Department of Economic Development

　　The much-anticipated Festival of the Calla Lily at Zhuzihu officially made its debut on the 29^th of March. Led by the performance of the Hutian Elementary School Dragon & Lion Dance War Drum Corps, the opening ceremony welcomed the arrival of Ko Wen-je, the mayor of Taipei City, Wang San-zhong, the Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Economic Development, Taipei City Government and Xie Jian-da, the Executive Secretary of the Beitou District Farmers' Association of Taipei City. They were dressed in silver gray suits with a calla lily boutonniere, echoing the spotlessly white color of the calla lily and the breathtaking landscape of the mist meandering at Zhuzihu. While the three honorable guests were writing wishing cards, Bravo, wearing a dashing suit, rushed to the stage out of the blue and clamored for wishes. The scene is truly hilarious.

　　According to Mayor Ko, thanks to its rich natural ecology and picturesque landscape, Yangmingshan Zhuzihu is now a must-visit tourist attraction when traveling to Taipei City. From the principal cultivation of paddy rice in earlier times and the planting of highland vegetables later on, to the main cash crop of the white calla lily at present, the Zhuzihu area has become a destination for foreign and domestic couples to take wedding photos because of the romantic, spotless floral sea it contains. Through the joint efforts of the teams from the Taipei City Government and the farmers from the Zhuzihu area, bit by bit the plantations have transformed into leisure farms and become the third Agri-tourism Area in Taipei City since February 11^th this year. In the future, the Taipei City Government will continue to hammer away at passing on the beauty of Zhuzihu to boost the development of local industries and enable prosperity via mutual cooperation.
  
　　After the grand opening and press conference, Mayor Ko put on a frog suit to experience the pleasure of picking calla lilies. Bravo, wearing a calla lily crown on his head, and Lu Xiao-bai (little egret), the mascot of the Taiwan Leisure Farms Development Association, were standing at his side to encourage Mayor Ko. The calla lily flowers are in good condition at the moment, and Taipei City Government in collaboration with the Beitou District Farmers' Association have worked to specially demarcate ten areas of calla lily landscape floral design, including three free photo spots at Zhuzihu Dinghu Entrance, the riverbank park and Fashia Recreation Farm and the private farm (entrance fees will apply) located in the Flower Dale Calla Plantation, the Jai Fu Garden, the Green Hollow Calla Plantation, Ming Yang Pu Calla Plantation , Miau Ban Garden Restaurant, Flower and Tree Gardening, and the Xiao Pu Bu Calla Lily Garden. We welcome everyone to join us at the Zhuzihu Calla Lily Festival, take attractive photographs, let the calla lily flowers witness your friendship, love and family kinship and share the charming scenery of the calla lily at Zhuzihu with friends and families.
 
The “2019 Zhuzihu Calla Lily Festival” starts on March 29th and ends on April 28th. In addition to the beautiful spectacle of the calla lilies, a variety of trips and tours have also been launched to allow visitors to get acquainted with the Zhuzihu area in a romantic atmosphere. During the consecutive holidays of the Tomb Sweeping Festival, “Zhuzihu Heart Creative Market”, where native agricultural products and commemorative souvenirs are sold, will be held from April 4th to April 7th. Everybody is welcome to attend by using Taipei City’s EasyCard. Furthermore, as it happens to be the year when the establishment of Zhuzihu Agri-tourism Area takes place, a series of “Calla Lily Garden” activities have been arranged for the public from April 1st to April 28th. The availability of the landscape formed by flowers fields, table decorations and special meals allows tourists to experience a distinctive artistic celebration of the calla lily garden.
 
　　Please refer to the official website of the 2019 Festival of the Calla Lily for the daily floral condition and traffic information. For more up-to-date news about the “Zhuzihu (Bamboo Lake) Calla Lily Festival”, please follow the announcements on the official website of the Department of Economic Development, Taipei City Government or Facebook fan page of the “Department of Economic Development, Taipei City Government - https://www.facebook.com/doed.taipei/ ”.