In northern Taiwan, Kao’s Hydrangea Garden No. 3 is in Wanli District, New Taipei City. This beautiful garden is famous for its stunning display of colorful hydrangeas during the blooming season from May to July every year.
For more interesting images, please watch the following video on Kao’s Hydrangea Garden No. 3.
History of Kao’s Hydrangea Garden
Named after its founder, Kao’s Hydrangea Garden used to have three flower fields before 2023. They were established in 2014, 2016, and 2018 respectively. Covering about 1,200 pings (0.4 ha, or 1 ac) each, the first two flower fields are located at Shuichelia (水車寮) and Shuwei (水尾) in Zhuzihu (Bamboo Lake,竹子湖), which is a quaint local farming village in Yangmingshan National Park in Taipei City.
The third flower field was transformed from sweet potato fields hidden away in the lush mountains in Wanli District, New Taipei City. At the outset, this new flower field had an area of 8,000 pings (2.64 ha, or 6.52 ac), but it was expanded to 12,000 pings (4 ha, or 10 ac) in 2022.
In 2023, all the hydrangeas in the first flower field were transplanted to this newly-expanded field. Therefore, Kao’s Hydrangea Garden has only two flower fields at present.
Characteristics of Kao’s Hydrangea Garden No. 3
Kao’s Hydrangea Garden No. 3 started to open to the public in May 2020. It has been operated with environment-friendly practices to maintain soil health and minimize air and water pollution.
This vast expanse of fields is divided into several different areas, each showcasing a wide range of hydrangea varieties, which bloom in shades of blue, pink, red, purple, and white.
Upon arrival at the garden, visitors tend to be amazed by the sheer array of red hydrangeas and other striking flowers on the two sides of a 100-meter-long tunnel decorated with clusters of artificial purple wisteria hanging from above.
A small stream, with colorful hydrangeas and other eye-catching flowers on the banks, runs through the garden. In addition to the sea of flowers and fantastic landscape, this garden has specially created flower walls, floral gates, flower paths, swings, and other installation art. All these add to the romantic ambiance for tourists visiting this flower garden.
The garden has established roomy rest areas with benches to provide shade from the sun. There are also DIY activities with fresh and dried flowers on holidays. This garden’s admission fee is NT$200 (approx US$6.60 per person, and it can be exchanged for a NT$100 (US$3.30) coupon to be consumed in the garden.
This field expanse also has various other plants and flowers, such as African Lily (Agapanthus africanus, 愛情花)、 SunPatiens (超級鳳仙), cherry, etc., aside from hydrangeas. The calm, serene milieu of the garden is the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and take in the beauty of nature.
Since the opening of this garden, Kao’s Hydrangea Garden No. 3 has received a lot of positive feedback from visitors. Many have praised the garden for its peaceful atmosphere and stunning displays of flowers. As a result, it has become a popular tourist destination for locals and visitors nationwide.
Characteristics of Hydrangea
Hydrangea, also known as Hydrangea macrophylla or hortensia, is a genus of over 70 flowering plants found in many other countries, such as Japan, the United States, China, and Europe. Some species are native to China, and their Chinese names are “Xiu Qiu Hua (繡球花),” “Zi Yang Hua (紫陽花),” and “Baxian Hua (八仙花),” etc. In Taiwan, the hydrangea flower symbolizes fidelity, eternity, unity, and beauty.
This plant is a deciduous shrub that blooms in late spring and summer. Hydrangeas are prized for their beautiful clusters of flowers, which come in a wide range of colors. In addition, flower colors can change based on the pH of the soil.
