Zhuzihu Flower Season 竹子湖花季

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Zhuzihu is a small valley in Yangmingshan National Park (陽明山國家公園 Yángmíng shān guójiā gōngyuán, in Beitou District of Taipei City) between Qixing Mountian and Datun Mountian. The valley is especially fertile due to the rich volcanic soil and abundant rain, and the entire area is full of recreational farms which have become popular tourist destinations. You should definitely stop by on your trip to Yangmingshan. 

Background:
Zhuzihu valley (竹子湖 Zhúzi hú) was formed from lava that flowed out from Datunshan (大屯山 Dà tún shān) and Xiaoguanyinshan (小觀音山 Xiǎo guānyīn shān). 
Due to its location as a high mountain valley, it rains easily here; annual rain accumulation is about 4500 mm. 
Before Chinese settlers came to this valley, it was simply a road from the Taipei Basin to the coast, and a hunting ground. In the early 1600s, the first Chinese settlers came to farm here in three main family groups. In 1895, a brief skrimish was fought here between the Japanese and local settlers who did not want to be part of the Japanese empire. 
The Japanese built hot springs here, experimental farms, a library, and a hiking dormitory. They began planting cabbage and rice here. 
After the ROC took over Taiwan, cabbage growing became less important, and the farmers here began planting flowers and catering to tourism instead. 
Now Zhuzihu is one of the most popular spots in Taipei to see flower gardens, mainly white and purple Arum-lilys (海芋 Hǎiyù) and Hydrangea (繡球花 Xiùqiú huā) which bloom from about February to June. 

Hours:
8 AM to 5 PM
(March 27th to June 21st, in 2020)
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When to go:
From late February to early June, when the Arum-lilys and Hydrangea are in bloom. 
(竹子湖海芋季; 竹子湖繡球花季)
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Price:
100 NT per person (can be used to purchase drinks, food, other merchandise)
You can book tours to Yangmingshan on TripAdvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here or here.

Tours:
You can check out tours to Yangmingshan such as a One-day Yangmingshan NP Beitou Hot Spring Park and Tamsui Tour Package,  Beitou and Yangmingshan Day Tour from Taipei, One Day Hike around Yangmingshan, or Private Yangmingshan Volcano Tour and more on TripAdvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here.

Hotels in Taipei:
High end: We have stayed at and recommend the Yuanshan Grand Hotel, once the tallest building in Taiwan and still the most grand (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, or Agoda here). 
We also recommend Fullon Hotel which has locations in Tamsui and Fulong near the beach (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, or Hotels.com here). 
Budget Hotels: We have stayed at and also recommend Fu Chang Hotel in Ximending, which is within walking distance of Ximending shopping district (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, or Agoda here). We have also stayed at and recommend Hai Xia Your Home which is right in front of Fulong Beach (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, or Hotels.com here). 
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Booking.com here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan.
Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.

How to get there:
By Car/Scooter: From Taipei, take provincial highway 2A north to the Zhizihu Lookout. At the roundabout, stay to the left off the main highway and then keep right until you reach the valley. Car parking is limited on weekends and the number of cars allowed up the mountain is also limited. There is free scooter parking everywhere. Looking for scooter rental in Taipei? Check out Qeeq here, Klook here, or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. 
If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or  KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.  
By Bus: From Beitou MRT Station, Take Little Bus 9 (小9) to Fengjiakou Station (風架口). You can book tickets to travel to Taipei via inter-city bus on Klook here. 
​By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan's landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can use Taiwan's many Youbike sharing stations, or search for rentals on KKday here, and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. You can also book a Sunset Riverside Bike Ride and Historical Tour, 4 Hour Cycling in Taipei, Ultimate 8-Hour Cycling City Tour, or Taipei City Bike Tour with Night Market Experience on TripAdvisor here. 
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Map:
Please see below: 

Our Journey:

I have been to Zhuzihu about a dozen times, but I didn't really know about the flower season here for a long time. Some of the photos below are during flower season and some are not.

Check out our drone footage of the area below:

Please note that if you want to fly a drone in Yangmingshan National Park you need to apply online 7 days in advance and check in at one of the service centers to get a vest. I has permission to shoot this video. 

If you do not want to waste internet on your phone, check out the 360 spherical panorama of the area below:

There is two weeks left of flower season at Zhuzihu in Yangmingshan National Park. Now that COVID-19 restrictions are being lifted, tons of people are flocking here. #竹子湖 #花季 #陽明山

Posted by Foreigners in Taiwan 外國人在臺灣 on Sunday, June 7, 2020

The day I went to fly, it seemed that a lot of the Arum-lilys were already out of bloom (the white flowers), and there were alot more Hydrangea, which are the big spherical purple flowers you see. 

Flower season or not, Zhuzihu is always a beautiful place, a mystic valley nestled between old volcanoes. 

At the edge of the valley is a viewing platform, so if you have a telephoto lens you can skip the 100 NT entrance fee and take pictures from there. 

View looking south from the viewing platform. 

View from the air. 

Closeup on one of the gardens. 

View of the valley when it is not flower season. 

Another out of season view of the valley. Even during non flower season, Zhuxihu still has tons of visitors. 

Another view of the valley out of season. 

View from the platform looking at Xiaoyoukeng. 

Another view of Xiaoyoukeng.

You can book tours to Yangmingshan on TripAdvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here or here.
You can check out tours to Yangmingshan such as a One-day Yangmingshan NP Beitou Hot Spring Park and Tamsui Tour Package,  Beitou and Yangmingshan Day Tour from Taipei, One Day Hike around Yangmingshan, or Private Yangmingshan Volcano Tour and more on TripAdvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here.

We will be sure to update this blog in the future. Thanks for reading and be sure to check out more of our guides to Taiwan coming soon!

Check out our full guide to Yangmingshan National Park here. 

Check out our Taipei hiking and trails guide here. 

Check out our guide to the best day trips from Taipei here. 

Also be sure to check out our guide to Taipei here. 

You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here. 

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