One of the Must-sees in Taiwan
Alishan is probably one of the most-mentioned tourist attractions when it comes to the tourism of Taiwan. Located in the high mountain region of eastern part of Chiayi County, the place name “Ali mountain,” as the Chinese name suggests, doesn’t realjy refer to any single mountain peak in the area. Instead, it’s a general term referring to a mountainous area with nearly 20 mountains over 2000 meters above sea level. It’s a National Forest Recreation Area administered by Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency under a bigger umbrella of the Alishan National Scenic Area by the central government’s Tourism Administration, Ministry of Transportation and Communications. The scenic spot is famous for the so-called “five wonders,” which are the alpine railway, forests, sunrise, sunset, and the sea of clouds.
Paradise of Giant Trees
Alishan is one of the three officially operated logging fields during the Japanese era of Taiwan. It was discovered by Japanese scientists in early 20th century before thegovernment decided to chop down the trees—mainly Taiwan red cypresses and false cypresses—surrounding the terminal station of the first and only alpine railroad, Alishan Forest Railway, which is a narrow gauge railway line stretching for 86 kilometers from Chiayi City. It’s said that, before they left Taiwan, over two million cubic meters of timber were cut down for the construction of the railroad ties, temples, chalets, and so on. Now if we go visit the Alishan forests, you might bewondering why we still see dozens of gigantic trees in the park. That’s because they are too big at that time to be felled with the old technology. Therefore, they’ve beenleft and bestowed with the sacredness through decades of reverence. Besides, during the walk along the popular trails such as Giant Tree Trail I and II, you can alsowitness the huge tree stumps deserted for nearly a century and silently covered with green and moist moss on the forest floor. Were those “sacred trees” not chopped down, Alishan would definitely be one of the amazing natural wonders on the planet.
Shuishan Giant Tree Trail
For the visitors heading for Alishan forest, their aims must be the two giant treetrails, Shouzhen Temple, Sister Ponds, and the tour for the sunrise, probably plus the sea of clouds if the weather permits. This time, however, I would like to hit the trail “less trodden!” Most people wouldn’t even notice that there’s a trail called ShuishanGiant Tree trail, of which the trailhead is only a few minutes’ walk from the Zhaoping Station, the real terminus station of the alpine railway under the Japanese rule.
It’s only 1,300 meters long one way along the abandoned Shuishan Railway branch line which used to stretch all the way to Dongpu at the foothills of the highest mountain
of Taiwan—Jade Mountain (3,952 meters above sea level). Hikers can walk along the railway track in the cool and humid air, perfectly comfortable on hot summer days . The average elevation of this area is around 2,300 meters above sea level. During most days of summer, your might need to wear a light jacket. There’s no paved or raised boardwalk along the trail, so it gives you an atmosphere of the rusted golden age of the logging years. Visitors will be completely immersed by soaring cypresses and cedars on the way and, at the end of the walk, you’ll be amazed by an antique wooden trestle and a truss bridge, which are not commonly combined to onestructure right above a depression.
From here you’ll have to walk up some stairs until you see the Shuishan Giant Tree, which is in fact the “thickest” tree in the park and the diameter at breast height reaches 5.2 meters. This huge red cypress has been growing for more than a thousand years and the height of the tree trunk is over 50 meters though it’s actually a “fusion tree,” which means a couple of red cypresses grow side by side in the beginning and then into one gigantic trunk at the end.
Shuishan Healing Trail
The Shuishan Healing Trail was just set up in early 2023. Meandering from the tarmac road to the Shuishan Giant Tree, it’s only 863 meters long but perfectly paved bysturdy wooden planks with lots of bigger spaces hikers can stop to take a deep breath in order to be “healed” by the Mother Nature. Along the way, you’ll find a couple ofwooden piles giving you the hint to rejuvenate yourself in the tranquil surroundings of the forest. The government believes the forest has a healing power and the walkers are expected to restore their well-being after a relaxing green shower. Mys uggestion for the aforementioned two trails is that you can organize a loop walk up the tarmac road first for about 20 minutes to connect to the Shuishan Healing Trail and come back to the starting point after you see the Shuishan Giant Tree along the Shuishan Giant Tree Trail clockwise. This will be easier because most of the walk would be downstairs and the total length is around 4.5 km in less than two hours.
The Holy Mountain of Tsou Tribe
Before you walk into the heart of the forest during your visit, especially if you stay at the prestigious and luxury five-star hotel Alishan House, you should see a towering mountain to the north with an outstanding outcrop on top of the Datashan, literally “great tower mountain.
As the name suggests, the mountain has a towering peak and the upper part of the mountain looks like a huge triangle. Standing at an elevation of 2,663 meters above sea level, it’s widely seen as the highest mountain of Mountain Range though the true highest one is not far away from here. One of the sixteen officially recognized indigenous tribes in Taiwan—the Tsou Tribe—see the majestic mountain as their holy mountain and the ultimate resting place the spirits can go after death.
For the avid hikers, the Tashan Trail to the mountaintop is the one you shouldn’t miss. The trailhead is right by the famous Sister Ponds and, for the first two kilometers, you’ll be actually walking along the old Mianyue Railway Line with lots of ups and downs on the forest floor—well-paved, though. You’ll start the steep climb after you reach a wooden platform right by the railway track. For thenext 1.5 kilometers, you’ll walk up the main peak until you see some concretestructures near the top. They used to be the military’s observation stations until the forestry authorities took them over and made the supply trail into a well-paved national forest trail for hikers. If you’re reasonably fit, the round trip will cost you roughly four hours. I made it to the top on a rainy day so couldn’t see anythingexcept fog. There’s a viewing wooden platform on the top of the mountain, which is about the area size of two sedan cars. I believe if the weather was clearer, I could see the breathtaking surrounding mountains and even the western plains of southern Taiwan!
Zhaoping Station
Completed in 1914 and located at an altitude of 2,274 meters above sea level, the Zhaoping Station of the Alishan Railway Line is the terminus station of the alpine railroad during the Japanese era and the center of logging business until 1960s. Burnt down by a big fire in 1976, the village surrounding the Station was devastated and the villagers were forced to move to a new place. The flatter ground has since converted to the hub of the local tourism so as to connect the neighboring forests and the entrance with shop areas. In 1981, the new Alishan Station was opened and the Zhaoping Station is no longer as important as before. In 2013, it was refurbished and had a new look since then. The skywalk right by the Station was created in the same year and became a hot spot right away for visitors to overlook the forests, plus the cherry blossoms in spring. The skywalk is 176 meters long and one section of it is 4 meters right above the forest floor. It offers the visitors a great chance to be amazed by the extensive green park and a good location to appreciate the subtle change of light in the mountains.
Alishan Ecological Education Center, Pleione Story House, and Alishan Salamander Exhibition Hall
The environs of Zhaoping Station have more to offer. Right by the yarding tower,which is made from a tall Taiwania cypress, you can find the trailhead of the Sunrise Trail. There are a couple of renovated Japanese-style houses right by the trailhead, and they are worth your visit if you want to know more about the ecosystems of Alishan. The Alishan Ecological Education Center is a two-story concrete building you can get to know the flowers, trees, wild animals, and birds in the forest. There’s evena small library for you to kill the time especially when it’s raining outside. Further up the steps behind the Center, you’ll find another antique building showing the abundant information of the precious orchid Pleiones found in Alishan and neighboring regions. What’s more important is that this wooden house used to be the chief administration office during the logging time under the Japanese rule. Also standing in the woods and right behind this house is the Alishan Salamander Exhibition Hall, where you’ll get to know the rare and native five species of salamanders you can find in Taiwan.
If you want to save energy during the hike or visit of the forest park, there’ll be no better option than staying at the Alishan Gou Hotel, of which the history can be traced back to the Japanese era and the distance to the Zhaoping Station is merely50 meters! Located on the central point of the forest, the hotel was renovated in1982 and once again at the end of 2022. It looks brand-new right now and well- serviced compared to decades ago. No longer a lousy hotel like before! The questionis the number of rooms is limited and the bookings are always in high demand even during the weekdays. If you can make it to stay in this hotel, you’ll probably be able to see more in your short holdidays because the distances to all the major attractions in the forest are the shortest from this hotel.
Visitor Information
Opening hours:
Believe it or not, the Alishan Forest Recreation Area opens 24/7. The main entrance of the forest park serves around the clock and it’s right behind the shuttle bus station. The latest update of admission is that, for Taiwanese nationals, it’s NT$200 for an adult and NT$100 with the concession discount. However, if you’re a foreign visitor, you’ll have to pay NT$300 for an adult and NT$150 for the concession rate!
How to get there?
The Taiwan Tourist Shuttle service 7329 departs HSR Chiayi Station with around five services a day respectively up and down the Alishan forest park, and the service 7322 departs TRA Chiayi Station with roughly 10 services a day respectively up and downthe Alishan. The one-way ticket costs less than NT$300, and, by the end of August 2025, you can get 50% off if you use electronic devices or EasyCard and the like to pay the fare.
Useful Tips While Visit
Too hot in summer?
Alishan has been a well-known summer retreat in Taiwan. If you want to escape the summer heat from big cities of the country, this is certainly one of the most favored places to cool off, given the average elevation is between 2,200 and 2,500 meters above sea level.
Feeling hungry?
The Alishan Visitor Center has two parking lots nearby for cars and tour buses, and this is where you’ll have to stop if you drive there. So, most of the restaurants, tea shops, hotels and hostels, etc. are centered right here. You can always find something to eat near here with various budgets, let alone there’s a 7-11 convenience store right opposite the post office!
