Travel Date: 2026/05/16
One of the things I absolutely love about living in Taiwan is how easy it is to discover seasonal surprises just a short trip from home. Usually, spring means chasing cherry blossoms or tung blossoms, but this weekend my husband and I decided to do something a little bit different. We went to Zaoqiao Township in Miaoli County to catch the annual Zaoqiao Pumpkin Festival (造橋南瓜季).
I had seen photos of this place online on Facebook, but experiencing it in person was something completely different. It was colorful, beautiful, and honestly a little bit mind-blowing to see how many types of pumpkins actually exist!
About the Zaoqiao Pumpkin Festival
The festival is an annual tradition held here in Miaoli, running from early May through early June when the pumpkin harvest is at its absolute peak. Zaoqiao’s hilly terrain and well-drained soil make it the perfect place for growing incredibly sweet edible pumpkins, but the festival has turned into a major seasonal attraction because of one special spot: Miaoxiang Ranch (苗翔牧場).
During the festival period, the entire ranch opens its doors to the public completely free of charge. In Taiwan, where so many seasonal flower and farm attractions charge an entry fee, that feels especially generous!
When you arrive at the ranch, the first thing that catches your eye is a huge, bright orange pumpkin display right at the entrance. It's the ultimate photo spot and everyone was queueing up to take pictures with it.
But the real highlight of the festival is walking through the spectacular Pumpkin Tunnel.
It’s a massive arched trellis stretching for over 100 meters, completely covered in lush green vines. Hanging right above your head are hundreds of pumpkins in every shape, size, and color imaginable.
I definitely did not expect to see so much variety!
Aside from the classic bright orange pumpkins, there were white ones, cream-colored ones, green striped ones, and even miniature pumpkins that looked like spinning tops or little pears. Some of the giant pumpkins hanging there looked so heavy that I kept wondering how the vines could support them, but everything is perfectly maintained and totally safe to walk under.
Walking through the shade of the tunnel with the green leaves filtering the bright May sunshine felt so peaceful.
Since the festival takes place on a real, functioning dairy ranch, there is plenty to do even after you finish walking through the tunnel.
Normally, Miaoxiang Ranch is a popular spot for families because it has a really nice, down-to-earth farm atmosphere. It’s not over-commercialized at all. They have cows, chickens, horse.
Inside the indoor exhibition area, local farmers set up stalls selling fresh agricultural products, and they even sell freshly harvested pumpkins that you can buy to take home for cooking.
Weekends can get incredibly busy with families and tour groups. If you want to take photos in the tunnel without too many people in the background, I highly recommend arriving early in the morning.
If you are looking for a fun spring weekend escape in Miaoli, this is definitely a place worth visiting!
