新竹公園賞櫻趣 Enjoy Sakura pink party in Hsinchu park

春天到了，各地櫻花也開始紛紛綻放。

在日治時代就設立的新竹公園，更是交通便利，不需大老遠上山的賞櫻好去處，夜晚有設立燈光，呈現櫻花夜裡的另一種含蓄美貌。

新竹公園栽種的櫻花以河津櫻為主，還有富士櫻、吉野櫻與八重櫻及山櫻花等花種，共約八百多株，而這些櫻花皆由新竹育櫻會志工協助照料，從日本來台移植此地且數量最多的粉紅色河津櫻，來自伊豆半島，很適合台灣平地種植。根據研究，河津櫻是屬日本原生大島櫻跟台灣原生緋寒櫻（山櫻花）的自然配種。

2003年日本育櫻會贈予台灣一百多棵，先於香山養植後再移植分植到新竹公園，當時種的第一棵河津櫻就位在玻璃工藝博物館旁邊。

而當時的日本育櫻會副理事長松前孝廣，就是新竹火車站設計師松崎萬長之孫。2007年其來台觀賞移植花況時，也有順道前往臺灣最古老的現役火車站新竹火車站一睹其祖父的建築作品。

Spring season is coming, "the pink party" is starting blooming everywhere in Taiwan.

There are many kinds of cherry flowers in this park and more than 800 plants which they all are taking care by volunteers. The main cultivar of cherry flowers planting in Hsinchu Park is Kawazu Sakura which is originally from The Izu Peninsula, Japan, this kind of cherry flowers is suitable to plant in lower altitude. Accordingly, Kawazu Sakura is a cultivar from Prunus lannesiana and Cerasus campanulate (also known as Taiwan cherry.)

In 2003, Japan Cherry Blossom Association gifted about 170 plants of Kawazu Sakura to Tawian, they were cultivated then plant in Hsinchu Park, the 1st one was the on next to the current Glass Museum of Hsinchu City.

Moreover, Mr. TAKAHIRO MATSUMAE, the VP of Japan Cherry Blossom Association at that time, his grandfather was actually the designer of Hsinchu train station in 1913. Hsinchu train station is also the oldest still-running train station in Taiwan.

Hsinchu Park is vast with many attraction spots nearby. Walking from Hsinchu train station is only about 10 mins. It is really recommend to visit here in day and night which both are cozy and chill.