After one month serving in Alishan, today I will write an
article for you – my friends who want to go to Alishan for your holidays.
Step 1: Reaching Alishan.
From Chiayi city, you just find the way to go to Chiayi railway station (This place is quite easy to find, just ask someone if you are
foreigner or not the local one). In front of the train station is the bus
station where you can buy the ticket to Alishan. The price of the bus is NT$
221 for one round and the bus will take from you about 2.5 hours to reach
Alishan.
Take the bus to reach Alishan
In the past, instead of coming by bus, you can also take the
train to Alishan. The zigzag railway is one of the most famous characteristics
in Alishan. The train will start from chiayi and passes through the scenic of
beautiful and grandiose mountain and take about 3.5 hours. But this main
railway was damaged by the typhoon in 2001 and now still closes until the end
of this year (the staffs here talked to me that, but I am not sure @-@) for fixing
in prediction.
So easy, now you are in Alishan!!!
Step 2: Getting information
Before coming here, you have to buy the entrance ticket costs
NT$ 150 per person. No sooner buying the
ticket then you will be dropped at the parking car. From there, you will
immediately see the visitor center where is better you should come. At the
visitor center, we will give necessary information for your trip.
We work in Visitor center, where we will help visitor for
getting information.
If you are foreigner, have us – international volunteers
If you can speak Chinese – Our Taiwanese friends will help
you
Not only that, you should get some Alishan maps here which are very useful for you !!
Get some maps for your easy trip @-@
Step 3: Starting your trip with some suggestions
No 1: Sunrise
Fascinated sunrise
Taken by: an Alishan staff
One of the most attractive of Alishan is the scenery of
Sunrise. But it is not easy. To see the sunrise, you have to wake up at about 4
o’clock because the train which leads us to Jhushan viewing platform will start
at around 4.30 AM. And after you arrive to the main viewing platform, it maybe
is so crowded because of so many visitors. You can walk more than 10 minutes in
the right side, skirt the small trail and you will reach another viewing platform
which is more sparse. From then you are free to enjoy the amazing scenery of
Sunrise.
No 2: Sea of clouds
If you are lucky, you swill have opportunity to see the sea
of clouds in Alishan. This is a feature of Alishan as well as high mountain
areas where the clouds settle into the valleys below us. This landscape usually
is seen at sunrise or sunset when it is sunny high up on the mountain. And the
sea of clouds can change the color with white, gray, purple or red making interesting
sceneries.
No 3: Hiking Alishan trails
As I mentioned in other article, Alishan has amazing
trail system which can leads you to anywhere you want in ALishan Mountain. During
hiking, you will see many kinds of tree with special sharps, many kinds of
flowers and birds together with special landscapes like sister ponds, Sacred
Tree, Three Brothers and Four Sisters… suffering
here for more information about
Alishan trails.
No 4: Cherry blossom.
Alishan Cherry blossom
Source: Google
One of the most attractive of Alishan is the beauty of
Cherry Blossom. Unfortunately that this is not spring – the season of Cherry
Blossom but If you have chance to come here in the spring, I am sure that the
beauty of Cherry Blossom will be one of the most interesting sceneries you ever
seen in your life.
Step 4: Shopping in Alishan
Alishan has some souvenir shops where you can buy somethings for memorable. Almost of them sell typical mountain foods or wooden things for decoration.
Some kind of foods here
Buy some wooden souvenir in Alishan
NOTE:
Due
to its elevation, Alishan is considerably cooler than the coast, with daytime
highs averaging 14-24°C in summer and have snow in winter. So don't forget to bring your warm clothes when coming to Alishan.
