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Tulip festival at Taipei Shilin Official Residence draws thousands

Tulip festival at Taipei Shilin Official Residence is expected to draw up to 100,000 visitors

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(Image from Shilin Official Residence Facebook fan page)

(Image from Shilin Official Residence Facebook fan page)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- Taipei City Police Department in now enforcing traffic controls around the Chiang Kai-Shek Shilin Residence as tens of thousands of visitors have flocked to the grounds of the estate to catch a glimpse of the thousand of tulips now blossoming there.

The former residence of Chiang Kai-Shek and his wife Soong Mei-ling, known as the Shilin Official Residence, is currently hosting the 2018 Shilin Official Residence Tulip Exhibition from Feb. 13 - 28.

Among the 30,000 tulips current blooming in the gardens around the mansion, there are special varieties of the flower including feather tulips, single-cup tulips and deep purple tulips, reported CNA.

Tulip festival at Taipei Shilin Official Residence draws thousands
(Image from Shilin Official Residence Facebook fan page)

Taipei Police say that over the Lunar New Year holiday, tens of thousands of visitors have flocked to Chiang's old home to see the tulips in bloom, with a peak of 60,000 entering the grounds of the residence on the third day of the new year (Feb. 18), according to the report. There is still an with an average of 10,000 visitors per day with a final total of 100,000 sightseers anticipated by the end of the Spring Festival.

Tulip festival at Taipei Shilin Official Residence draws thousands
(CNA image)

Traffic controls have been put in place on Yangde Blvd., Zhongshan N. Rd., Zhongzheng Rd., Zhishan Rd., and Fulin Rd. in an attempt to ease congestion around the residence as well as nearby tourist destinations such as the Taipei Children's Amusement Park, National Palace Museum, Shilin Night Market and Yangmingshan Floriculture Experiment Center.

Tulip festival at Taipei Shilin Official Residence draws thousands
(Image from Shilin Official Residence Facebook fan page)

The traffic controls will be implemented depending on the crowd conditions at the time, and as the park closes at 7 p.m., crowds tend to thin out during the last hour, thus traffic restrictions are generally being lifted by around 6 p.m. each day.

Tulip festival at Taipei Shilin Official Residence draws thousands
(CNA image)

The exhibition has incorporated installations of windmills, wooden shoes, among other Dutch elements to complement the beauty of the brightly colored flowers, according to the Taipei City Parks and Street Lights Office (PSLO).

Tulip festival at Taipei Shilin Official Residence draws thousands
(Image from Shilin Official Residence Facebook fan page)

According to the PSLO, the tulips exhibition is the first of its kind to be held by Shilin Official Residence, one of the most popular recreational destinations in Taipei. The facility has introduced unique and rarely seen species to the exhibition, promising to bring visitors a whole new concept of what tulips should look like.

Tulip festival at Taipei Shilin Official Residence draws thousands
(CNA image)

According to Horticulture Management Division of the PSLO, a photography contest has been launched to promote the event. Individuals submitting tulip-themed pictures captured at the exhibition will have a chance of winning vouchers with value as high as NT$5,000.

Tulip festival at Taipei Shilin Official Residence draws thousands
(Image from Shilin Official Residence Facebook fan page)

For more information on the exhibition, please visit the Shilin Official Residence Facebook fan page (Chinese) or the PSLO (Chinese) official website.

2018 Shilin Official Residence Tulip Exhibition – Encounter with the Netherlands
Date: February 13 - 28
Opening Hours: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Venue: Western Style Garden at Shilin Official Residence
Transportation:
*MRT Shilin Station, Exit 2, a 7-minute walk
*Bus Stops: Taipower Taipei North Branch, Shilin Official Residence, or Xiaobei Street

Video of the tulip festival: