era (日治時期)

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A lot can be said about the crimes committed by the Japanese Empire leading up to the Second World War. The bitter memory of that era is still felt today throughout Asia and a day doesn't go by that Japan isn't reminded of the horrific atrocities that were committed during that period.

Taiwan's experience under Japanese colonial rule is considered to be a bit tamer than that of neighbouring countries as the regime sought to transform the island into a "model colony" and develop the islands infrastructure and economy as well as provide a modern education to the people living here.

As Taiwan was Japan's first colony, the Japanese Empire wanted to show the world that being under Japanese control wasn't such a terrible thing and that the people of Taiwan would only benefit from becoming a part of the empire. Unfortunately history has shown that things didn't exactly turn out that way for some of Japan's other colonies. 

The colonial period (1895-1945) which lasted for a half century had its fair share of resistance from the local people and the colonial power was guilty of a great many atrocities, however the general feeling today is that people of this country share a strong bond with the Japanese and enjoy a friendship that despite a troubled history is based off of mutual understanding and respect for each other.

When Japan ultimately surrendered to the allies at the end of the war, control of Taiwan was ambiguously handed over to Chiang Kai-Shek (蔣中正) and the Republic of China.

The Sino-Japanese War caused a lot of resentment for the Japanese among the Chinese population and leaders of the ROC government in China had a hard time understanding why the people of Taiwan looked upon their period of Japanese control with so little disdain.

In truth, in the short time that the Japanese controlled Taiwan, they instituted reforms in education and helped to develop the island's infrastructure leaving the incoming regime with a much better situation than they ever could have imagined when they were forced to retreat to Taiwan at the end of the Chinese Civil War.

Under Japanese rule, Taiwanese were granted (nominal) permission to participate in Japan's democratic government which helped to foster the people's early appreciation for democracy. The modernization reforms undertaken by the colonial government in improving the education and infrastructure on the island were a stark contrast to the corrupt, totalitarian approach that the Chinese Nationalist Party implemented upon their arrival which resulted in a thirty-eight year period of Martial Law known locally as the "White Terror Period" (白色恐怖) where tens of thousands of people were jailed, went missing or murdered.

After Japan's surrender, the new regime in Taiwan quickly implemented harsh language laws that would punish people who spoke Japanese, Taiwanese, Hakka or any of the Indigenous languages as well as sparing no effort tearing down any sign of Japanese cultural influence throughout the country.

Tongxiao Shinto Shrine History

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In 1937 (昭和12年) during the later stages of the colonial era, the colonial government instituted its "Kōminka" policy (皇民化運動) which aimed to (forcibly) convert the entire population into Japanese citizens and loyal subjects of the emperor. Part of that policy was to build places of Japanese worship while converting or destroying Chinese temples and is looked upon historically as the worst part of the Colonial Era as the Japanese empire was entrenched in the war which saw it attempting to expand its empire all over Asia.

The Tungxiao Shinto Shrine was built that very same year when the "Japanization" policies started to take root around the island. The shrine was meant to help unite the people and inspire a certain level of Japanese patriotism or "Japanese spirit" known as "Yamato-damashii" (大和魂) which would then in turn help to recruit willing soldiers to aid in the war effort.

Like the shrine in Taoyuan, the Tungxiao Shrine became one of the few places of worship built by the Japanese that was able to escape destruction. In 1947, a short decade after it first opened, the shrine was refurbished and converted into the "Tongxiao Martyr's Shrine" (通霄鎮忠烈祠) which would serve the purpose of honouring the fallen soldiers of the Republic of China Armed Forces as well as honouring the Pirate-King Koxinga (鄭成功) who was an important figure in Taiwanese history.

The shrine sat quietly on the hill behind Tongxiao Junior High School (通宵國中) until 1999 when the main building as well as the administrative building were damaged extensively by the infamous 921 Earthquake (九二一大地震).

The local government put together a plan to restore the main building with construction beginning in 2004 and ending the next year. Plans to restore the other two buildings however met with resistance as (despite being extremely damaged) the residents who lived in them were reluctant to move.

 Design

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In my previous post about the Taoyuan Shinto Shrine I spoke about how the shrine was one of the most complete examples of the architecture of the Showa period (昭和) and was in better condition that some of the handful of others that are left standing in Taiwan today.

Design-wise the grounds of the two shrines are relatively similar but with the Taoyuan shrine you get a much more 'complete' version while the Tungxiao shrine is somewhat of a work-in-progress in terms of its current condition and the level of access visitors are given.

While the Taoyuan Shrine was being restored, the Taoyuan City government completely shut down the grounds and didn't allow people to visit. In Tongxiao the situation is a bit different - The Hall of Worship (拜殿) is in great condition and visitors are allowed to check it out but are not allowed entry as the main doors are closed and everything inside has been removed.

The other parts of the temple which include an Administration building (社務所) and a rest home (休憩所) which would have housed the people living at the shrine are in ruins. The actual main shrine itself (which is behind the main building) was destroyed by the KMT and all that remains are the stairs that lead up to it and a patch of cement that acts as evidence that there was once something there.

There are plans to restore both the administration building and the house next to it but that work has been on 'siesta' for a while due to 'lack of funds' at the local government level. As of now there is a covering over the beautiful administration building to protect it from the elements. The other home is completely open and you're actually able to walk inside if you like. The building isn't in very good shape though so I wouldn't really recommend it as you may damage it further.

While the design of the temple grounds is similar to the shrine in Taoyuan, the Tongxiao Shrine's main claim to fame is that it is the ONLY Shinto Shrine in the world with a Southern Fujian-style Swallow-Tail ridged roof (閩南式的燕翹脊屋頂) likely a cultural tip of the hat to the Hokkien people which had settled in Taiwan a few centuries earlier and whom were at that point citizens of the Japanese empire.

To explain the shrine a little better, I'm going to separate the different parts that are still in existence and give a bit of a description of them as well as the shape they're currently in:

The Administrative Building (社務所)

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The administration building.

The Administrative Building at the Tungxiao Shrine is much larger than the one at the Taoyuan Shrine but it is unfortunately in a terrible state of disrepair and looks like it is in urgent need of restoration in order to save it from the elements. As I mentioned above the local government is cash strapped, so its not likely that work will be completed on the building any time soon. The government has taken the initiative however to cover the building with a protective roof and hopefully that will solve the problem until the time comes when the restoration project restarts.

The Administrative Building would have been one of the most beautiful parts of the entire temple complex. As mentioned above, its a much larger building than the one at the Taoyuan shrine and would have had several rooms. Despite the interior being inaccessible I was able to get some shots of the roof which happens to be one of the most intricate I've seen of any of the remaining Japanese era buildings.

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 The Rest House (休憩所)

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The ruins of the guest house.

The rest house looks like a typical Japanese home and was part of the temple complex where the people who lived at the temple likely lived. Today the rest house is in ruins and even though it is accessible to the public, its probably not a great idea to have a bunch of people walking around it as it could be dangerous and might also ruin parts of the original structure.

The small house is situated on the side of the mountain and in the days before Tungxiao Village was developed there was probably a really great view of the village and the ocean from the windows of the home. I'd imagine it would have been quite a peaceful place to live.

The rest house was occupied by what were probably squatters after the KMT arrived in Taiwan and modifications were ultimately made to it. The housing situation was quite terrible when the KMT retreated to Taiwan at the end of the Chinese Civil War so it was common for places like this to become the new home for those non-military personnel needing a place to live.

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 The Main Shrine (主殿基座)

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The path to where the main shrine used to be.

Unfortunately the Main Shrine no longer exists - It was likely destroyed when the KMT converted the shrine into the Martyrs Shrine sometime in the late 1940s although there isn't much information available about when it was torn town. Today there is only a small patch of concrete at the top of a flight of stairs that remains as evidence that the Main Shrine ever existed.

As with most Shinto shrines, the main hall of the shrine was once a place that was off-limits to worshippers and was used solely by the priests who resided at the shrine. The Main Hall, which could also be referred to as the "Deity Hall" typically sits somewhere behind the Hall of Worship and can be connected by either a back door or a path that leads up to it. In most cases the Main Hall is quite small and looks a bit like a Chinese-style palanquin that you might have seen on the streets of Taiwan during a temple parade.

Back in the day, the Tungxiao shrine was dedicated primarily to the Goddess Amaterasu-ōmikami (天照大神) with another shrine for Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa (能久親王) -  a popular figure in Taiwan at the time. You would have found their shrines located within the now non-existent Main Shrine.

I'm not entirely sure if a rebuild of the original Main Shrine has been planned to go along with the restoration of the other two buildings but I would hope that it would eventually be reconstructed to offer a much more complete experience for people who visit the temple.

Thus far all that remains is the stairway that led to the shrine and a cement block that would have been the base.

 Hall of Worship (拜殿)

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The front doors of the Hall of Worship.

The Hall of Worship which can be considered the main part of the shrine and the most important attraction is a special one - As I mentioned above it is the only Shinto Shrine in the world that has a roof of its kind and even though it had to be restored after the devastating 921 earthquake, the original design is still intact.

The building is a single-room hall and was the place where people would go to pray and meet with the priests. When the KMT converted it into a Martyrs Shrine they removed all of the Japanese religious elements and replaced them with spirit plates to represent the deceased members of the Republic of China Armed Forces as well as adding a shrine to Koxinga.

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Beautiful wooden doors.

Even though the building has reverted back to a "Shinto shrine" (for tourist purposes) and everything inside was removed, one of the features that was added after it was converted to the Martyrs Shrine still remains today - The star of the Republic of China sits on top of the roof which in my humble opinion takes away somewhat from the shrine's authenticity.

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Ruined aesthetic..

The roof is the most significant design aspect of the Main Hall and even though it has since been restored I think its important to notice some of its design characteristics. The reason why the roof stands out (as mentioned above) is that it was designed with Southern-Fujian Architecture (閩南式) in mind differing from that of most other Japanese buildings of the Showa period which were distinctly influenced by the design of the Tang Dynasty (唐朝).

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The majority of the remaining Japanese Colonial Era buildings, including the Taoyuan Shinto Shrine and the various Butokuden's (武德殿) that I've posted about follow the Tang-dynasty architectural style with a "hip and gable" (歇山頂) roof design. The Tungxiao Shrine however took a different path in its design by using a Swallow-tail ridged roof (燕翹脊屋頂) making it different from every other Shinto shrine in the world and securing it a special place in history.

Visiting Path (參道)

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The visiting path.

The Sandō (參道) or "Visiting Path" is a common feature for Japanese Shinto and Buddhist temples that lead up to the Main Hall. In the case of the Tungxiao Shinto Shrine the path is quite beautiful and is in excellent condition. The first thing you're met with is a Torii gate (鳥居) which is meant to signify the beginning of the shrines territory. The path beyond the gate leads you up to the Main Hall and is lined symmetrically with traditional Japanese stone lanterns (燈籠) and is tree covered with maple trees on the right and fur trees to the left.

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 What's Missing?

While what you see today is pretty much what you would have seen in 1937 there is something important that is notably missing and is something that is found at all Shinto shrines in Japan -  The Purification Fountain (手水舍) which would have been somewhere near the main gate to the temple is an important aspect of Shintoism revolving around the notion of the "sacred-profane dichotomy".

At Shinto temples, the Torii gate at the entrance acts as the a separation between the world of the 'profane' from that of the 'sacred'. When you walk through the gate you are leaving the world of the profane which means that you should do so in the cleanest possible manner. So in order to ready yourself for entrance into the sacred realm you would have to do so with a purified body and mind. The purpose of the fountain was for visitors to the shrine to first wash their hands, faces and mouths before they went in.

Another missing aspect and something that I haven't seen mentioned while doing research are the Bronze Horses that were common at most temples like this. The bronze horses have a double purpose with the first being that they symbolize the effort monks at the temple would have to display in their daily lives and the second being that they are all stamped with the chrysanthemum seal which acted as a seal of approval from the Japanese royal family. In a lot of cases the Bronze Horses that you'd see at temples like this were destroyed due to their symbolic relationship with the Japanese royal family.

 Map Location

 

Despite restoration work on the shrine and the former administrative buildings being incomplete you are able to visit the shrine and enjoy the beautiful scenery around it. Unlike the Taoyuan Shrine which was closed for a long period of time you are still able to visit and check this one out. Unfortunately the Miaoli government has had to stop restoration work due to mismanagement of funds at the local government level but I hope that once they get that problem sorted out that work on the shrine starts back up again so that this beautiful shrine can be brought back to its former glory.

If you're in the Tungxiao area be sure to check this one out - There are so so few shrines like this still in existence today and this is one of the better examples of the architecture of the Showa period mixing together with local design. The shrine is just a short walk from the Tungxiao train station so it is an easy one to visit!

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Gallery / Flickr (High Res Photos)

Taiwan Cherry Blossom Guide (臺灣櫻花地圖)

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One of the clearest indications that spring has arrived in Taiwan is when the cherry blossoms start to bloom throughout the country. It’s one of those things that you can’t miss as the trees in cities large and small start to turn pink. It would be an understatement to say that the people of Taiwan have a tremendous amount of respect for the natural environment, but when it comes to cherry blossoms, viewing them is an important part of many, if not most families social calendars. 

The blossoms which are also referred to as "sakura" grow in the early months of the year when the Taiwanese winter is coming to an end and the weather starts to get better after a few months of rain. The blooming season also just so happens to take place near the conclusion of the all-important Lunar New Year (農曆新年) celebrations, when many families have a long winter vacation and are able to travel freely.

Taiwan is a fertile land with fruit, flowers and vegetables growing all over the place and when there are flowers to be seen, you can be sure to see crowds of people enjoying the beauty of nature and practicing the age-old tradition known in Japan as "Hanami" (花見) or “flower-viewing”.

Considered to be a cultural remnant from the Japanese Colonial Era, the people of Taiwan take their flowers very seriously and these days wherever you go you’ll be sure to find advertisements the various flower-related festivals held throughout the year.

You might be thinking that these festivals probably only appeal to a bunch of senior citizens with too much time on their hands, but you’d be wrong - Hanami is a serious thing and you’ll see people of all ages traveling to enjoy the natural beauty that this country has to offer. Flower viewing is often a family affair, but it is also a romantic one, so you’ll often see families as well as young couples enjoying the experience.

And there is no better experience than cherry blossom season, so for the few few months of the year when the blossoms are in bloom, the country turns a beautiful shade of pink and in the areas where they grow in abundance, you’ll also find large crowds rushing to see them.

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One of the things I've come to realize in the years since opening this site is that there are very few English-language resources or information available about the cherry blossom blooming season. Some of my most popular blog posts (and the ones that generate the most comments or emails) are those about cherry-blossoms.

People travelling to Taiwan and expats living here want to know where to find them and unfortunately that information is often lacking. So, what I’m going to attempt to do with this post is explain a few of the most common varieties of cherry blossom in Taiwan, provide a list of the most popular places to see them and also provide a map that I’ve compiled of other places where you can find them.

I hope that this short guide helps out and that you can find the location most suitable for you to view these beautiful blossoms.

Cherry Blossoms (櫻花)

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Taiwan is home to around two dozen different species of cherry blossom and while some of them appear similar to those in Japan, the majority of them can only be found in Taiwan, which makes the blossom-viewing experience here an especially unique one. The most common species of blossom is the dark-pink Taiwanese Mountain Sakura which can be seen all around the country. There are however several other species that only grow in specific locations and in high elevations, so if you want to check them out, you’ll have to head to the mountains to see them.

An important note when it comes to Taiwan’s cherry blossoms is that most of them are the result of hybridization, which means that the species have been mixed together to create something new.

Link: A Beginners Guide to Cherry Blossoms - Cherry Tree Varieties

With almost two dozen species of cherry blossom in Taiwan, how are you to differentiate between what you’re seeing? Take it from me, I’m no expert, I’ve put a lot of research into Taiwan’s blossoms, but no matter how much I read about them, they all look relatively similar. 

And hey, Taiwan is also home to Plum Blossoms (梅花), Peach Blossoms (桃花) and Tung Blossoms (桐花), which probably only help to exacerbate your confusion.

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There are some characteristics that can help even beginners differentiate the various blossoms that you’ll find. 

• Number of Petals

One of the easiest ways to figure out what you’re looking at is to count the number of petals on the blossom. The majority of Taiwan’s cherry blossoms have five petals, but there are others like the Double-Layered Cherry (八重櫻) that can have anywhere between ten or twenty petals. 

• Colour of the Blossom

The most common cherry blossom in Taiwan is the Taiwan Mountain Cherry, which has dark-pink petals. The most popular blossoms however are light-pink, white or red. The colour of the petals however can sometimes be quite similar, so you’ll also have to pay attention to the stems inside which have their own distinct colours. 

• Blooming Period

Taiwan’s various species of cherry blossoms bloom anywhere between January and April and one of the easiest ways to figure out what you’re looking at is by knowing the blooming time for the area you’re visiting. For example, when I visited the Loving Farm (恩愛農場) in Taoyuan, I knew that the Fuji Cherry bloomed in late February while the Japanese Alpine Cherry (千島櫻) grew sometime in March. Despite the fact that they both have five petals and the colour of their petals are similar, I knew that I was looking at Fuji Cherries because of the time I was there.

Even though the links below are in Chinese, they should help differentiate Taiwan’s various species: 

Link: 你賞的是什麼櫻？(Hiking Notebook) | 台灣櫻花種類 (Jeff Yen)

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Taiwan’s Cherry Blossom Varieties 

1. Taiwanese Mountain Cherry (台灣山櫻花) - Late-January - February

2. Formosan Cherry (福爾摩沙櫻) - Late-January to February

3. Taiwan Cherry (緋寒櫻) - Late-January to February

4. Double-layered Cherry (八重櫻) - Mid-February - March

5. Peony Cherry (牡丹櫻) - Late-March - Early-April

6. Showa Cherry (昭和櫻) - February - March

7. Pink Lady Cherry (紅粉佳人) - Mid-February - Late-February

8. Wusheh Cherry (霧社櫻) - Mid-March - April

9. Taiping Cherry (太平山櫻) - Mid-March - April

10. Japanese Alpine Cherry (千島櫻) - March - April

11. Oshima Cherry (大島櫻) - Late -March - April

12. Takasago Cherry (高砂櫻) - Late-March - April

13. Yoshino Cherry (吉野櫻) - Mid-March - April

14. White Yoshino Cherry (白色吉野櫻) - March - April

15. Kawazu Cherry (普賢象櫻) - Late-March to Mid-April

16. Fuji Cherry (富士櫻) - Mid-February to Mid-March. 

Taiwan’s Most Common Cherry Blossoms

In this section, I’m going to introduce some of the most common varieties of cherry blossoms in Taiwan.

I’ll also continue to update this section as I get more photos in the future.

1. Taiwanese Cherry / Kanhizakura (臺灣山櫻花)

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The indigenous Taiwanese Mountain Sakura are the most common type of cherry blossom in Taiwan.

The flowers are a dark shade of pink and when you are in an area where there are quite a few trees, it can be one of the most beautiful experiences of your life. Unfortunately even though these cherry blossoms are beautiful, they are viewed as less important by most local people than some of the other varieties.

These trees grow all over the country but the most common places to find them are on Alishan (阿里山), Yangmingshan (陽明山), Dakeng (大坑) and Zhongli's Ju-Guang Park (中壢莒光公園)

Blooming Period: Late January to March.

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2. Yoshino Cherry (吉野櫻)

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The Yoshino Cherry is probably the most popular of all the Sakura in Taiwan due to the fact that it is considered the most "Japanese". These trees with their beautiful light-pink blossoms are not endemic to Taiwan and were brought here during the Japanese colonial era from Mount Yoshinoyama (吉野山) in Japan's Nara Prefecture (奈良市). As Japan's most popular cherry blossom a lot of people in Taiwan will plan their yearly schedules around the blossoming season to take a trip to Japan to see them. You don't have to take a trip to Japan to see these flowers though, they grow in abundance in several places around the country.

The most common places to find Yoshino Cherries are on Alishan (阿里山), Wuling Farm (武陵農場), Aowanda (奧萬大), the Formosan Culture Village (九族文化村) and at Danshui's Tian-Yuan Temple (天元宮)

Blooming Period: Mid-March to Late-April.

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3. Double-Layer Cherry / Yaezakura (八重櫻 / やえざくら)

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Double-Layer Cherry go by a few names but they are common in both Taiwan and Japan. We can refer to them as 'Double-Layer Cherry', 'Yaezakura' or 'Late-Blooming Cherry'. The Double-Layer Cherry is a multi-layered cherry blossom and is a blanket term that defines several different species of cherry blossom that have more than 5 petals. The varieties of Sakura in this type vary in colour ranging from light to dark pink and are often hard to identify individually unless you're an expert. In Taiwan people refer to them simply as the "eight variety cherry" (八重櫻) which helps solve some of the confusion as to what they actually are. 

The most common places to find these types of blossoms growing in abundance are on Yangmingshan (陽明山) and Alishan (阿里山) while they can be found on many smaller mountains throughout northern Taiwan.

Blooming Period: February - March. 

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4. Fuji Cherry (富士櫻)

The Fuji Cherry is another of Taiwan’s most popular species of cherry blossom - A hybrid of the Taiwanese Cherry (台灣山櫻花) and the Japanese Yamazakura (山櫻花). As a hybrid species, the blossoms take on aspects of both the Taiwanese and Japanese cherries with the shape of the petals being similar to that of the Japanese cherry, with each blossom having five petals and are a light red or pink. The blossoms are usually clustered together in bunches and face down.

The best places to see Fuji Cherry Blossoms is at Taoyuan’s Lala Mountain (拉拉山), Nantou’s Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village (九族文化村) and Qingjing Farm (清境農場).

Blooming Period: Late-February - March

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Where to find Cherry Blossoms in Taiwan

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Between February and March, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find cherry blossoms growing around Taiwan.

If you’re like a lot of people though and you want to make the special effort to visit a pink-sakura forest, there are some places that you should definitely keep in mind.

This is the most current version of the top fifteen popular cherry blossom viewing locations around the country, with an estimation of when the blossoms will be in bloom in each area.

Each location can be found on the Cherry Blossom Map below represented by a heart, but you can also click on each of the links below to be taken to a Google Map link.

1. Yangmingshan (陽明山), Taipei (Mid February - Mid March)

2. Lane 42, Pingjing Street (平菁街櫻花), Taipei (Mid January - Mid February) 

3. Donghu Park (東湖樂活公園), Neihu (February - March) 

4. Tian-Yuan Temple (天元宮), Danshui (February - March)

5. Jinguashi Museum (金瓜石博物館), Ruifang (March - April) 

6. Xiong-Kong Sakura Forest (熊空櫻花林), Sanxia (January - April 

7. Loving Farm (恩愛農場), Taoyuan (Late February - Mid March) 

8. Wuling Farm (武陵農場), Taichung (February)

9. Dongshi Forest Garden (東勢林場), Taichung (February) 

10. Tai-An Police Station (泰安派出所), Taichung (Late February - Mid March) 

11. Fushou Mountain Farm (福壽山農場), Taichung (Mid Feb - April) 

12. Formosa Aboriginal Culture Village (九族文化村), Nantou (February - March)

13. Aowanda Forest Recreation Area (奧萬大國家森林遊樂區), Nantou (Mid March - April)

14. Alishan (阿里山), Chiayi (December - April)

15. Taimali Green Mountain Farm (太麻里青山農場), Taidong (February - March)

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Cherry Blossom Map (臺灣櫻花地圖)

This map is something that took quite a bit of time to create, so I hope it can help people find the best (and closest) locations for viewing Taiwan’s cherry blossoms so that you can have the best viewing experience.

You are welcome to use it for personal use or share it however you like.

If you are a media organization though, ask for permission.

All that I ask is that if you have any leads for locations that I haven’t added on the map, let me know so I can continue to update it for others!

On the map I’m simply providing the geographic location and the name in English and Chinese.

When I have more time I'll add a bit more information for travelers on how to get to each point, what blossoms you’ll find and when would be the best time to visit.

I hope what is available thus far is of use to you. 

View fullsize

 A few things to Keep in Mind

• Cherry blossoms, while beautiful are extremely vulnerable to the weather.

• Taiwan's winter's are often unpredictable and are known to be cold, rainy and windy. Weather conditions often affect the health and the amount of blossoms that are available.

• A few locations like Danshui's Tian-Yuan Temple and Wuling Farm have websites that give the most recent information about the growth of the blossoms in their respective area.

• Something else to take into consideration is that while the blossoming season is typically between March and April, Global Warming has affected the blossoming periods meaning that sometimes they appear a bit earlier. This means that if the blossoms appear earlier, they are also likely to disappear much more quickly.

• If you are planning a trip to Taiwan to view the cherry blossoms, you should do a bit of research beforehand as you could end up a bit disappointed.

• The cherry blossom season is one of the busiest flower-viewing seasons in Taiwan and is one that you won't want to miss if you're in the country.

• I highly recommend a trip to any of the top spots listed above, but if you're shy and don’t like crowds, you can find some other great places to visit on the map I’ve provided.  

As always, if you have any questions feel free to comment below and I'll get back to you as soon as I can! 

Happy Sakura hunting!  

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Gallery / Flickr (High Res Shots)