Tainan City road earns magical street honors

2015-03-23

A road in Tainan City’s Baihe district was recently named one of the world’s 15 most magical streets shaded by flowers and trees in an article run by U.S.-based website BoredPanda.

The suburban area in southern Taiwan, ranked 11th among 137 submissions, is the only one in Asia to make the list. Molyvos on the Greek island of Lesvos, Bonn in Germany and the Tunnel of Love in Romania’s Caras Severin county comprised the top three in that order.

According to Baihe District Office, the photograph featured on the website is of a road in Linchupi lined with 790 flowering Bombax ceiba trees.

“Starting around 20 years ago, a local community leader began planting the trees,” a BDO official said. “People were so fascinated by the beautiful flowers that the place gradually became a site for taking photos of the crimson blossoms.”

The best viewing time for the road is from mid-March to mid-April, the official said, adding that the early morning mist adds a surreal touch, while sunset accentuates the splendid color of the flowers.

With the annual BDO-staged Bombax Ceiba Festival in full swing, the official said additional publicity generated by the naming is expected to attract more visitors from home and abroad. “Guided tours, musical performances and a variety of flower viewing activities are taking place until the event wraps up March 22.”

But Bombax ceiba is not the only flowering tree adding a splash of color to Tainan. Bauhinia variegata, Melastoma candidum, Melia azedarach, and Tabebuia chrysantha are beginning to blossom, and will be followed by Jacaranda mimosifolia in April, Cassia fistula in May and Delonix regia and Nelumbo nucifera in June.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=228547&ctNode=445)