A Great Place to See Cherry Blossom in Taipei
One of the biggest pleasures of winter in Taiwan is the abundance of joyous pink cherry blossom. From December through to March, you can spot sprays of colour brightening parks and hillsides all over the place. This walk is a very easy way to enjoy some of this pink goodness.
Distance: 1.8km
Time: 30-60 minutes
Difficulty (regular Taiwan hiker): 0/10 – Can I give a zero? This is just ambling.
Difficulty (new Taiwan hiker): 2/10 – There are a few steps, and using the bus network might be a minor challenge. But overall, this walk is very easy.
Total ascent: About 70m.
Water: A single small bottle is ample.
Shade: Most of this walk is quite exposed. If you visit in peak cherry blossom season, you should be fine with just sunscreen.
Mobile network: Clear throughout.
Enjoyment: If you go during the cherry blossom season in Yangmingshan, you can expect to enjoy a mass of beautiful pink flowers. Outside of that time, this walk is not particularly noteworthy.
When to see the cherry blossom: The exact season will vary year to year, but the peak time to see blossom here usually starts around the end of January and continues through February. Searching on Instagram for recent photos at 平菁街42巷 is probably a good indication of what you can expect.
Other: There is a nice coffee shop at the start.
Route type: Loop
Permit: None needed
Jump to the bottom of this post for a trail map and GPX file.
A couple of cafes mark the start of the trail, I fact I took full advantage of by sitting to have a quick coffee before setting off. Caffeine needs sated, it was time to head to Eweishan Paddy Terrace. The entrance is a little hard to spot from the road, but if you go on a weekend or during cherry blossom season, you should be able to identify it purely by the number of people milling around.
Since it was built in early 2022, the wooden bridge has become a popular spot for those who enjoy taking photos to share online. I walked down it’s undulating length, then up steps on the far side of the (unfortunately, very dirty) creek.
From the far side of the creek, you can get a clearer look at the bridge as it sits among the paddy terraces. What is its purpose? I’m not sure, but at least the gentle waving structure is quite pleasing to the eye.
There is no shortage of beautiful blossoms to enjoy if you come at the right time of year.
At the top of the short flight of steps, turn right, then look out for another flight of steps on your left. These were so new when I visited that there were still strips of tape warning people not to treat on the fresh paving work.
Keep heading uphill until you reach Pingjing Street, Lane 42. In blossom season, you’ll see a riot of pink up and down the street in both directions. On the day of my visit, some people were taking the photography very seriously (note the small step-up ladder).
There seemed to be at least two cultivars of cherry tree lining the street. My favourite were the lighter pink ones, the blossom on these trees was far more abundant.
I spent a good little while enjoying the blossom and watching the bees feed on it. This truly must be a sign of growing old, because I really did not used to enjoy doing this. What is this flower-loving switch that flips as we age?
Beneath the trees, the petals were collecting like drifts of pink snow. This was one of the less-tatty-looking specimens.
I decided to turn my walk into a short loop, so I turned back to head northeast along Lane 42. Where the lane crosses Pingjing Street, I took a right, then immediately a second right down this dead-end slope.
At the bottom of the slope, a path heads down some steps.
The balance of pinks and greens in this tree-lined walkway was very pleasing to me.
At the bottom of the steps, I headed left in the direction of Pingding Village.
My destination wasn’t actually Pingding itself, instead, it was the bathrooms of Hechang Temple (合誠宮). And of course, once I’d used the bathroom, it felt only polite to pop in and say hi.
The main hall is a pretty standard Taoist temple, but walking into one of the side halls, I was greeted by this army of larger-than-life costumes. These in themselves aren’t all that strange–many temples in Taiwan have some, but the number of them in such a small space felt quite…strong.
Bathroom needs met and gods greeted, I retraced my steps a few metres and took Alley 21. The narrow alley has been resurfaced so many times that the street sign is starting to be consumed by tarmac. Before starting to climb again, I took a right turn to follow an unnamed track past allotments.
I spoke to a farmer who was worried I’d missed the cherry blossom. He probably thought I was very strange for being more interested in his exquisite radishes.
The track ends and becomes a path following the creek back towards where I’d started.
Guardians of the field. These guys were hung in such a way that they twisted and turned in the breeze. That far one was particularly unnerving if you just looked out of the corner of your eye.
When I arrived back at the wooden bridge, the heavy fog of earlier had lifted, and there was even a hint of blue why in the distance.
How to get to Lane 42, Pingjing Street
Google Maps address: I started and ended my walk from this spot on Pingjing Street. There is some parking for cars (if you’re planning on popping into the cafés, and scooters can usually find a roadside space. However, since public transport is easy, that would probably be a smarter option.
GPS location: N25 07.665 E121 34.460
Public transport: The S19 bus goes from outside exit three of Jiantan MRT Station up to Pingjing Street. It takes about 30 minutes and costs about $15. Alight at Family Garden Community and walk along the road to the start of the trail.
Nearby trails:
Eweishan Paddy Terrace and Pingding Street Trail Map
GPX file available here on Outdoor Active. (Account needed, but the free one works just fine.)
Taiwan Trails and Tales 