Taoyuan: Around half of the 296 plum trees in late President Chiang Kai-shek’s former vacation retreat in Taoyuan’s Fuxing District are already in bloom, as the historic site gears up for the start of the 2026 Jiaobanshan Plum Blossom Festival on Jan. 17.

According to Focus Taiwan, the Taoyuan Scenic Area Service Agency announced that peak flowering in Jiaobanshan Park is expected in mid-January, with weekly updates on bloom conditions available on its Facebook page. Special festival events will be held in the park on the weekends of Jan. 17-18 and Jan. 24-25, Chen Jing-fang, the director of the Taoyuan Department of Tourism, stated.

These events include an “international tea gathering under the plum trees,” featuring teas from local, British, Japanese, and European origins, a 22-booth market offering local produce and handicrafts, as well as live calligraphy sessions. In addition, the city government has partnered with 34 businesses and attractions in the Jiaobanshan, Luofu, and Xiaowulai areas to offer festival-only discounts from Jan. 17 to 25, Chen said.

Attendees at this year’s festival will also have the chance to win prizes, including smartphones, by taking part in interactive promotions, Chen added.