Fenglin Community [Travel in Taiwan 171202 (Maple Series): Golden Leaves]

There's a joy in every maple chasing activity.  From Taipei to Alishan, everyone tries their best to see the leaves at their peak conditions.  While Fushoushan Farm and Aowanda are the top favorites every year,  there will be always secret spots that are waiting to be discovered.   Often neglected because no one has ever heard of them,  the foliage at these places remain beautiful until they disappear in the middle of winter.

 An arrow in the shape of a leaf pointing to the direction of more yellow maple leaves.  Just follow the direction to see the other areas with a maple forest.

The luomujie blog through its Maple Series have found one.   Named after its maple forest,  Fenglin Community had always been knocking at the hearts of maple chasers in Central Taiwan.  Those living in Taichung and Nantou will be delighted to know, that they could always see yellow maple leaves from November to mid-December.

Acer serrulatum cv. 'Goldstemmed'. They turn from green to yellow during autumn.  When shined under the rays of the sun, the leaves sparkle like gold.  There are lots of them in Fenglin Community!  A private farm that is open to visitors,  I was the only one who went here by riding a bus from Puli Zhong Zhan Station.   Most visitors arrive via a tour bus or with their private car. They will roam around for 1 hour and then leave immediately to go to Cingjing Farm.

Mirror selfie after boarding the bus at Puli Zhong Zhan Station.  I was one of the first passengers so most of the seats were empty.

Nantou County Police Bureau Renai Branch Nanfeng Police Station

Golden maple trees with light green leaves.  They are just starting to turn yellow.

Slowly turning into a real forest.  Fenglin Community has more mosquitoes than the humans who come here every day.  Prospective visitors must wear long sleeves and a pair of pants to protect themselves from insect bites.  There were also a few farmers during my visit and they were busy cutting the trees.  On what is the purpose of the maple forest and its agricultural value to the people living  here remains a mystery to me.

Taking pictures was my primary purpose of visiting this place, and I found the bridge to be the best place to record memories of my trip.  The trees were so tall and their leaves were at its peak of being yellow in color.   Walk further away and look at Fenglin Community as a whole and you will be surprised that a yellowish hue has been added to the green color of the mountains.  The treetops of the maple forest were visible with the sound of the river helping to create a refreshing scene.

red maple

red maple

red maple with a background of golden maple trees

There were also red maples planted on the riverside.  But they were mostly green during my visit.  Maybe the first week of December is too early to see them.   Or they could be too shy to appear because they know that on this spot in Nantou, the real star of the show here is not them, but the maple forest that is glistening with its golden leaves.

****************************************

Fenglin Community (楓林社區)

address: 546南投縣仁愛鄉南豐村

[Google Map]

How to go here: 

1.  THSR/TRA Taichung Station →  ride tripool taxi to Fenglin Community

Suggested tripool taxi itinerary on visiting Fenglin Community and Cingjing Farm on the same day. Start your adventure in Cingjing Farm from the Qingjing Grassland, and then explore the whole park while walking downhill. Get out of the farm near Cingjing Guest House and wait for your tripool taxi, which will take you to directly to Taichung HSR Station. If you want to follow this itinerary, then you have to make 3 separate bookings in the tripool  web app: https://www.tripool.app/?utm_source=luomuji for each pick-up point - drop-off point pair.  Up to a maximum of 8 passengers can be book in one ride

Pick-up point	Drop-off point	Distance	Travel time	Estimated tripool taxi fare (NTD)			Suggested pick-up period at the pick-up point
				# of passengers
				1 or 2	4	8
Taichung HSR Station	楓林社區	64.7 kms	51 mins	860	946	1,435	7:30 am - 8:00 am
楓林社區	Qingqing Grassland	22.7 kms	42 mins	618	679	1,169	10:30 am - 11:00 am
Cingjing Guest House	Taichung HSR Station	83.9 kms	1 hr 24 mins	1,302	1,432	1,922	5:00 pm - 5:30 pm

If you can't write Chinese, then copy and paste the Chinese characters for Fenglin Community (楓林社區) with the help of the button below.

2.  THSR Taichung Station →  TRA Xinwuri Station → TRA Taichung Station → ride bus Taiwan Tour Bus Sun Moon Lake route at Gancheng Station → Get off the bus at Puli Station → Transfer to any of Bus 6658,6659,6660,6660A,6661,6661A,6663 → Alight the vehicle at Fenglin Kou (楓林口) stop [Google Map] → walk to Fenglin Community

MAPLE (紅葉) LOCATIONS IN TAIWAN

Sakura Series - Taiwan

2025 Forecast

Taipei 101 first flowers

Tianyuan Palace backyard

Taipei Flower Test Center

Pingjing St. Lane 42

Broadwood Park

Sunshine Sports Park kawazu sakura

Wuling Farm (武陵農場)

SYS kawazu sakura

Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village

CKS Memorial Hall

Shibafen Yoshino Sakura

Hope River

Dongfang Temple

Tianyuan Palace

Neicou Stream Trail

Orange Garden Cafe

Yangming Park Visitor Information Center

Yangming Park Service Center Bus Stop

Huashan Road

Qianshan Park

Zhongshan Hall Entrance

Tenglong Sakura Farm

Flower Test Center Shōwa Sakura

Neihu Creek Trail

Shulin Land Office

Xióng Kōng Cherry Blossom Forest

Lung Yen Sakura Forest

Yangming Park cherry stream

Yangming Park fountain

CKS Memorial Hall Tairyō sakura

Wugu District Tianyi Road

CKS Memorial Hall yaesakura

Loving Farm

Yong Long Farm

Zhongbaling Sakura Road

Sun Link Sea

Tai'an Police Station

Cherry Hill Slope

Hsinchu Park

Taipei 101

Kāng Gào Kēng Creek

New Garden City

Broadwood Park

Tianyuan Palace backyard

Pingjing St. Lane 42

Alishan Ranger Station

Alishan House

Alishan Police Station

Alishan Forest Railway

Alishan Station

Alishan Entrance

Alishan Gou Hotel

Alishan Magnolia Garden

Wulai tour

Wun Chang Elementary School

Bishanyan

Sanzhi Sansei Trail

Sakura Series - Taiwan

Nei Cuo Stream

Orange Garden Cafe

Sansei Trail

Tenglong Sakura Farm

Yangming Park Cherry Stream

Yangming Park Fountain

Flower Test Center

Broadwood Park

New Garden City

Yinghua Park

Pingjing St. Lane 42

Yangmingshan Visitor Center

Taipei 101

Tianyuan Palace backyard

Sakura Series - Japan

Kamonyama Park

Near the Nippon Maru Memorial Park

Shinko Park

Minato-mirai 21 area

Tokyo Tech Suzukakedai Campus

Onda River

Tenryuji

Byodoin

Kiyomizudera

Himuro shrine and Yakushi-ji Temple

Hōryū-ji Temple

Nara Park attractions

Tokyo Tech Ookayama Campus

Sumida River

Tsuruma Park

Gion

Maple Series

Taipei Aowanda

Shimen Dam

Alishan

Aowanda

Shanlinxi

Taoyuan Valley Garden

Fushoushan Farm

Yehliu to Jiufen? Yehliu to Shifen? Cheaper than yellow taxis

The "Taipei kong mahal" (My beloved Taipei)

Always in my heart

MRT birdman

Valentine's Day

Tulips Festival

2018 Taipei Lantern Festival

City of Azaleas

Linji Huguo Temple

Nanjichang Night Market

Gudetama Chef restaurant

Dalongdong Bao'an Temple

Shilin hollyhocks

Ningxia Night Market

Ximending graffiti

Discovery Center of Taipei

Chunghwa Postal Museum

Double-Decker Bus

Shilin Cold Balls

Jingimoo

GomanMango

mud volcanic ice

Fire and Ice Dumpling

Opium Fen-Yuan

Ichiran Ramen

Liu Shandong Beef Noodles

hydrangea flowers

National Palace Museum

Other attractions in Taipei

Taipei on a budget

Japanese buildings

Dāoxiāomiàn beef noodles

Presidential Office Building

Yongkang St. and Elephant Mountain

CKS and SYS Hall

City tour

Beitou ramen

MRT Monopoly Game

Winter city tour

Zhicheng Park

Shilin Plum Blossom

Art museums

Shopping in Taipei

Summer desserts

Qingtiangang

Qixingshan hiking

2015 Calla lily

2016 Calla lily

Beitou tour

Beitou-Zhuzihu tour

NTU

Confucius Temple

2015 Dadaocheng Festival

Puppet Museum

Fantasy Ice World

2016 Bread Show

Strawberry picking

2015 Rose Garden

Modern Toilet

Shilin Night Market

NASA Exhibit

Raohe Night Market

Longshan Temple

2013 Taipei Zoo

Maokong Gondola

Lupin flowers

Taipei 101 day visit

Taipei 101 night visit

Tiger Mountain

Din Tai Fung

Taipei Story House

2014 Flower Show

Chrysanthemum Show

Miramar Ferris wheel

Miniatures Museum

Archery

1600 Pandas

Wulaoguo hot pot

Upside Down House

2016 101 Fireworks

New Taipei

Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival

Elephant Rock SUP/kayaking

Meteor Garden school

Tamsui Pumpkin Tunnel

Shifen Waterfall

2017 Sand Sculpture

Dragon Caves

New Taipei tour

2016 Kite Festival

Pingxi Crags

Bitou Cape

2016 Sand Sculpture

2015 Christmasland

Juming - Jinshan

Houtong - Pingxi

Sandiaoling Waterfall

Jiufen foodtrip

Guanyinshan hike

Yehliu Ocean World

2014 Kite Festival

Pingxi Rail tour

Jinguashi tour

Vigor Kobo Pineapple

British Consulate

Yehliu Geopark

2014 Sand Sculpture

Paragliding

2014 Christmasland

2014 Pingxi Lantern

firefly watching

Yingge Ceramics Street

Jiufen tour