The 2018 Yangmingshan Flower Festival is underway in northern Taipei City, drawing large numbers of visitors from home and abroad to experience the area’s many cultural and natural assets.
 
Organized by Taipei City Government, the annual event is projected to attract more than 1 million visitors during its 32-day run wrapping up March 25. Highlights include a sea of pink- and red-hued cherry blossoms, as well as numerous flowering camellia, hydrangea and rhododendron species.
 
In addition to Mother Nature’s visual and olfactory delights, an array of activities such as the cherry blossom photography competition and dancing lion’s head costume exhibition are proving popular. This trend is expected to extend to the parent-child outdoor painting session, walking parade and traditional Chinese music and African drum concerts taking place March 10, 17 and 25, respectively.
 
During the opening ceremony, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je described the festival as one of the most well-known of its kind in Taiwan and a magnet for overseas tourists. It is all about creating a pleasant atmosphere, he said, citing the effectiveness of the well-organized 2017 Chiang Kai-shek Shilin Residence Chrysanthemum Show in bringing in more travelers from abroad.
 
According to Ko, allocating additional funding for events like the festival and show, as well as upgrading the layout of existing and planned parks, is a sound investment in the future as it will enhance urban aesthetics and create opportunities for talented designers.
 
As part of local government efforts to boost the status of the festival, the mayor said a visitor analysis program is in place to provide a more accurate and consistent approach to event planning and management. The results will serve as a reference for determining the focus of promotion campaigns targeting markets across Asia for next year, he added.
 
Statistics from the Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications show Taiwan welcomed a record 10.74 million visitors last year. New Southbound Policy target countries accounted for 20 percent of this number, increasing 30 percent year on year and breaking the 2 million mark for the first time.
 
A key plank in the government’s national development strategy, the New Southbound Policy seeks to enhance agricultural, business, cultural, education, tourism and trade ties between Taiwan and the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, six South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand. (JSM)
 
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