The Smangus cherry blossom season is here! Traffic volume control measures are planned; online reservations required

Every spring, the cherry blossoms bloom in the Smangus tribe in Jianshi Township, Hsinchu County, attracting tourists from all over Taiwan. To avoid heavy traffic congestion on the local connecting roads, Hsinchu County has announced traffic volume control measures this year; vehicles heading there must make a reservation before entering the tribe. For details, please visit https://www.smangus.org/permit_request.php. Registration opens at 9 a.m. on February 4.

County Magistrate Yang Wen-ke stated that Smangus is also known as "God's Tribe." Every year during the cherry blossom season, heavy traffic always causes serious road congestion. For road safety, recreation quality, and to avoid becoming a COVID-19 transmission risk, he asked the public to cooperate with the relevant measures. In addition, those entering the tribe area must carry a mask, cooperate with temperature checks, and make good use of the alcohol disinfectant provided by the tribe.

You Zhi-xiang, Director of the Hsinchu County Department of Transportation and Tourism, stated that the traffic volume control period for the Smangus cherry blossom season runs from February 12 to March 10. The control area is the road section between the Taigang junction and the Smangus tribe, namely at 39K on County Road 60. The planned capacity for accommodation and camping is 600 people in total. Same-day round-trip vehicles are by reservation, limited to 100 cars and 100 motorcycles.

During the control periods, regular cars (four wheels or more) may go uphill before 12:40 p.m. and after 3 p.m., and may go downhill before 2 p.m. and after 4:20 p.m.; medium buses may go uphill from 3 p.m. to 3:20 p.m., and may go downhill from 1:40 p.m. to 2 p.m. Vehicles for overnight stays must also enter and exit within the control periods and enter the tribe with a pass.