NANTOU and TAICHUNG (TVBS News) — The National Chi Nan University (NCNU, 國立暨南國際大學) launched its cherry blossom season on Thursday (Feb. 6), whereas the Tai-an Cherry Blossom Festival (泰安櫻花季) is set to open on Feb. 22, as the seasonal flowers begin to bloom in the Dali Mountain (大梨山) area.
The festival, traditionally held at the Tai-an Police Station's (泰安派出所) parking lot, will now take place at the Tai-an Railway Culture Park (泰安鐵道文化園區) due to ongoing construction at the police station, the Houli District Office (后里區公所) announced.
Local officials encourage visitors to enjoy the blossoms and capture photos. Although only a few trees have started blooming, they expect more to flower later this month. Vendors have already started setting up stalls to cater to the influx of tourists.
Meanwhile, NCNU has over 3,000 cherry trees across its 150-hectare campus. This year, the university introduced an electric scooter experience for blossom viewing and signed a "Cherry Blossom Alliance" (櫻花聯盟) agreement with 51 high schools. The initiative aims to promote sustainable campuses and academic exchange through educational cooperation.