When traveling to Taiwan, Alishan is a must-see attraction. At the Alishan Forest Recreation Area on the top of the mountain, the old-fashioned train there is also a must. It’s just that when I arrived at Alishan during the Spring Festival, I got on the train from Alishan Station and got off at Zhaoping Station. The whole journey was only about 1.8 kilometers. Much, really expensive.
Alishan is located in Alishan Township, Jiayi County, Taiwan Province, about 75 kilometers away from the county seat. Alishan is the general name of eighteen mountains, not just one mountain. The entire 18 connected mountains have an average altitude of about 2,000 meters. The main peak of Alishan, Tashan, has an altitude of more than 2,600 meters. Alishan, which is generally visited by tourists, only refers to the area around Zhaping Park with an altitude of 2274 meters, which is now collectively called "Alishan Forest Recreation Area".
Alishan Mountain is high and dangerous. People who want to go up to the mountain of more than 2,000 meters usually rely on cars or Alishan forest trains. For a car, you can enter from the contact point along Taiwan's 18th line, that is, the "everlasting bridge" where tour buses basically stop to rest, and then start to climb the mountain. The entire Panshan Highway has a speed limit of 30 yards, and where the road is narrow, it is very difficult for two vehicles to cross each other. The advantage of driving up the mountain is that you can stop at the rest area along the way to enjoy the scenery. It is not often said that "the most beautiful scenery is on the road".
The small forest train in Alishan has been around for a long time. It is one of the only three alpine railways left in the world, and the one in Alishan was completed in 1912. Originally, it could be driven directly from the foot of the mountain to the top of the mountain, because it also spirals up the mountain, and the entire winding mountain railway is 72 kilometers long. The train that was in operation after it was opened that year climbed the slope at a speed of only 9 kilometers per hour. From the bottom of the mountain to the top of the mountain, the whole train is a very slow journey.
Alishan Forest Railway is called a "small train" because its gauge is much smaller than the international standard gauge, which is 1435mm, while the gauge of Alishan Railway is only 762mm. Because after the railway opened that year, it was mainly used to transport timber from Alishan. Alishan is a place rich in forest resources. With the opening of the forest railway, a large number of trees in the mountain have been cut down.
The forest railway in Alishan is divided into two parts: flat land and mountain land. The flat railway runs from Chiayi County to Alishan. Due to the aging of the railway facilities and frequent accidents, it is currently impossible to drive the small train directly to the top of the mountain. The small train from Jiayi to Alishan can only reach Shizilu Station, and then transfer to the bus to go up the mountain.
The small train that tourists take to Alishan Forest Amusement Park only refers to the part of the mountain. Starting from Alishan Station, which is not far from the gate of the amusement park, it is divided into three amusement lines. The first is the shortest route from Alishan Station to Zhaoping Station, the whole journey takes about five minutes, and the one-way ticket costs NT$100 per person; the second is from Alishan Station to Shenmu Station, the whole journey takes about 7 minutes, and the one-way ticket costs NT$100 per person; The three lines are the Zhushan Line specially set up to go to Alishan to enjoy the sunrise. There is only one bus every morning, and the one-way fee is NT$150 per person.
The beauty of Alishan usually refers to its sunrise, sea of clouds, sunset, forest and mountain railway. In fact, the cherry blossoms in Alishan are also very famous. From mid-March to mid-April every year, Alishan cherry blossoms are in full bloom. Mountain cherry, Yoshino cherry, and Yae cherry blossoms will form a spectacular flower sea on Alishan, and most of the cherry blossoms are concentrated in Zuoping Park. Along the railway line, there is a "Sakura Road", where the cherry blossoms are more famous.
I arrived in Alishan on the fifth day of the first lunar month. Although it is the Spring Festival, there are not many tourists in Alishan, and it is relatively cold on the top of the mountain. But around the "Sakura Road", early cherry blossoms are already blooming, and the stars are blooming in the valley, embellishing the green cliffs with vitality. At this time, it is not yet in full bloom, so there are not many cherry blossoms, and there are few tourists, so you can enjoy the cherry blossoms leisurely.
The variety of these early cherry blossoms is Hihanzakura, which can withstand the cold of the mountains. It is said that the earliest flowering cherry blossoms will bloom on the branches from the end of December. After this wave of cherry blossoms is exhausted, other cherry blossoms will bloom. Therefore, in Alishan, every Valentine’s Day, lovers will be organized to walk through the cherry blossom bushes hand in hand, and have a romantic trip to Alishan.
Because I drove to Alishan to play, I drove and stopped when I went up the mountain, looking at the mountains on the way, and it took three hours on the road. If the downhill is estimated to be non-stop, it is estimated that it will take two hours to go round and round on the winding mountain road. So I only took a small train in Alishan, walked the way of cherry blossoms, and didn't go to Shenmu and Zhushan. I also think that when I come to Alishan again next time, I should stay for two days, and then savor the beauty of Alishan. About the author: Lu Jianhua Photography (photographer, traveler, self-media person)
