Taiwan Season
Hakka Tung Blossom Festival: April to May on the hill trails of Taoyuan, Hsinchu and Miaoli
At a glance
- Best time
- About April to May; peak bloom shifts with the weather
- Where
- Hakka village trails in Taoyuan, Hsinchu and Miaoli
- Getting there
- Taiwan Tourist Shuttle 5700 from TRA Zhubei Station
- Cost
- Shishan Line day pass NT$100; trail walks free (2026)
- Limits
- Mingfeng walks needed advance registration, 40 per session (2026)
Dates last checked: 14 October 2026
The season
Tung flowers drop whole and cover the stone steps of Hakka villages
The Hakka Affairs Council started the Tung Blossom Festival in 2002. In 2026 the council held no main event of its own; instead, cities and counties ran their own trail walks, markets and Hakka cultural activities during the bloom, with the programme running into early May.
Tung flowers are white with a pale yellow centre and fall whole when they finish, covering trails and stone steps, which is why they are called "May snow". The bloom follows the temperature: in 2026 it moved from south to north, starting in Yunlin, Chiayi and Tainan.
The tung tree was not planted for its looks. Hakka farmers grew it for tung oil and seeds as a cash crop, mostly on the slopes behind their villages.
Booking
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Prices and ratings checked 13 Oct 2026
Tickets and tours
Sanyi, Miaoli
Joye Cottage, Sanyi (Miaoli) ticket
An indigo-dye garden in the Sanyi hills that fits around the tung blossom season. Most trails have steps, so strollers and wheelchairs are difficult; allow 2–3 hours.
from NT$147
See pricesDahu, Miaoli
Shi Feng Stone Spa, Dahu: private & public baths
Finish a day on the blossom trails with a soak in Dahu. Private rooms for two: 90 minutes on weekdays, 60 at weekends; ages 12 and up only.
from NT$770
See prices
Details
Peak bloom shifts with the weather each year, so check the Hakka Affairs Council's bloom updates before you go. The 2027 dates are not out yet; events usually run in April and May.
Bloom season and bloom updates
The festival runs in late spring, roughly April to May. The bloom is short: a warm early spring brings it forward, and a wet, slow-warming spring pushes it back.
The Hakka Affairs Council posts bloom updates in its tung blossom section, and the council announces the 2027 dates.
Village trails in Taoyuan, Hsinchu and Miaoli
Events and trails in the three areas in 2026:
Taoyuan: five districts took turns, with the main venue at the Taoyuan Hakka Cultural Hall in Longtan. The 13 official viewing spots included the Sankeng bike path and Xiaocukeng Old Trail in Longtan, the Shiyizhi and Zhaiming Temple old trails in Daxi, the Baojia Old Trail in Yangmei and the Wujiutongshan Trail in Luzhu.
Hsinchu: the programme opened in Qionglin; Beipu had blossom walks on its trails and heritage tours, Emei centred on Emei Lake, and Hukou and Baoshan held their own events. Both Taoyuan and Hsinchu ran until 9 May.
Miaoli: Sanyi opened the programme, the Mingfeng Old Trail in Shitan hosted the main event, and Zaoqiao, Dahu and Miaoli City added guided walks and short tours until early May.
Each county will announce its 2027 events and trails.
Trails and fitness
Most village trails are paths locals use every day, so no hiking experience is needed. There are plenty of stone steps, and they get slippery when covered in fallen blossoms, so take the slopes slowly if your knees are not great.
Shishan Line shuttle and Miaoli event buses
Without a car, the Hsinchu side is served by the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Shishan Line (5700), from TRA Zhubei Station through Zhudong and Beipu Old Street to the Shishan Visitor Center. Fares go by distance, with a NT$100 day pass (checked October 2026).
On the day of Miaoli's 2026 main event in Shitan, free buses linked HSR Miaoli Station, TRA Miaoli Station, the Yimin Temple in Shitan and Yundong Temple in Touwu; whether they run again in 2027 depends on Miaoli County's announcement.
Driving is more flexible if the blossoms are good and you want to stay longer. By bus or train, plan around the return services and do not come down too late.
Where to stay and what it costs
Taoyuan, Hsinchu and Miaoli are close to Taipei, so a day trip is enough for one trail; to be on the trail at dawn, stay a night near the villages.
In 2026 the guided walks on the Mingfeng Old Trail in Shitan were free but needed advance booking, with 40 places each in the morning and afternoon. Otherwise the main costs are transport, a meal or two of Hakka food and a room if you stay over.
Crowds and timing
The bloom is short and concentrated, so popular trails are busy at weekends; start at dawn to avoid the crowds.
Weather and what to wear
Late-spring weather in the hills changes quickly and stone steps are slippery after rain, so wear non-slip shoes; it cools down in the hills towards evening, so bring a jacket.
Village etiquette, Hakka food and lei-cha
At the foot of the trails are Hakka villages where you can eat Hakka food and drink lei-cha, a ground tea.
The villages are where people live, so keep your voice down, and check before taking photos that you are not capturing homes or residents. Life and work go on as usual during the blossom season, so give way to residents on the trails and lanes.
Good to know
- Roughly April to May; in 2026 the programme started on 18 April and ran into early May. The bloom is short and its peak shifts with the weather each year.
- In 2026, 13 cities and counties across Taiwan took turns hosting events; this page covers the Hakka village trails of Taoyuan, Hsinchu and Miaoli.
- 18 April–9 May: five districts (Longtan, Daxi, Yangmei, Guishan and Luzhu) took turns hosting, with the main venue at the Taoyuan Hakka Cultural Hall in Longtan and 13 listed viewing spots.
- Opened on 18 April and ran to 9 May under the theme "Romantic Tung Gathering", starting at the Hualong community centre plaza in Qionglin, with events in Qionglin, Beipu, Emei, Hukou and Baoshan.
- Started in Sanyi on 18 April. The main event on 25 April was at the Yimin Temple plaza in Shitan and the Mingfeng Old Trail, where guided walks were free with advance registration. Other events in Zaoqiao, Dahu and Miaoli City ran into early May.
- Route 5700, from TRA Zhubei Station via Zhudong and Beipu Old Street to the Shishan Visitor Center. Fares go by distance; a one-day pass is NT$100 (checked October 2026).
- Late-spring weather in the hills changes quickly and stone steps are slippery after rain, so wear non-slip shoes and bring a jacket.
FAQ
5
Where are the main places to see tung blossoms?
The Hakka village trails of Taoyuan, Hsinchu and Miaoli. In 2026 Taoyuan's events rotated through Longtan, Daxi, Yangmei, Guishan and Luzhu, Hsinchu's covered Qionglin, Beipu, Emei, Hukou and Baoshan, and Miaoli's main event was on the Mingfeng Old Trail in Shitan.
Is it better to drive or take public transport?
Both work. Driving is more flexible. Without a car, the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Shishan Line runs from Zhubei Station to Beipu and Shishan, and on the day of Miaoli's 2026 main event free buses ran from HSR Miaoli Station. Plan around the return services so you are not coming down too late.
Do you need to stay overnight?
Taoyuan, Hsinchu and Miaoli are not far from northern Taiwan, so a day trip works. If you want to be on the trail at dawn, before the daytime crowds, stay a night near the villages and set out early the next morning instead of catching a pre-dawn train from Taipei.
Are the tung blossom trails hard to walk?
Most village trails are paths locals use every day, so no hiking experience is needed. Watch your footing where fallen blossoms cover the stone steps.
What should you prepare before setting out?
Check the weather: stone steps are slippery after rain, so wear non-slip shoes, and bring a jacket because it cools down in the hills towards evening.
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