The Alishan National Scenic Area Administration over the weekend launched the area’s annual cherry blossom celebrations, with the theme this year set by the Forestry Bureau as “a dialogue between cherry blossom and music.”
The celebration, to run until April 15, marks the latest of a series of cherry blossom festivals that have gained huge popularity in recent years.
According to the bureau, traditional Chinese music performed by students from various universities in Greater Tainan, Chiayi County and Pingtung County will take place at Jhaoping Park (沼平公園) every Tuesday and Thursday from 10am to 12pm and 1:30pm to 3:30pm.
The Chiayi Forest District Office added that a remodeling project, conducted at the park last year with plantation of various species of flowers, including a new 176.7m long wooden trail high above the ground, has been opened to the public this year.
From the trail visitors can overlook the sea of flowers and see the Tashan (塔山) from a observation platform at the endpoint of the trail.
In a bid to prevent heavy traffic congestion during the cherry blossom season that visitors encountered last year, vehicle controls are being enforced by the Directorate-General of Highways this year between 6am and 1pm on weekends and holidays.
The agency also ordered all visitors in small vehicles without hotel lodging documents to take a shuttle bus (which costs NT$150 each ride).
In addition, it is allowing only 10,000 group visitors with advance reservations to enter the area each day.
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