Buzz
The peak blooming period of cherry blossoms in Takinoue spans only about two weeks, starting from late May to early June this year. The origin story of the pink hill in Takinoue is shared by Hisashi Ban, a member of the Takinoue Park Management Board: “The park was established in the early 20th century when volunteers from the town of Takinoue aimed to leave a mark by planting 1,000 cherry blossom trees on the hillside. This place became very famous when the “flower viewing season” arrived.
In 1954, the Touyamaru storm destroyed the entire cherry blossom park. The Managing Director, Kataoka Heiji, happened to visit the shrine in the area just when the cherry blossoms were blooming beautifully. Impressed, he took a branch back to plant in a corner of the park. That branch gradually spread, and by 1959, Kataoka's friend Asakura Yoshie was elected mayor. He mobilized volunteers to plant cherry blossoms throughout the park. Today, the entire 10-hectare hillside is covered in pink when the flowering season comes.
The vibrant pink color of cherry blossoms creates a romantic space, emitting a gentle fragrance, creating a refreshing and pleasant atmosphere. There are up to four different types of cherry blossoms, distinguished by the number of petals, at least 4 petals, 5 petals, and 6 petals are common, and the rarest is 7 petals. Takinoue Cherry Blossom Park awards prizes to those who find the 7-petal cherry blossom variety, take a photo, and bring it to the information center to claim the prize, but amidst a vast forest of flowers covering 10 hectares, finding those 7-petal cherry blossoms is like finding a needle in a haystack.
In addition to the unique landscapes of Phu Tang, embarking on a sightseeing trip to the Mombetsu area in late Spring, witnessing the colorful hues of tulip season, cherry blossoms are undoubtedly a new and exciting experience.
Source: Business Saigon
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Reference: Mytour Travel Guide
MytourJune 7, 2016
