Tung Blossoms

Tung Blossoms 2019 (客家桐花祭)

As a long term resident of Taoyuan, I’ve been lucky over the years to have been immersed in pretty much everything that is Hakka culture. Almost everywhere you go around here, you’re able to find amazing cuisine, festivals and museums set up to share and preserve the culture and language of one of Taiwan’s largest ethnic groups.

Of all the Hakka related festivals that take place every year, the Hakka Tung Blossom Festival has grown to be one of my personal favourites. Taking place every April and May, the festival showcases the beautiful Tung Blossom, a Sakura-like blossom which has become synonymous with the Hakka people.

As each year passes, festival organizers do an amazing job of coming up with new and exciting events and activities that attracts people of all walks of life to the mountains throughout the Taoyuan-Hsinchu-Miaoli area and beyond.

I’ve never really needed any these snazzy events to attract my attention - The beautiful Tung Blossoms that turn Taoyuan’s lush green mountainous landscape white in the months leading up to summer have always been more than enough for me and during the two-month period when the blossoms are in bloom, the beauty of the Taoyuan area in particular begins to shine - and I head to the mountains in my free time to take photos and enjoy nature.

Many of the events that are planned it seems are geared toward attracting the older crowd who are more interested in a day-trip where they can combine the blossoms, some entertainment and most importantly some great food. The younger crowds on the other hand have proven to be much easier to attract as they’re all about the Instagram, and what could be more Instagrammable than these beautiful white blossoms?

As it has become somewhat of a yearly tradition of mine to head to the mountains to check out the Tung Blossoms, there are a few locations that have become my go-to destinations for taking photos. One of the problems when taking photos of these blossoms is that unlike the relatively short cherry blossom trees, Tung trees are tall and that makes it difficult to get close to where they’re blooming.

Not everyone has a telephoto lens, so this is why people have come up with clever ways and cute to take photos of the blossoms. If you pay attention to Instagram, you may have noticed people collecting the blossoms that have fallen to the ground and to heart-shaped designs, Tung blossom crowns, or taking cleverly posed photos of the mountain paths where the blossoms have fallen on the ground creating what looks like a layer of snow.

Personally, I prefer taking photos of the blossoms while they’re still on the tree, so the places I visit are often areas that allow me to get close enough to take photos. This year, I decided to visit a location that I’ve never visited before, but has become a photo hotspot, due to the relative youth of the trees and the ability to get close enough to the blossoms to take photos.

On the day I visited, the place was packed with people of all ages taking photos, having picnics and enjoying a Hakka concert and dance performance. I typically stay away from places like this, especially those that have become really popular with Instagram types but on this day, I didn’t really mind. I had a great time taking photos and people-watching.

I was also able to have a good laugh on several occasions as the beautiful young woman featured in some of the photos scolded her boyfriend for taking sub-par photos. One of her comments stuck with me: “The picture you took of me makes me look like a dinosaur!” (你把我拍的跟恐龍一樣).

I can’t imagine how stressful it is being the boyfriend of an aspiring Instagram beauty.

If you’re reading this and are interested in heading to the mountains to take some photos of the Tung Blossoms, I recommend going soon, before you do though, make sure to consult the Hakka Tung Blossom Festival website linked below. The website provides accurate advice on where are the best locations to view the blossoms and their current state.

Tung Blossoms: 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018

Tung Blossoms (油桐花)

Every year between the months of April and May, forests in many areas of Taiwan turn white thanks to the Tung Blossoms (油桐花) that grow throughout the mountains and hillsides of the country. Often referred to as as "April Snow" or "May Snow" (depending on when they are in full bloom), the arrival of Tung Blossom triggers a considerable amount of domestic tourism with people of all ages making an effort to travel to areas where the trees grow in abundance.

The Tung Tree (油桐樹) is a deciduous tree that grows to a height of about 20 meters. It is endemic to South China and Burma but was brought to Taiwan by the Japanese during the Japanese Colonial Era (1895-1945), and was planted in mountainous areas in north-western Taiwan for its economic uses.

The cultivation of the tree was became most important to the ethnic Hakka people of Taiwan who lived in the areas where the trees were cultivated. The tree brought with it economic benefits as its seeds were instrumental in the production of Tung Oil which was used to make paint, varnish, caulking and wood finish while the timber was used for making everything from furniture to toothpicks.

When the economic benefits of the Tung tree eventually subsided, it took on a new role transforming into a symbol of the Hakka people and the long lasting relationship that they have shared.

While not as popular as Cherry Blossoms, Tung blossoms are loved for their ability to turn hiking trails 'white' with a snowfall effect as the blossoms fall to the ground.

The popularity of Tung Blossoms has skyrocketed in recent years with young people, especially young couples who head to the mountains to have impromptu photoshoots with the blossoms. You’ll often see couples on hiking trails collecting blossoms that have fallen on the ground to arrange into a heart or young men putting the blossoms on a string to make a ‘Tung blossom crown’ for their girlfriends - endless amounts of cuteness, I assure you.

Hakka Tung Blossom Festival (客家桐花祭)

In 2002 the Council for Hakka Affairs started the annual "Hakka Tung Blossom Festival" (客家桐花祭) an annual event which takes places during the two month blooming season as a way to promote and help to preserve Taiwan’s Hakka culture.

The well-organized event attracts large crowds of tourists to Hakka areas of the country, most notably in Taoyuan, Hsinchu and Miaoli to not only see the blossoms but also to learn about and experience Hakka culture and cuisine. Organizers plan events according to the blooming season offering visitors entertainment and a festive atmosphere at the popular blossom viewing destinations.

I don’t heap praise too often on websites produced by the Taiwanese government, but the website for this festival is arguably one of the most beautiful and interactive spaces on the web. The site offers real-time information on the condition of the Tung Blossoms and the best places to view them by region. Likewise, the website is available in Chinese (Traditional and Simplified) as well as Japanese, Korean and English giving international tourists the opportunity to view the blossoms and experience the culture of one of Taiwan’s largest ethnic groups.

If you are thinking about checking out these beautiful blossoms, click one of the links below!

 Hakka Tung Blossom Festival Website: English | 中文 | 日語 | 조선말 


Tung Blossoms 2018 (客家桐花祭)

If you've been following my Instagram, you're likely going to be a little sick and tired of all the photos I've been posting of Tung Blossoms. The Tung Blossom season, which just wrapped up for another year is one of my favourite times of the year. There is always so much happening around the country which makes me a busy boy with a packed schedule of things to do and places to go!

I'm sure I've mentioned this a million times already, but the area where I live in is predominantly made up of the Hakka ethnic group. Living in Taoyuan, which fancies itself the heartland of Hakka culture (thats debatable) means that I have been constantly immersed in the culture. Over the years I have learned quite a bit not only about the amazing cuisine, but their traditions and folk religion and I'm always happy to share these experiences with people here on my blog. 

Every year in April and May, during the blooming season for Tung Blossoms, the Hakka people celebrate their culture and their heritage by putting on a grand festival for everyone to enjoy. The annual festival includes events centred around the promotion of everything "Hakka" in conjunction with the blossoms which have come to symbolize their culture.

Tung Blossoms: 2015 | 2016 | 2017

The blossoms, which are similar to the ever so popular cherry blossoms are beautiful and when they are in bloom turn the mountains of Taoyuan (and other areas) to a beautiful shade of white. During the blooming season you're likely to find me in the mountains taking photos of them, but I wonder if anyone apart from myself and locals care about them? 

Tung Blossoms (油桐花)

In April and May forests around the country turn white thanks to the Tung Blossoms (油桐花) that line mountains and hillsides. People here in Taiwan often refer to the blossoms as "April Snow" or "May Snow" (depending on when they are in full bloom) and their arrival triggers quite a bit of domestic tourism to areas where they grow in abundance.

The Tung Tree (油桐樹) is a deciduous tree that grows to a height of about 20 meters and is endemic to South China and Burma. The trees were originally brought to Taiwan by the Japanese during the Japanese Colonial Era and were planted in mountainous areas in north-western Taiwan to help sustain the economy.

The cultivation of the tree was most important to the ethnic Hakka people of Taiwan who often lived in the areas where the trees were cultivated. The tree brought with it economic benefits as its seeds were instrumental in the production of Tung Oil which was used to make paint, varnish, caulking and wood finish while the wood in turn was used for making everything from furniture to toothpicks.

When the economic benefits of the Tung tree eventually subsided, the tree transformed into a symbol of the Hakka people who showed their respect for the economic prosperity the tree brought them and the long lasting relationship that they have shared.

While not as popular as cherry blossoms, Tung blossoms are loved for their ability to turn hiking trails 'white' with a snowfall effect as the blossoms fall to the ground. When the blossoms are in bloom, people both young and old travel from all parts of the country to see the blossoms, hike a bit and experience Hakka culture.

Tung Blossoms have become popular in recent years with young people, especially young couples who head to the mountains to have impromptu photoshoots with the blossoms. You’ll often see couples on hiking trails collecting blossoms that have fallen on the ground to arrange into a heart or young men putting the blossoms on a string to make a ‘Tung blossom crown’ for their girlfriends - endless amounts of cuteness, I assure you.

Hakka Tung Blossom Festival (客家桐花祭)

In 2002 the Council for Hakka Affairs started the annual "Hakka Tung Blossom Festival" (客家桐花祭) an annual event which takes places during the blooming season as a way to promote and help to preserve Taiwan’s Hakka culture.

The yearly event is a well-organized one that attracts large crowds of tourists to Hakka areas of the country, most notably in Taoyuan, Hsinchu and Miaoli to not only see the blossoms but also to experience Hakka culture and cuisine. Organizers plan events according to the blooming season to offer visitors entertainment and a festive atmosphere.

The annual festival has grown in popularity since it first started and the yearly schedule of events that coincide with the blooming season has grown with it. The organizers have designed a beautiful website and have released an app that helps visitors know where to best enjoy the blossoms and are making attempts at promoting the festival internationally. The website for the festival is now available in English, Japanese, Korean and Simplified Chinese to help foreign tourists learn more about Hakka Culture.

 Hakka Tung Blossom Festival Website: English | 中文 | 日語 | 조선말 

Let me talk for a minute about the 'internationalization' efforts of the festival and an experience I had this year because of it:

While walking down the hill (on one of the trails) to where I parked my scooter, I could hear a band performing some classic Taiwanese music, part of the days festivities. I also noticed a large crowd of people on the path and that some of them were wearing blue vests.

If you're not familiar with Taiwanese politics, you might not realize that these vests pretty much serve as the 'uniforms' for Taiwanese politicians. Its helpful because when they're throwing chairs at each other, they know who not to aim at by the colour of the vest. 

The politicians were posing with a group of visitors and someone wearing a Pikachu costume - As I walked down the hill I saw an assistant motion to her boss and heard her say: "外國人,外國人!" (foreigner, foreigner!) and with that I was trapped by a large group who immediately turned around and started staring at me. 

After the typical "Welcome to Taiwan, where are you from?" conversation they got to the point and asked if I could take a photo with them. Despite being sweaty and looking like crap from my terrible sleep the night before, I obliged as it was the quickest method of escape. 

Having proof that a foreigner took part in the festivities helps to perpetuate the idea that the internationalization efforts are having an effect. It doesn't matter that I take part every year or that I might be the only white guy who takes an interest in this stuff. Its a "face" thing and that is one way to determine whether or not government initiatives are successful. 

In reality, the Hakka Affairs Council, which plans the annual festival has a lot more work to do when it comes to attracting foreign tourists but to me it seems as if they are taking the right steps for future success.

The main problem that the festival faces when it comes to foreign tourists is a lack of knowledge about the blossoms and the festival as well as the inability for tourists to get to places deep in the mountains where they grow.

If my blog posts or my Sakura Map are any indication, it seems like people all over know about and are interested in Taiwan's Cherry Blossom season. I have received countless emails through my website with people all over Asia showing interest in coming to see them. 

The organizers need to find a way to create the same kind of buzz for Tung Blossoms that people have for Cherry Blossoms - which could be a bit difficult. I think though that one area where the Tung Blossom Festival can differentiate itself is with the combination of the blossoms and the celebration of Hakka culture. 

The website update, which offers visitors an interactive map as well as information in several different languages working in conjunction with the newly released smartphone app were great ideas and I sincerely hope that these efforts won't be abandoned.

There is a lot of room for this festival to grow, but the improvements that I have seen over the past few years makes me a believer. Only time will tell. 


Xiaocukeng Trail (小粗坑桐花步道)

Living here in Taoyuan, I don’t need to go very far to check out Tong Blossoms. Not only are the mountains full of the blossoms, they have also been planted in almost every park in the city making it easy for locals to enjoy them. One of the places I make sure to visit every year though is the Xiaocukeng trail (小粗坑桐花步道) near Shimen Reservoir (石門水庫). 

One of the main reasons I visit this trail rather than going to some of the more popular trails is because of the stream that runs down the mountain. The precarious thing about taking photos of Tong Blossoms is that they grow quite high and you need to find a vantage point to get close to them.

When the blossoms fall on the trails however they often provide for some beautiful photos. I especially appreciate taking photos of the blossoms resting calmly on the stream that runs though this trail. 

The trail is a popular one on weekends but if you visit during the week you’ll often have it to yourself. Even better is that you don’t have to hike very far up the mountain to see the trails. 

Once you’re done taking photos of the trail, you can continue driving a bit further up the mountain road to get views of the blossoms on the trees close-up and even some spectacular panoramic views of Shimen Reservoir.  

Shiyizhi Old Trail (十一指古道)

One of Taoyuan’s most popular trails in recent years is the Shiyizhi Old Trail (十一指古道) near Daxi Village (大溪鎮). The trail is not a long one, but offers some pretty spectacular views if you visit at the right time.  The short walk up the trail gives you not only views of the Tung Blossoms, but the valley below which is full of rice fields and lakes.

The trail has become quite popular with people on Instragram and it seems like most of the photos I saw of the blossoms this year came from this trail. Unfortunately I visited a little bit late in the season and most of the blossoms were already gone.  

The mountains around here have reverted back to their normal colours over the past few weeks so if you are reading this hoping to see the blossoms, you're going to have to wait until they start blooming next April or May.

Likewise, the Hakka Tung Blossom Festival has successfully wrapped up for another year. The festival has grown considerably in popularity over the few years that I've been following it and is a great way for people to learn about Taiwan's Hakka culture. I realize that the festival may not attract that many foreigners, but it seems like the government is intent on marketing it as much as possible to international tourists. 

Whether or not those foreign tourists show interest is yet to be seen - All I can say is that I enjoy taking part in some of the festivities planned every year and I welcome any kind of celebration of Hakka culture because that always means there will be great food nearby. 


Gallery / Flickr (High Res Photos) 

2016 Tung Blossoms (客家桐花祭)

In April and May forests in Taiwan turn white with the popular Tung Blossoms (油桐花) that line mountains and hillsides around the country. Locals often refer to Tung Blossoms as "April Snow" or "May Snow" (depending on when they are in full bloom) and their arrival attracts people from all over the country to places where they grow in abundance.

The Tung Tree (油桐樹) is a deciduous tree that can grow up to 20 meters tall and is endemic to south China and Burma. It was originally brought to Taiwan by the Japanese during the occupation period and was planted in mountainous areas in north-western Taiwan. The cultivation of the tree was important primarily to the Hakka people who lived in the areas where the trees were planted. The trees have thus had a long-lasting relationship with the Hakka people and that relationship continues to this day as the tree has become an important symbol of their culture.

The importance of the tree originally was because of the economic benefits it brought - The seeds were instrumental in the production of Tung Oil (桐油) which was used to make paint, varnish, caulking and wood finish while the wood in turn was used for making everything from furniture to toothpicks. The economic benefits the tree brought rural communities allowed families to make ends meet. When those economic benefits eventually subsided, the tree transformed into the symbol of the Hakka people who drew parallels between the simplicity and hard working nature of  their culture and the tree as well as showing their respect for the economic prosperity the tree brought them.

In 2002 the Hakka Affairs Council (客家委員會) started the "Hakka Tung Blossom Festival" (客家桐花祭) an annual event that takes place during the blooming season as a method to promote and preserve Hakka culture as well as to help improve economic development and tourism in Hakka towns. The yearly event attracts large crowds of people in part to see the Tung Blossoms but also to experience Hakka culture and cuisine - especially in old town towns like Beipu, Daxi and Nanzhuang where there are popular "old streets" that already work quite hard to preserve Hakka culture. 

May Snow (五月雪) 

The Tung blossom is just one of the various types of blossoms that bloom during the early parts of the year in Taiwan. Spring is a busy time of the year in Taiwan for people who appreciate this kind of things. The Tung blossom differentiates itself from the others though as it is the only one that "symbolizes" one of the cultures of the country. The Tung blossoms may not be as popular as cherry or plum blossoms (the national flower) but in recent years they have become an important part of the annual "Hanami" (flower viewing) habit of the Taiwanese people between January and May and as fas as I'm concerned, viewing the Tung blossoms and enjoying and some amazing Hakka food on the same day sounds like time well spent! 

I consider myself lucky living in Taoyuan (Literally: Peach Garden) where we start the year with cherry blossoms (櫻花) and then get peach (桃花), plum (梅花) and Tung blossoms shortly after. I never really have to go very far to see this stuff and it is convenient that I can often avoid the large crowds by travelling by scooter close to home and driving past all the traffic.

One of the coolest things about the Tung blossoms is that in areas where they grow in abundance they tend to turn hiking trails 'white' as the blossoms fall to the ground. This is somewhat similar to what happens in Japan with the Sakura snow referred to as Hanafubuki (花吹雪). Tung blossoms are different however because of their colour and give off an effect of snow falling in the forests which is beautiful as at any giving time hundreds of them are falling around you while you're hiking.

Tung Blossoms in a small mountain stream. 

The festival has only been happening for fourteen years but in that time the blossoms have become popular with people of all ages. In the past few years though they have become quite popular with young Taiwanese couples who enjoy hiking into the mountains to have impromptu romantic photoshoots with the Tung Blossoms. You'll also notice that it is quite common that people along the hiking trails will spend time gathering some of the blossoms that have fallen on the ground and arranging them into hearts or Chinese characters such as the word for love (愛) as well as other shapes on the ground. Husbands or boyfriends even go as far as making a 'Tung blossom halo' that they put around their head of their partner. This is all quite new but with the help of the media, it has only fuelled the popularity of the Tung blossom festival. 

Technically speaking, the problem with shooting Tung blossoms as opposed to Cherry or Plum blossoms is that the trees are typically on the side of mountains and are very tall. Cherry blossom trees are actually quite short and only ever reach about 10 meters tall making them extremely easy to take photos of while Tung blossoms are more of a pain in the ass as you can't get that close to them. This means that if you are like myself and want photos of the blossoms still on the tree, you are going to need the help of a telephoto lens of at least 300mm in focal length.

Most people however are unlike me and prefer taking shots of the blossoms as they fall to the ground and don't really focus on them too much while they're still on the trees. Apart from taking shots of the blossoms on the trees I prefer finding a hiking trail that has a river stream running through it so that I can get photos of the blossoms sitting in the water or just using my telephoto lens to take shots of the shapes all the other photographers spend a lot of time arranging.

Photography like all art is subjective and when it comes to this stuff there is no right or wrong way of taking photos - it is up to the person taking the shots and what they want to show. I prefer photos that are much more natural than something staged and you won't ever find me arranging the blossoms into hearts (but I'll still grab a quick shot or two if someone does the work for me)   

The 2016 Tung Blossom festival is on until May 22nd (the blossoms may actually last longer than that) and apart from viewing the blossoms there are many activities planned during the weekends in Hakka towns throughout Taoyuan, Hsinchu and Miaoli (among others) where visitors will be able to experience Hakka culture, cuisine and art as well as traditional performances. This is an important time of the year for cultural promotion and preservation so if you have a chance, try to get out and enjoy some of the activities, some Hakka Lei Tea and of course the blossoms. 

Website: 2016 Hakka Tung Blossom Festival