Hakka Tung Blossom Festival to kick off across Taiwan in April

客家桐花節將在台灣四月時舉行

Tung flower trails opened in many cities by Hakka Affairs Council


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The annual Hakka Tung Blossom Festival (HTBF, 桐花祭) hosted by the Hakka Affairs Council (HAC) will kick off in April.

Although the HAC has canceled a number of events as a precaution against the spread of coronavirus, the tung flower trails are still available for those who are up for some fresh air.

The HAC has opened beautiful walking trails and attractions in New Taipei, Taoyuan, and Hsinchu, along Taiwan Romantic Route 3, the 150-kilometer highway that connects northern and central Taiwan. The council has also suggested three half-day trips, including the Lin-mei walking trail and hot spring in Jiaoxi, Lin-chuen Temple (靈泉禪寺) and Fu-ming Park (富民親水公園) in Keelung, and the Ho-bao mountain trail (荷苞山登山步道) in Yunlin.

Aside from the trails, the Taiwan Hakka Cultural Museum will showcase landscape art by contemporary artist Yu Wen-fu (游文富) in Miaoli County from April 4 to May 24. "Tung flowers are extensions of our imagination, setting the scene for an entire season," said the HAC. "Yu uses natural materials found on the land to interpret a vast, expansive field of tung blossoms," added HAC.

Diabolo Dance Theatre (舞鈴劇場), a Taiwanese dance group consisting of young artists, will celebrate the blossoms with their performance "A Bloom Most Beautiful" on April 25 and 26. HAC said it is a show that redefines Hakka music.

For more information, please visit the official website and Facebook page.