TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taipei residents are recommended to view blooming cherry blossoms in the Zhinan Scenic Area in Taipei's Wenshan District during the upcoming 228 Peace Memorial Day holiday.

The Zhinan Scenic Area is centered around the Zhinan Temple, a famous Daoist temple in Taipei. The Geotechnical Engineering Office (GEO) said in a press release on Friday (Feb. 17) that it had planted over 400 cherry blossom trees in the Zhinan Scenic Area over the years, and they were blooming.

The office also said that it had recently completed a trail and its design was inspired by religious prayer. The new trail connects with other existing trails in the back mountain area.

GEO Forest Recreation Section chief Pan Hsin-yuan (潘信元) said this year’s cherry blossoms bloom for roughly three weeks, from the second half of February to the first half of March, turning the scenic area into a romantic forest. He invited the public to pay a visit and enjoy the natural scenery.

He recommended that Taipei residents take the Maokong Gondola, get off at Zhinan Temple Station, take the new trail up the mountain to enjoy the cherry blossoms, and later visit the Zhinan Temple.

(GEO photos)