The Calla Lilies of Bamboo Lake (Zhuzihu)

Since last Saturday, our Pday, was spent all day on repairs and deliveries, we took Wednesday off (the best weather day of the week) and went to Yangmingshan National Park to visit the Zhuzihu farms. Famed for its calla lily fields, we took off hoping to successfully navigate to our destination. 

We took the MRT for about 30 minutes (full of face mask travelers)......

then found the Xiao 9 mini bus (which was packed full, but they let us push our way on) to begin the one hour journey up the mountain to the farm area. The little bus wound its way up the road, stopping to let more people on, and more, until there was just no way anyone else could possibly fit.

Yangmingshan National Park includes the Taiwan-famed calla lily fields. The annual Taiwan Calla Lily Festival is just a few weeks away. Around 45 calla lily farms grace this gentle valley, along with a variety of vegetable and flower farms each waiting their seasonal turn for full harvest.

Once to our destination, we spilled out of the bus and began to explore. Zhuzihu (bamboo lake) is actually an ancient volcano-formed lake now dry, turned into fertile farms for mild climate flowers and vegetables. It’s also an extremely popular Taiwanese tourist spot, thus the over-crowded Xiao 9. 

The cherry blossoms were just starting to come out.

We got there a little ahead of the crowds. Although two weeks too early for the full bloom of the Calla Lily fields, we still were able to wander through and around beautiful calla lily farms stretching out all throughout the volcano valley.

People come to pick and buy flowers, or for great photo shoots, or just to enjoy the fresh air and mountain views. The calla lilies here grow in watery flooded fields, a little like rice. There are Flower Festivals throughout the year which bring in thousands of visitors.

I love the terraced farming. Pictures just don’t do justice.

The volcano still has live steam vents.

We stopped at a spot that had an outdoor restaurant with greenhouse style dining halls to accommodate the crowds. We were assigned the “B” hall. It’s always hard for us to know what to order, till they brought us an English menu.

Bringing the menu did not make the choice easier (!!!), so we erred on the side of caution and stayed with vegetarian – sweet potato fries and a tofu dish. 

Then we sampled the famous Taiwanese fried ice cream for dessert. Interesting and fun, but not particularly noteworthy for repeating.

The steep terrain often gets cemented in along the roads, each slope getting registered with it's own ID number.  What?  You don't register your slopes???
                    Moss and ferns grow out from the cemented slope.

 An orchid blossoms on a tagged slope.

Bamboo growing up alongside a creek. Actually, it grows everywhere here. 
Thus the name - Bamboo Lake.

We took a path through the velvety lush forest surrounding the farms. 

After exploring and enjoying the peaceful beauty of the valley, it was time to leave all this serenity behind and return to Taipei. We needed to get back to the city to lead our weekly our English Group. 


The peace of the lily farms will continue to inspire and rejuvenate us for weeks to come.