Yangmingshan is a national park in northern Taiwan just north of Taipei City. The annual Yangmingshan Flower Season is the largest of its kind in Taiwan. From middle February to late March, the colorful blossoms of Feihan cherries (Prunus Campanulata), Azaleas, apricot flowers are all around at this time.
This year’s flower season starts on Feb 27 and run until March 23. More than 2,000 cherry trees and about 80,000 azalea plants will blossom during the festival.
During the festival, a photo exhibition featuring Yangmingshan’s scenery will be held at Yangmingshan National Park’s Guangfu Building. There will also be martial arts and lion dance performances, concerts, puppet shows and Chinese painting.
Trails:
The Yangmingshan National Park trail system is mainly located within the park and it stretches through Dingshan, Shihtiling, east peak, the main peak of Chixingshan, the main peak, south peak and west peak of Datunshan, Miantianshan and Xiangtianshan among others. Datunshan is the No. 2 volcano area in China after Changbai Mountain in northeast China. Enriched by Andesite, its conic or hell-shaped volcano body, crater and volcano lakes provide a unique geological terrain in the area. Hot springs and eruptions are main found in the Jinshan Fault between Beitou and Jinshan. In the area, strong steam jets are common in the large and small oil pits, Maca and Dahuangzui.
In the area, there are as many as 1,200 plant species, some with odd types of capillary structures. The fauna and flora species total 18 mammals, 110 birds, 21 amphibians, over 40 reptiles and some 160 butterflies.
Maps are abundant in the park
Yangming Park
Yangming Park is the main site to host Yangmingshan Flower Season festival. Once you get off the bus, just follow the crowds and you will get to the park in half an hour or so.
A waterfall on the road to Yangming Park
2010 Yangmingshan Flower Season
Line up here and wait for a bus back to Taipei
Zhongshan Building
Zhongshan Building is part of Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall complex. The building is placed on the reverse of the 100 New Taiwan Dollar bill. The building serves as a location for hosting ceremonies by the President of the Republic of China for state visits and conferences and was off limits to the general public until 2005.
In 1965, with a view to commemorate Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s centennial birthday and to revive traditional Chinese culture, the government of the Republic of China appointed architect Ms. Xiu Zelan to design the Zhongshan Building. Thousands of military veterans finished this construction within 13 months. Zhongshan Building once served as an exclusive convention site for the defunct National Assembly of the Republic of China, and an eminent locale for the state head’s receiving distinguished foreign guests or hosting state banquets. Up to present, the hall still preserves many important scenes that witnessed constitutional development and historical events in the Republic of China. The government has designated the Zhongshan Building as a historical monument.
Paifang in front of the building
Meeting Room on the ground floor