Floral Seas in Taiwan (aka sea of flowers; flower sea; flower/floral ocean) are a popular attraction for locals all around the island. Many farmers actually harvest these flowers during winter months and allow tourists to come take photos with a backdrop of and ocean of flowers, usually for free. If you'd like to take a few photos of these places, there are quite a few options.
Where? You can find fields of flowers all over rural Taiwan during winter. For the more touristy places, you can to search 花海 into Google Maps and a bunch of places should pop up. Floral Seas that I have visited include Guanshan Floral Sea, Liugui Floral Sea, Zhuzihu, and Xinshe Sea of Flowers. Another one is 60 Stone Mountain (see our full blog on 60 Stone Mountain here). Looking for a hotel? Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here. Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation on the islands. You can find more tours of Taitung on Klook here or KKday here. When are floral seas open? Xinshe: November-December Guanshan: December-February Liugui Flower Sea: December-February 60 Stone Mountain: July-September Zhuzihu (Yangmingshan): Late February to early June Others: go find them! Floral seas can be found literally all over Taiwan. Maps: please see below: Guanshan Floral Sea:
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The Xinshe Sea of Flowers (aka Xinshe Sea of Flowers and Taichung International Flower Carpet Festival 新社花海暨臺中國際花毯節) is a large field of flowers in Xinshe District of Taichung. The flowers usually bloom in the wintertime and are a major tourist attraction in the area. It is a great place for photography and taking selfies, and should definitely be on your bucket list for your next trip to Taichung.
Background: The Xinshe Sea of Flowers first started in 2006 and has been held consecutively every year since. You can find fields of flowers all over rural Taiwan during winter. For the more touristy places, you can search 花海 in Google Maps and a bunch of places should pop up. The sea of flowers is really busy during the month or so it is open, and traffic can be a challenge, especially on weekends. Times: 2024 Xinshe Sea of Flower dates: November 9th - December 31st 2024 Hours: 9 AM to 4 PM during the dates above Tours: There are many tours of Taichung available on KKday here or Klook here, such as an Instagram Day Tour, Historic Downtown and Sun Cake DIY Experience, Taichung Railway Station Walking Tour, Local Market Biking Tour, Aboriginal Food Tour, and much more on KKday here or Klook here. Hotels in Taichung: Most of the accommodation you will find is near the city center. If you will only visit downtown, you can consider a day trip from Taipei. We have stayed at and recommend the Norway Forest Travel Hotel, a convenient hotel right in front of Taichung Station (you can book on Booking.com here or Agoda here), and Sin Fu Business Hotel which is also a great value for the money and great quality in downtown Taichung (you can book on Agoda 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 Train/Bus: Take the TRA train to Fenguan Station, then take bus 91 to Xinshe, and switch to bus 271. The bus ride takes about an hour. You can also book a Taichung sightseeing bus on KKday here. By Car/ Scooter: From Central Taichung. take Dongshan Road east up the hill to Xinshe. The sea of flowers is not hard to miss on top of the plateau. Looking for scooter rental in Taichung? Check out Klook here or KKday here to search for options. 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 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 Market Biking Tour in Taichung on Klook here. For more information, check out our Taiwan transportation guide here. Map: Please see below: 
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 2025) 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) 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 or Agoda here). We also recommend Fullon Hotel which has locations in Tamsui and Fulong near the beach (book on Booking.com here or Agoda 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 hereor 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 or Agoda 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. Map: Please see below: 
Sixty Stone mountain (aka Liushidan Mountain) is a beautiful flower and mountain landscape on the eastern flank of the eastern rift valley in Hualien County. The annual Daylily flower blooms and amazing views of the Eastern Rift Valley attract thousands of tourists each summer. Some of the picturesque and beautiful views anywhere in Taiwan can be seen from this mountain.
Background: The main crop on Sixty Stone Mountain is the Orange Daylily (aka tawny dayliliy, hemerocallis, golden needle flower, etc.). Orange Daylily is a nutrient and iron-rich plant, and is traditionally used as a garnish, spice, and preservative. In addition it is also added as raw materiel for rice paper and Chines medicine. You can buy dried bags of the stuff all over the mountain and surrounding areas. According to some of the locals, Sixty Stone Mountain gets its name from the fact that instead of producing 50 stones (or dan, measure of flowers) per field, the fields on this mountain can produce 60 stones. Other people say that it is because during the Japanese Era, all the trees were cut down and there were 60 large boulders left on the mountain. Nowadays the Mountain is a major tourist attraction, and has been highly marketed by the Taiwan tourism bureau. You can find pictures from this mountain on almost any Taiwan tourism brochure. Hours: Technically open 24/7. When to go: We suggest going during the Orange Daylily flowering season, which is from about July to September. If you go from 3-5 PM you should see an awesome view of the sunset if the weather is good. How to get there: BY Car/Scooter: Take highway 9 south from Hualien. When you reach Dongzhu, there will be a sign to Sixty Stone Mountain just after the police station. The road up the mountain is small and closes after 6:00 PM. Only cars, small vans, and scooters are allowed up the road. There are many tour groups such as KKday here and Klook here that offer van rides up the mountain. Looking for a scooter rental in Hualien? You can search KKday here or Klook here to look for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. If you are looking for car rentals in Hualien, you can also search Klook here or KKDay here. You can also check out our car rental guide here. Where to stay? Most of the accommodation you will find is near the city center. If you only want to visit Hualien City and Taroko Gorge, you can consider booking a hotel near downtown, walking or cycling around the city, and taking a bus to Taroko Gorge. We have stayed at and recommend Dream Taiwan Homestay (Agoda / Booking.com), a high quality hostel for the money in downtown Hualien, Farglory Hotel (Agoda / Booking.com), right next to Farglory Ocean Park with amazing views of Hualien, and Goldenflower B&B (Agoda / Booking.com) in Yuli right next to Sixty Stone Mountain. We have also stayed at and recommend the Papago International Resort in Chishang (you can book on Agoda here / Booking.com here), which is a five star hotel with private villas with pools for each room, and Mountain and Ocean B & B in Taimali (you can book on Agoda here / Booking.com here), which is a quiet and affordable B&B right next to the beach. You can find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here. Tours: You can find more tours and activities in Hualien such as Surfing, Paragliding, SUP / Paddle Boarding, Kayaking, Canoeing, River Tracing, and much more on Klook here or KKday here. Map: Please see below: |
Author 作家I am an American expat who has extensive experience living, working, and traveling in Taiwan. In my day, I had to learn many things about Taiwan the hard way. But I have come to learn that Taiwan is one of the best places in the world for Foreigners to live. This blog does not represent the opinions of every foreigner in Taiwan. I am just trying to help others learn more about this beautiful country. Categories
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