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Festival attracts tens of thousands to Yangmingshan

Tens of thousands of visitors crowded the Yangmingshan Flower Festival yesterday to spend their free time over the Lunar New Year holiday under cherry blossom trees and surrounded by the many flower species that are decorating the area during the annual festival.

The festival kicked off on Tuesday and will run through March 25.

The Taipei Parks and Street Lights Office under the Taipei City Government expected the festival to attract a record-high 1.4 million visitors this year in part because of the holiday.

According to the office, most of the flowers in Yangmingshan National Park, including cherry and peach blossoms, peonies, and camellias, are already in full blossom.

Visitors can enjoy a walk on a cherry blossom trail with 50 cherry trees or watch a night-time cherry blossom show.

Another festival, the Zhuzihu calla lily show (竹子湖海芋季) begins after the Yangmingshan flower festival ends, but the calla lilies are already in bloom and the office said visitors could pick calla lilies in the fields.

The Taipei City Tourism Committee is offering a "Blossom and Springs" tour, taking visitors on a one-day trip to the flower festival and the nearby Beitou Hot Springs Museum, Zhongshan Hall and Grass Mountain Chateau.

Chen Ming-cheng (陳銘政), traffic division chief of the Taipei City Transportation Department, said the traffic flow around the festival was smooth during the first two days but said that visitors should expect heavy traffic and take public transportation to help reduce the problem.

Details on the flower festival are available on the Internet at www.2007yms.com.tw or by phone on (02) 2861-8975.

Details on the "blossom and springs" tours are available by phone on 0800 012-285.
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