A Flowery Afternoon at Zhishan Garden

During my last trip to Taiwan, I was able to go to the National Palace Museum but not to the Zhishan Garden (a big park within the museum compound).

Just early this year, I learned that plum blossoms are blooming in Zhishan Garden so I made sure to go this time.

After Longshan Temple, we rode the MRT again from Longshan Temple station to Shilin station and then rode a shuttle bus to NPM. Just outside the entrance of Zhishan Garden, I already found what I was looking for...

But I was even more mesmerized inside...

These three guys were wearing UP COE jackets. I'm the odd one out.

Plum blossoms!

It's a great place! It's really huge and there are lots of places to sit and even to sleep! I actually saw a lot of couples dating at the park. Why not, it's actually a nice dating spot. Plus the entrance fee is only NTD20 (PhP30). Very cheap for such a nice place, right? Luckily, the weather was also great because it was neither too cold nor too warm.

People, mostly children, are feeding koi

So pretty, right?

After Zhishan Garden, we went to the facade of the National Palace Museum for some picture-taking. It was already late in the afternoon and my companions aren't the museum type of people so we didn't enter the museum anymore. By this time, the cold was starting so I had to wear my jacket again.

Yay another photo!

My ICE co-instructors!

Nope, it's not a stray dog! And it's really nice and tame.

This couple owns the dog. So they have four dogs. Phew.

And that makes Zhishan Garden one of my favorite places in Taipei. If I had a lot of time to spare, it would have been great to read a book, have a small picnic, drink milk tea, watch people and couples, and take a nap at the Zhishan garden.