Route: Chiayi (30m) - Alishan (2,216m) [Chiayi County] Length of Journey: 3.5 hours / 71.4km

Fare: NT399 one way

Frequency: 2 trains going up and down everyday

Alishan is one of Taiwan's most visited tourist sites, and is locally famous as Taiwan's best place to watch the sunrise. The panoramic view is impressive in every direction, with craggy mountain peaks that jut out of the sea to meet White clouds that turn purple-red in the dawn hours. There are 5 things to see and do at Alishan' the railway, the cypress forests, the sea of clouds, the sunrise and the sunset.

The best way to reach Alishan is via the famous narrow-gauge railway (722mm), which rates as one of the worlds most scenic. The famous red engine pushes and pulls its carriages, from an elevation of 30m to Alishan at 2,216m above sea level. Today, it is -one of only 3 remaining steep-grade alpine trains in the world - the other two being the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in India and the Andes Mountains Railway in Chile.

The development of the Alishan area started during the Japanese occupation (1895-1945) due its abundant cypress forests for the logging industry, and the railway has been in use since 1912. The construction of the railroad was not easy: the train passes through a total of 47 tunnels, crosses 72 bridges and features spiral routes and switchbacks.

Route

The ride starts from Chiayi and stops at 17 stations before reaching Alishan. For most, the ride is like a botanical museum. Due to its elevation, Alishan's flora is more temperate/alpine than tropical. The vegetation around the first section is through a subtropical zone, rolling past banana, bamboo and longan plantations. Then it transitions to palms and evergreens. In good weather, passengers can see a transition from subtropics to pine forests in just 72kms.

As the train ascends Mt. Dulishan from Jhangnaoliao station (543m), it uses the spiral route railway. It circles the mountain in 3 rounds; 2 rounds clockwise and the other one counter-clockwise, leaving Mt. Dulishan in a figure-of-eight fashion. There are lots of observational spots for viewing this spiral railway.

At 800m, the temperate forest is abounding with camphor, cedar and tea plantations. The dominant features along the ride are giant Taiwanese red cypresses, some of which have been growing for well over 2,000 years.

The train passes through the scenic village of Fenchihu (1,403m) halfway up, while the tiny village of Ruili is accessible from Jiaoliping station a few stops before.

Due to terrain restrictions, the train then employs a series of unique switchbacks on the way up to the final peak. The train moves forwards and then backwards up the mountain as it reaches Diyifendao, Dierfendao and the Shenmu station, so it feels as if you're riding uphill backwards at times. At an altitude of 1,800m past Diyifendao Station, the vegetation changes from temperate to alpine, with cypress, fir, pine and hemlock in abundance.

After 4 switchbacks, the train reaches the station of Alishan, and finally to Jhaoping station (2,274m).