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Highway offers summer visitors an ocean of flowers

Scarecrows stand in one of the fields sown with flowers for the 2008 North Coast Flower Sea Season, which is being hosted by the Tourism Bureau’s North Coast and Guanyinshan National Scenic Area Administration and four townships in Taipei County. PHOTO: HUANG CHI-HAO, TAIPEI TIMES

Tourists visiting the North Coast this summer can take in the sight of hectare upon hectare of flowers along Provincial Highway No. 2.

Seventy hectares of fields have been sown with a variety of summer flowers as part of the 2008 North Coast Flower Sea Season (北海岸花海季), hosted by the North Coast and Guanyinshan National Scenic Area Administration and four townships in Taipei County — Tamsui (淡水), Sanjhih (三芝), Shihmen (石門) and Jinshan (金山).

The fields are at different points along the highway in the four townships, with the largest flower field — at 52 hectares — located in Tamsui.

The fields have been planted with sunflowers, orange cosmos, zinnias, lotuses and other flowers.

The exhibition continues until the Aug. 17.

Each township has also arranged special events in conjunction with the flower season to attract visitors.

In Tamsui, visitors are invited to learn how to carve locally grown pumpkins.

For those who want to beat the heat but would still like a good look at flowers, Sanjhih Township is offering night-time flower viewing. Visitors can also enjoy fresh watermelon grown at Sanjhih farms.

Visitors to Shihmen can try the local zongzi and tieguanyin oolong tea. Shihmen zongzi are different from many other places because they do not contain egg yolks, which Shihmen residents say would bring bad luck on students preparing to take entrance exams over the summer.

In Jinshan, visitors are invited to participate in the annual Sweet Potato Festival and attend a rock concert.
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