Alishan
From Wikitravel
Contents
Alishan National Scenic Area (阿里山國家風景區 Ālǐshān guójiā fēngjǐng qū) [1] is in Chiayi County, southern Taiwan.
[edit] Understand
Alishan — "Mount Ali" — is Taiwan's most-visited national park.
[edit] History
The area has been settled by Taiwanese aborigines since time immemorial, but ethnic Chinese began settling only in the 19th century. Development really took off only when the Japanese completed the Alishan Forest Railway (1912), a remarkable narrow-gauge train originally built for logging the area's giant cedars. By the 1970s, logging had pretty much ended and tourism had become the area's primary earner, and the entire area was declared a "national scenic area" in 2001.
[edit] Landscape
Alishan is not a single mountain, but a range on Taiwan's spine, averaging 2,500 meters in high and with the highest peak Datashan (大塔山) reaching 2,663 meters. Taiwan's highest mountain, Yushan (3,952m) is easily visible from Alishan.
[edit] Flora and fauna
Due to its elevation, Alishan's flora are more temperate/alpine than tropical, and the slow transition from bananas and palms to evergreens on the way up is interesting to watch. The dominant feature are giant Taiwanese red cypresses (Chamaecyparis formosensis), some of which have been growing in the area for well over 2,000 years, although most are now managed forests for logging. In spring, crowds flock to view cherry blossoms, while in summer the mountainsides are blanketed with orange montbretia blossoms.
[edit] Climate
Due to its elevation, Alishan is considerably cooler than the coast, with daytime highs averaging 14-24°C in summer and 5-16°C in winter. Even for a mountain, Alishan's weather is extraordinarily rapidly changing: an average day starts with a cloudless morning, theatrically dense clouds of rolling mist by noon and ends with a lightning storm and torrents of rain before repeating all over the next day. Humidity is always very high, and indeed most surfaces in the park seem to be covered with a layer of luxuriant green moss.
[edit] Get in
[edit] By train
Take the famous Alishan Forest Railway [2] narrow-gauge train from Chiayi station (the old one, not the new HSR station at Taibao). A one-way costs NTD$400 (about US$14) and takes around 3.5 hours. The train passes through the scenic village of Fencihu (奮起湖) halfway up and the village of Ruili (瑞里) is also accessible (several km away) from Jiaoliping (交力坪) station.
There is only one train daily (two on weekends), so check schedules ahead of time: as of 2007, the daily train leaves at 1:30 PM, and the additional Saturday/Sunday service leaves at 9 AM. The railway will happily sell standing room tickets and during peak periods like summer and the cherry blossom season trains can get very crowded, so book ahead by mailing service5@mail.forest.gov.tw (preferably in Chinese) and show up at least 30 min before departure to collect your tickets. In Chiayi station, note that the Alishan ticket counter is on the outside of the building, separate from the ordinary TRA counters.
[edit] By bus
Very comfortable buses from Chiayi to Alishan leave roughly hourly, take just over two hours and cost half-price at NT$200. However, the route isn't quite as scenic, with more tea plantations and small villages than cliffs and mountains. Buses stop at Ruili on the way.
[edit] Fees/Permits
Entry to Alishan costs NT$150 per person if arriving on public transport, NT$200 if arriving by car, charged on arrival.
[edit] Get around
[edit] By train
The Alishan Forest Railway has three very popular spur lines.
- Sacred Tree Line, from Alishan to Shermuh (神木). This is actually just an hourly extra service running along the final stretch of the main line.
- Jhushan Line (祝山線), from Alishan to Jhushan (祝山). Has a daily departure very early in the morning (the exact time varies by season) so you can catch the sunrise over Jade Mountain (玉山).
- Mianyuei Line (眠月線), from Alishan to The Stone Monkey (石猴). Temporarily closed due to earthquake damage.
[edit] On foot
Trails around Alishan are ridiculously well signposted: every intersection of two paths not only has signs in Chinese and English, but a map pinpointing your exact location and all possible routes. You can also pick up an English map from the tourist office. All the main routes are very well maintained, with stairs for steeper sections, guard rails, etc.
A newly opened trail, about 4 hours one way, connects Fengcihu and Ruili through a scenic bamboo forest straight out of a kung-fu movie.
[edit][add listing] See
Sights around Alishan are signposted in Chinese, English and Japanese, and as you walk around the trails you'll find that nearly every tree of size, age or unusual shape has been dubbed with a fanciful moniker like "Elephant Trunk" or "Three Generation Tree".
- Jhushan (祝山) (train from Alishan station). The top attraction in Alishan, everybody crowds aboard the predawn trains for the half-hour trip to this peak on the east side of Alishan, where you can see the sun rise over Yushan. There's a viewing platform right next to the station, but it's worth it to hike an extra 15-20 minutes past the helicopter pad to the very top, where the crowds are a little thinner. As the sun is already up behind the mountain, the sky is already quite light by the time you get to the top, and the sun is very bright indeed when it comes up -- hawkers sell disposable $10 eclipse-style filtered glasses, but it's better to not stare at all. On the way back, skip the train and walk back instead, it's a pleasant 3-4 km downhill hike. edit
- Giant Trees Trail (near Shermuh station). There are in fact two of these, both near Shermuh station, and they can be walked in a pleasant half-hour loop. True to the name, the cypresses here are giant indeed, and many have been growing for well over a millennium. The small Cihyun Temple, originally built by the Japanese, and the Tree Spirit Pagoda are along the way. The trail is particularly spooky when the mist rolls in. edit
- Shoujhen Temple (受鎮宮). The largest temple in Alishan and definitely worth a visit. The exterior and first floor are imposing enough, but don't miss a visit to the second floor, featuring an incredibly ornate golden altar and a surreal room with 10,000 miniature Buddhas, all lit up with a single LED. edit
- Two Sisters Pond (姊妹潭). Two scenic little ponds in the forest. The Elder Sister Pond, the larger of the two, has a much-photographed octagonal little pavilion in the middle. The (demanding) trail to Tashan starts from here. edit
[edit][add listing] Do
The hardcore hiker or sports enthusiast will likely find Alishan's offerings rather too tame, and might do better to go conquer Yushan next door instead.
[edit][add listing] Buy
Alishan is famous for all sorts of mountain produce, notably tea (see Drink) and wasabi, as well as carvings and handicrafts made from red cypress. Souvenir shops also tasty cookies and pastries flavored with ashitaba (明日葉), a medicinal herb reputed to give long life. The name is Japanese for "tomorrow leaf", as (according to legend) if you pluck a leaf early in the morning, a new one will replace it by the next day.
[edit][add listing] Eat
[edit] Budget
For a meal on the train, the Fencihu lunch box (奮起湖便當 fencihu biendang), which has a deep-fried cutlet, Taiwanese sausage and a selection of mountain veggies on rice. Vendors come onto the train to sell them at Fencihu station ($80 a pop).
Stalls selling noodles, rice dishes and basic street food can be found at the Alishan main square, at Jhushan and the Jhoushen Temple.
[edit] Mid-range
Alishan's main square has half a dozen largely identical restaurants specializing in hotpot (火鍋), using mountain vegetables and mountain game like deer and wild boar. Most cater mostly to groups and thus offer vast spreads (eg. 10 dishes for $1000), but if you stick to the menu, a "small" pot for two-three goes for around $300.
- Juh Shan Yuan Restaurant (玉山園餐廳) (behind clocktower on main square). One of Alishan's many hotpot restaurants. English menu (well, kinda), reasonably priced and tasty. edit
[edit][add listing] Drink
Alishan is famous for High Mountain Oolong (高山烏龍 Gau-shan wulong) tea and you'll see plenty of plantations on the way up. There are a number of tea shops in the main village that will serve up a pot the traditional way for $200 or so.
Nightlife in any sense is virtually nonexistent, but all restaurants are happy to sell you a beer and you can pick your own poison at the convenience stores.
[edit][add listing] Sleep
[edit] Lodging
Most of Alishan's accommodation is clustered around the main Alishan railway station, which is very convenient for eating and shopping, but means a two-km hike (or short train ride) for visiting the park itself. While touts meet incoming trains, it is best to reserve the hotels ahead of time, since on weekends (Fri, Sat) and holidays most rooms will be booked almost every day of the summer. Weekday rates are much lower.
- Shermuh House (神木賓館), ☎ 05-2679-666, [4]. Recently renovated 5-story hotel. Rooms are pleasant enough, but they're stingy with the heating, which is only turned on when temperature in the rooms falls below 7°C! 5 min on foot downhill from the railway station. $1600/3200 weekday/weekend. edit
A few hotels can be found elsewhere in the park.
- Alishan House (阿里山賓館), [5]. The grand old lady of Alishan's hotels, with both a traditional Chinese wing and a very modern, slick new wing. The best views in Alishan and well-located for venturing into the park. Free shuttle bus from railway station. From $4800. edit
- Fencihu Hotel (奮起湖大飯店), ☎ 05-256-1888, [6]. Also known as Fancylake Hotel, this is the only larger hotel in Fencihu, a stone's throw from the train station. $2400/3200. edit
[edit] Camping
Camping is not permitted anywhere within the Alishan Scenic Area. If you have your own car, there are a few campgrounds within striking distance outside the park, notably at Dinghu (頂湖).
[edit] Stay safe
There are no dangerous animals or unusual health risks around Alishan. Be prepared for rain at any time and bear in mind that, especially outside summer, it can be quite cold.
At the risk of stating the obvious, while the trails are exceptionally well guided during the daytime, there is next to no lighting — so head back when the night starts to fall.
[edit] Get out
Getting out pretty much requires going back to Chiayi, but you could do worse than continue onto the hot springs of Guanzihling from there.
| This is a guide article. It has a variety of good, quality information including hotels, restaurants, attractions, arrival and departure info. Plunge forward and help us make it a star! |
