Taipei Azalea Festival to open Friday with 200,000 blooms

Taipei, March 4 (CNA) The 2026 Taipei Azalea Festival will open on Friday in Daan Park, featuring more than 200,000 azaleas in full bloom, the city government said Wednesday.

In a press release, the city's Parks and Street Lights Office said this year's festival will showcase a wide array of azaleas in vivid colors and diverse forms, including rare varieties on loan from neighboring cities.

These include the "Taoyuan No. 1 -- Red Rose" and "Taoyuan No. 2 -- Torch Azaleas," provided by the Taoyuan District Agricultural Research and Extension Station, as well as native azalea species from a flower production cooperative in Jinshan District, New Taipei.

Another highlight of the event is an ecological-themed installation titled "A'rk," designed as a symbolic ark docked in Daan Park, it said, adding that the installation represents the park's role over the past decade in creating shared memories for residents.

From Friday to March 31, the park will host markets, live music performances and a range of workshops, including plant pot making, mini bouquet accessories and wool crafts.

The 2026 Taipei Rose Festival will also open on Friday at the Taipei Rose Garden, where 5,000 roses from over 800 varieties are on display, the office added.