Ahhh, good ol’ Taiwan — one of the most underrated destinations, this country of beautiful natural landscapes has plenty of scenic spots waiting for you to discover. One major highlights is the daylily blooming season! Also known as “day flower”, the golden flowers are cultivated in the eastern region of Taiwan, namely Hualien and Taitung, and they’re only in full bloom once a year!
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| Photo credit: Flickr/Nomac YC |
Just like cherry blossoms in Japan, the best time to magnificent shots of Daylilies for your Instagram is during blooming season. From August to September, you’ll be rewarded with a spectacular view when you take a hike up Liushidan Mountain aka Sixty Stone Mountain and Chike Mountain in Eastern Taiwan.
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| Photo credit: Flickr/Jennifer |
A yearly affair nature-lovers look forward, the sea of orange is a pretty sight not to be missed. This spot popular amongst locals can be rather inaccessible if you aren’t familiar with the area. Too save yourself the trouble of driving for hours and possibly getting lost, we recommend that you follow a half-day chartered tour instead. That way, you get to enjoy both privacy and the experience of a road trip with your buddies.
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| Photo credit: Flickr/Jimmy Chen |
More than just a pretty sight, the bud of a daylily is edible and used as an ingredient in Chinese cuisines. Don’t worry about your trip clashing with the harvesting season though — not all daylilies are harvested, a portion of them are retained for the 100, 000 people who travel to admire the field of golden orange flowers that bloom only once a year.
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| Photo credit: Flickr/PartyLin |
Harvested while green and firm, daylily, also called jin zhen (“golden needle”), can be cooked in a several ways — steamed, boiled or stir-fried. It’s even made into refreshing popsicles!
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| Photo credit: Flickr/Nomad YC |
For nature-lovers who want the full Daylily mountain experience, we recommend a one day road trip to Hualien’s Sixty Stone Mountain. Away from the hustle and bustle, this is the ultimate place for you to fall in love with this picturesque country we came to know as Taiwan.
