The dark pink cherry blossom is in bloom all over Taipei, looking spectacular! Everyone says it’s even more beautiful than ever ~ maybe because of the very cold start to January ~ with 2 separate days of snow on Yangmingshan, the mountains above Taipei. Whatever the reason, the world has become pink, and it’s beautiful!

The cherry blossom season up at Yangming Park (in the Yangmingshan National Park area) officially started today, and today was also the first day of our holiday for New Year…

This is the cherry blossom at St. John’s University, taken yesterday…

And at Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial, Taipei on Wednesday…

There’s also plum blossom just coming to an end – also in CKS Memorial and over at Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Park too….. This is the ROC national flower, the focus of much poetry and art, and commonly used for girls names: 梅 Méi

And there’s even a few daffodils coming out today at Yangming Park ~ spring must really be coming. YES!

One week to go to Chinese / Lunar New Year / Spring Festival ~ on Friday February 12. Wishing you all a Happy New Year!

It’s the Year of the Ox (ox / cattle / cow: 牛 pronounced ‘niú’ – hence the pun for ‘new’) so wishing you all a

Happy 牛 Year!