Yangmingshan National Park

Of all Taiwan’s national parks, Yangmingshan is the one located closest to a metropolitan center. Yangmingshan features a widely varying terrain, diverse ecology, and is home to numerous protected species. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of one of Taiwan’s endemic bird species—the Formosan Blue Magpie.The park is full of plum, cherry, peach and pear trees, rhododendrons, etc. In spring, the cherry blossoms never fail to draw crowds. After cherry blossom season, about mid-March, it’s time for the calla lilies at Bamboo Lake (Zhu-zi-hu) to take center stage. Visitors go into the fields and pick calla lillies to take home with them—it’s become a must-do event for this time of a year! Perhaps one of the most distinctive features in the park is the “Flower Clock,” composed of a variety of colorful seasonal flowers. When visiting Yangmingshan, be sure to take a photo to prove you’ve seen this famous landmark! Also worth checking are popular sights like the Hsiao-you-keng (“Small Oil Pit”), Ching-tien-kang (Qing-tian Hill) Leng-shui-keng (“Cold Water Pit”), and Yangming Archive House. If you enjoy an invigorating hike, these will be right up your alley!