A
WALK IN THE ALISHAN CYPRESS FOREST
Famous
from the folk song "The High Green Mountain - 高山青", Alishan (Mount Ali) is
well known in the Chinese World. In fact it was the most popular scenic spot
in all of Taiwan before 1980. People come from all over the world to see the
sun rise and set as they've never seen them before. Throughout Taiwan, many
families make the pilgramage to Alishan with their children. It leaves a memory
that the children will never forget.
The mountain
train is a popular feature at Alishan. There are only 3 mountain trains on
the entire planet earth. One is in the Andes, one is in the Himalayas, and
the third is right here in Alishan. The train ride from Chiayi to Alishan takes
quite a while (3.5 hours) as it climbs some 7,400 feet (2,200 m). If your time
is limited, a more practical ride might be from Zhaoping to Zhushan. Both of
these stations are within the Alishan Forest Recreation Area. They're not much
more than a mile apart, but as the train climbs from an elevation of 7,461 to
one of 8,041 (2,274 m to 2,451 m), you can experience the zig-zag feel of a
mountain train. If you want to take it in the early morning, you might want
to spend the night in Alishan. And its terminal Zhushan, where you can see
the beautiful sunrise is exactly the place to begin our walking tour.
Mount
Ali Railroad
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In
1906 the mountain railroad was built from Chiayi to Erhwanping. In 1913
it was extended to Alishan to carry logs. During the Japanese ruled Taiwan
(1895-1945), the valuable cypress logs were exported to Japan. By the
time the Japanese left Taiwan, the virgin giant cypress forest in Alishan
was gone.
At
the beginning, the railroad mainly transported logs. Not until 1920 was
a guest car added. In 1928, passenger services were offered in addition
to cargo service. And now the trains from Zhaoping to Zhushan serve as
special carriers for tourists wanting to see the sunrise.
Photo by Liu JiaJun |
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Sunrise
Viewing
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As the seasons change, the sun rises at different times and at different places. On the summer solstice (June 22), the sun rises at 5:00. On the spring or autumn equinox (March 21 or September 23), it rises at 6:00. On the winter solstice (December 22), the sun rises at 7:00. The attached timetable will give you more precise times. The photos show that as the year progresses, the sun rises at different locations. (Left to right: summer, autumn, winter)
The best time to see the sunrise is from November to February. At that time the weather is dry and the sky is clear. The sun works its magic on the ever-changing clouds that surround the mountains. The best place to take photos is from the Zhushan viewing platforms (elevation: 8,071 ft, 2,460 m). |
Photo by Ju-Rong Iv |
Our
Walking Tour
After
you have seen the sunrise, do not go down to the Zhushan Train station. Instead,
take the road on the right. The shops around here offer French toast, milk
and coffee. You can get some snacks here if you have not had your breakfast
yet. A hot soup is especially nice on a cold morning.
Photo by Huang Wan-Chin |
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| It
is a short, comfortable walk down along the railroad. You can see Taiwan
cherries and Mori's Rhododendrons blooming from March through May. Not
long after you cross the railroad, you will see a trail on the right. It
is a shortcut through the "reforested" forest. Whether you take
the shortcut or not, you'll eventually end up at the Zhaoping Train Station,
where (if you get the season right) you'll see the beautiful Tokyo Cherry
blossoms. |
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Photo by Tseng Ling-Chiao |
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Cross the railroad once again and follow the signs to the Alishan-Go Hotel. Keep going until you walk into the woods. You'll see the stumps of the giant trees that have long since been cut. Life is so vigorous in the forest that there are even trees of different species growing out of the old cypress stumps. Don't worry, you'll still have the chance to see some giant cypress trees along this trail. Some might even be nearly 3,000 years old. For some reasons they were spared the saw. Maybe they were not as straight as the others. With the abundance of excellent timber, perhaps they were considered not worth cutting. (This reminds us of the stories of the Chinese philosopher Zhuang-zi [300 B.C.] about the value of being useless.) |
Photo by Yi-Yi Gao |
Pass through
the Magnolia Garden. The trail will take you to Xianglin, the highest elementary
school in Taiwan. It will also take you to the colorful Shouzhen (Taoist) Temple.
Turn right and go down the small path along the stalls to the suspension bridge. Just
follow the crowd - you won't get lost.
After you
cross the bridge, you'll have two trails to choose from. They both lead to the
"Tree Spirit Pagoda 樹靈塔"(a small monument in praise of the forest). The trail
on the right is longer by a half hour, but it winds through a small grove of
giant cypress trees.
Also in
the area is the "High Mountain Museum 高山博物館 ", which contains
some interesting collections of preserved plants and insects. There's also
the impressive “Guangwu Cypress 光武檜 ", a 2,300-year-old red cypress
that is 45m tall and 12.3m in circumference.
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Nearby
is the “Ciyun Temple 慈雲寺 ". It is said that the King of Siam
(now Thailand) sent a Buddhist statue made of copper outside and gold
grains inside as a present to Japan. Since the elevation of the Ciyun
Temple made it the highest Buddhist temple in the Japanese Empire at that
time, the Japanese Emperor decided to place this statue there. It is
now located in a meditation room.
If
you want to see it, please ask for permission to enter it. Don't forget
to take off your shoes before you enter this temple.
Photo by Ye Sing-Rang |
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Going
down the trail outside the gate of Ciyun Temple, you will see the Three
Generations Tree 三代木 and the Elephant Trunk 象鼻木. If you come here
when the cherries are in bloom, this trail is quite awesome. You can
see different species of cherry and other flowers at the Alishan House,
the Plum Garden and Zhaoping Park.
Hungry?
You'll find food stalls here, but the restaurants near the Shopping Center
are more comfortable and seem to offer a better lunch. If you need more
information about transportation and accommodation, please click Alishan
National Scenic Area or Chiayi County.
Photo by CHEN CHIA HSING
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Photos are provided by Tourism Bureau of R.O.C.
Alishan National Scenic Area
Chiayi County
Service
Center
More
information please check: www. traveltaiwan.com
