TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Cherry blossoms at Tainan Shan-Shang Garden and Old Waterworks Museum are in full bloom, with the peak expected over the coming weekend.

The museum is Taiwan’s largest national historic site, Cultural Affairs Bureau head Lin Wei-hsu (林韋旭) said. The area preserves rare plants from the Japanese colonial period (1895-1945), such as century-old podocarpus, luchu pine, and magnolia, per CNA.

Since 2016, experts have helped plant around 500 cherry trees in the water tank area, including Kawazuzakura, Fuji, Yoshino, and double-layer varieties. Despite last year’s heavy winds and rain, the trees are now blossoming.

The trees typically bloom around the Lunar New Year, becoming a popular flower-viewing spot for Tainan residents. However, this year’s flowering was delayed due to cold weather.

Currently, about 70% of the blossoms are in full bloom.

In addition to the cherry blossoms, other flowers in the park are also at their peak, including fields of blueminks that resemble a vast lavender carpet. Cosmos and zinnia flowers are also in bloom, adding vibrant hues of red, yellow, and pink throughout the park, where visitors can enjoy four different flower fields within a 15-minute walk.

Taiwan's cherry blossom season differs from Japan, typically running from February to April. The first blooms, such as the Taiwan cherry, start to appear from late January to early February, according to Funit.

Popular cherry blossom viewing locations in Taiwan include Tamsui's Wuji Tianyuan Temple, Yangmingshan, and Hsinchu's Smangus in the north. In central and southern Taiwan, visitors can enjoy the blossoms at Taichung's Wuling Farm, Nantou's Caopingtou, and Chiayi's Alishan, while  Taitung's Taimali Qingshan Farm is also a favorite cherry blossom spot in eastern Taiwan.