12 Best Tourist Attractions in Alishan, Taiwan
Without including Alishan, no list of Taiwan’s top attractions is complete. The center of the huge mountainous Alishan National Scenic Area in Central Taiwan lies the Alishan National Forest Recreation Area. Despite growing in popularity over the years, it still draws both domestic and international travelers with its charming, rural ambiance. Visitors are reminded of the wonder and stunning beauty of nature by the area’s famous sunrise and picture-perfect forest pathways.
Here are a few of Alishan’s top attractions and activities to do.
Alishan Forest Railway
The transportation in Alishan is another important draw. The Alishan Express train runs from Chiayi City to Alishan, where the majority of visitors arrive. As a component of the Alishan Forest Railway, the Alishan Express demonstrates the adage that the journey can be just as picturesque as the final destination. The train’s and the railway system’s vintage aesthetics give you the impression that you are going back in time.
It is a component of the larger Alishan Forest Railway system, which was started by the Japanese in 1899 to move supplies and logs. The network is now largely used by visitors looking for a unique rail experience, interrupted by more than 50 tunnels and more than 70 wooden bridges.
The recreation area, which is split into four zones, also features the Alishan-Chiayi line and the Alishan Forest Railway.
- The primary tourist area is home to the majority of hotels and eateries and is adjacent to Alishan Station.
- Also, Chaoping is home to various walking trails.
- Additionally, the Sacred Tree region is peppered with odd monuments
- Lastly, Chushan – where you can watch the sunrise.
Forest Hike
Some of Alishan’s most popular attractions are its forest trails, which provide you the chance to connect with nature as you stroll among imposing Taiwanese red cypress trees. Numerous of these giants have existed for countless years.
Chushan Sunrise
Possibly Alishan’s most well-liked tourist destination. Numerous individuals get up early just to see the sunrise over Chushan. The morning’s first rays of light filtering through the mountains are captivating.
Alishan Shouzhen Temple
The Shouzhen Temple is Taiwan’s tallest temple at 2150 meters. It was founded in 1948 as a result of a string of unexplained mishaps and tragic incidents that troubled the local lumbermen. They constructed a shrine in honor of Xuanwu, the Dark Heavenly Highest Deity and one of Taoism’s most potent deities, to put an end to the calamities and seek protection. Moths swarm the deity’s statue inside the shrine every March, even now.
If you wish to keep track of your progress, the Shouzhen Temple, which lies amid the Sacred Tree and the Chaoping stations, is a useful marker.
Sacred Tree
The Sacred Tree, named after a massive red cypress tree of immense significance to the Tsou people, stood as Alishan’s tallest tree until it was destroyed by lightning in 1998. It’s still there, but for safety reasons, the authorities cut it down and laid it on the ground.
To choose the next Sacred Tree, the local administration, the Forestry Bureau, and the Tourism Board organized a voting campaign in 2007. This enormous tree is now known as the Alishan Sianglin Sacred Tree because it earned the most votes.
Giant Tree Boardwalks
Along with the Sacred Tree, there are several unusual sites nearby, including the Scented Wood Bridge, Elephant Tree, and Pagoda of the Tree Spirit. It’s simple to become lost in the dream as walkers are guided by elevated boardwalks and bridges through towering trees and over streams. This is especially true when the landscape is shrouded in sheets of fog.
Ciyun Temple
Ciyun Temple is another temple that is tucked away not too far from the Sacred Tree Station. The Shouzhen Temple is right near an observation deck that offers a beautiful view of the sea of clouds, which turns reddish or golden at sunset despite being less elaborate and spectacular than the Shouzhen Temple.
Sakura Trails
Cherry blossoms are mesmerizing if timed correctly. Nearly 2000 Yoshino sakura trees may be found throughout Alishan’s parks and paths. The location closest to Chaoping Station may be the most accessible. Another location is close to Alishan House.
Alishan also boasts other flowering trees, such as the plum and hall crabapple trees blooming near Chaoping Park, in addition to cherry blossoms. Due to their striking similarity, both blossoms are frequently mistaken for sakura, even though they come from entirely different plant groups.
Alishan Museum
The Alishan Museum is housed in a modest log cottage that is close to the Sacred Tree. It was constructed in 1935 and updated in 2007, and it documents the logging history of Alishan as well as the pristine beauty of the nearby forests.
Fenqihu Railway Bento
You might as well take a stroll through the hamlet or at the very least grab lunch because you’ll be changing trains at Fenqihu Station anyhow. The most popular dish is delivered in a box here! The dish is known locally as “tie lu bian dang” and is a full dinner served in a little box composed of cardboard, wood, and more recently, metal.
Workers required a quick and convenient meal when the Alishan Railway network was only used to move logs and other materials. The meal was packaged in a travel-friendly manner by locals. The custom was perpetuated so that even now when most passengers on trains are tourists, the so-called “railway bento” is still made.
Fenchihu Train Garage
Fenqihu Station wasn’t merely a transfer hub for much of its history. In the past, trains were serviced and restocked with supplies and water at the nearby Fenqihu Garage. The garage was converted into a museum so that visitors may see and learn more about steam locomotives even if it is no longer in use.
Top Alishan Hotels
Here are the top hotels in Alishan
- Alishan House
- Chinshan Hotel
- Alishan Shermuh Hotel
- Wun Sun Hotel
- Ali-Shan Kaofeng Hotel
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