Some universities have begun hosting activities to cater to visitors flocking to see cherry blossoms.
Chinese Culture University on Yangmingshan (陽明山) in Taipei is one hot spot for people looking to appreciate cherry blossoms, as the roads surrounding the school are lined with the trees.
The school also has a number of trees that were planted with the help of distinguished foreign academics, which are popular due to their symbolic nature, despite being few in number, the school said.
Photo: CNA
The university four years ago built a hiking trail that goes from its gymnasium and connects with other smaller trails on the mountain, it said, adding that the more than 100 cherry trees that line the trails reach full bloom between February and March every year.
Huafan University in New Taipei City’s Shihding District (石碇) is known as the “forest university” due to the number of trees and shrubs on campus.
Because the land around the school is particularly suitable for growing cherry trees, there are 100 such trees of a number of different species on campus, including the Taiwan cherry, the king cherry and the Showa cherry, the university said.
The different species blossom at various times from late January to early February, attracting a number of visitors throughout the period, it said, adding that it a few years ago created a map to help visitors identify the species.
National Chi Nan University in Nantou County is estimated to be the campus with the largest number of cherry trees in the nation, with the majority surrounding its College of Education, College of Management and School of Science and Technology.
Visitors are drawn to the “mysterious forest of cherry trees in the middle of an expansive green campus,” the university said, adding that the campus extends more than 150 hectares.
This year, the university is co-operating with the Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area Administration to hold Chinese-style tea ceremonies and other activities on campus, it said, adding that the events began on Feb. 9 and are to continue until March 4.
Musical performances are also being held on campus during the period, it added.
Da-Yeh University in the Tri-Mountain National Scenic Area (參山國家風景區) began planting cherry trees in 2005. Today, the school boasts about 1,000 of the trees from 11 species, including the weeping cherry, school general affairs manager Chuang Chi-jen (莊基仁) said.
Visitors can park for free at the school during the winter break and can enjoy its 400m of cherry blossom-lined walking trails, he said.
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