Miaoli｜House of Tung Flowers
White snow in a mountain forest; the delight of Tung flower land
Following Provincial Highway Six up into the mountains, you breathe the sweet, clear air of Miaoli County. Turning down a winding mountain road, you see a flurry of snow-like Tung flowers - the so-called May Snows. Trees encompass the road from both sides as you approach your beautiful mountain destination - House of Tung Flowers. Between the elegance of nature and the deliciousness of exquisitely prepared meals, you savor the taste of happiness.
Afternoon tea in the mountains beneath the Tung trees
The layered green landscape of House of Tung Flowers unfolds before your eyes, with a lofty tung tree standing directly in the middle of the gardens, quietly extending its branches to bathe in the warm sunlight. You set out across a wooden pathway strewn with Tung flowers and resembling snow-covered ground, and stroll between the Tung, Phoebe zhennan, umbrella, and camellia assamica trees. The mountain breeze rustles the tree leaves as the sounds of insects and birds enters your ears, uniting into a lively forest concerto.
In the afternoon, you enter the glass-walled tea room, with light spilling in from all sides. To one side sits a dessert cabinet full of sweets from the famous RT Bakery House. Have as much as you like, along with hot tea and coffee. Seated indoors or out, the scenery is beautiful any season of the year, not just during the Tung flower season. In spring, fresh emerald-green leaves sprout all around. In summer, the tung trees produce a snow of white flowers. In autumn, the maples shine red in the forest. And in winter, the mountain forests are shrouded in clouds and mist.
Resting between fragrant trees, taste a creative, menu-free Hakka-style meal
Stepping into the three-story building, the scent of Chinese fir filling the entire space relieves your exhausted mind. At House of Tung Flowers, the furnishings in each room are made of solid wood, accentuated with exquisite antique lamps, and include a capsule coffee machine and complementary RT Bakery House cookies. The interior design includes Japanese tatami mats as well as wooden rocking chairs, with large windows that afford beautiful views of the mountain forests. You can sit on the balcony and breathe phytoncides from the comfort of hanging chairs, or soak in the bathtub to completely relax. With a maximum capacity of 20 people, House of Tung Flowers is well-suited for a family or a group of friends to reserve the entire wooden structure. With karaoke in the first floor common room and a small living room on the third floor where family and friends can play chess or chat with each other.
A one night stay includes three meals, yet the thing most anticipated by visitors to House of Tung Flowers is the menu-free fusion dinner incorporating local ingredients and traditional Hakka flavors. Red date vinegar is used to start the meal off, followed by lotus root wrapped in the sweetness of Hakka-style grass jelly made of Chinese mesona. A bamboo steamer full of fresh seasonal vegetables with homemade kumquat sauce satisfies all the senses. A uniquely flavored bean curd chicken soup, served with crisp bread stuffed with Italian rice-flour noodles emits distinct Italian aroma. The sweet fish imparts the fresh sweetness of the sea, while the broiled Japanese beef (wagyu) simply cannot be missed. Finally, enjoy a bite of delicate almond tofu and a glass from host James’s private wine collection to bring your beautiful evening to a close. In contrast with one’s impression of the usual fixed villa menu, the food at House of Tung Flowers employs meticulous western-style techniques and the ingenious fusion of Hakka cuisine and Taiwanese ingredients to bring to each traveler an elegant and refined dining experience.
James - promoting Taiwan’s tung flower season for the appreciation of the entire world
In the morning, the mountain breeze urges you toward the breakfast table, where yet another sumptuous meal is laid out. Many summers ago, James decided to open his family home up to the public, to share the beautiful scenery with travelers by opening a guesthouse. The Hakka Affairs Council seized the opportunity to promote the Hakka tung flower season to attract large quantities of tourists, during which time House of Tung Flowers operates at full capacity every single day. Today, James has a full head of gray hair, yet in those first days, he truly was a pioneer, leading the way in the tung flower tourist market. With his endless Hakka passion and hospitality, he has been a great advocate of tung flower tourism during the month of May. Who would guess that he grew up in the Ximending neighborhood in Taipei! Yet he had always hoped to one day live in the tranquility of nature. Upon entering society, he continued his father’s construction business. At the turn of the millennium, in a time when many people could not even recognize a tung tree, he had come to admire the largest tung tree in Taiwan, right here beside House of Tung Flowers. He built his guesthouse and launched his one night, three meals slow living holiday package so that travelers can live in the mountains, and enjoy the tung flowers and delicious food.
“Taiwan has many qualifications which surpass those of other countries, so we need to look at things from a new perspective, drawing in a tide of tourists from abroad, in order for Taiwan to build confidence!” With his warmth and sincerity, James invites travelers from around the world to come to this tranquil forest, to enjoy the tung flowers fluttering on the May breeze, like beautiful snow swirling in the air, and savor the taste of a truly happy vacation.