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Fongshu Lake lies to the west of the Datun mountain range and is the only place in Taiwan where a large forest of woody lotus (magnolia) can be found. Commonly called “lotus that grows on trees,” the woody lotus has been revered and loved by Buddhists for centuries; it is also a highly valued medicinal herb and spice. More than 50 years of careful cultivation by local farmers have produced well over a thousand of these trees. Resembling a lotus throne, the woody lotus is rarely seen in Taiwan—only at Chung-Tai Chan Monastery, Alishan, and Fo Guang Shan—yet only in Fongshu Lake, Tamsui, is it planted on such a large scale. Don’t miss Taipei’s most mysterious and precious sea of blossoms! There is no actual lake here; the name comes from six giant Chinese sweet-gum trees that once stood at the entrance and from the bowl-like basin encircled on three sides by mountains. The surrounding hills are also planted with Formosan cherry and camellia, which together create a red-and-white floral display each spring. In recent years the area has been opened to visitors free of charge, becoming a popular flower-viewing destination during blossom season. Walking the Fongshu Lake trail, you can see several venerable centenarians—ancient break-seed trees, old banyans, and Indian laurels—standing sentinel, while rows of maple trees blaze red and shed their leaves each autumn, a sight to behold. Nearby, the Tianyuan Temple offers another cherry-blossom vantage point, letting visitors enjoy two spectacular floral spots in one outing and take in the full sweep of mountain flowers before their eyes.