Other than the Formosa Cypress, the Alishan area is also known for its wasabi and high mountain oolong tea. As a coffee drinker, I cannot speak to the quality of the tea.
Tea plantations dot the mountainside on the way to the park.Taiwan cherry blossoms begin to flower in January. Other Sakura species bloom later in spring.
Shuishan (水山) Trail is an easy mile walk on the defunct Shuishan line.
..At the end of the trail is the Shuishan Giant Tree.Which is actually 10 trees fused together. Wider than a single Redwood tree, but still smaller in diameter compared to the gigantic Sequoia in Central California.The end of the Shuishan trail hooks onto the half-mile long Shuishan Healing Trail.The trail ends at the Shuishan Forest Road, which is busy in the early hours before sunrise, but relatively empty at other times of the day.
Duegaoyue (對高岳) Station is the less popular sunrise viewpoint owing to the fact that the Zhushan (祝山) line bypasses it on its way to Zhushan viewpoint, where crowds congregate in the predawn hours in hopes to get a glimpse of the sunrise over a sea of clouds. There are three options to get to Zhushan – 1. Take the early morning Zhushan train from Alishan station (tickets pre-booked the afternoon prior) 2. Take the electric shuttle bus 3. Hoof up the half-mile Zhushan footpath and then the over mile long Zhushan Forest Road. All three options entail waking up at 3 in the morning, which we happily took a pass on since we’ve seen our share of sunrises and sea of clouds through our travels.
Station shrouded in mist.A view of the Yushan (玉山) peak on cloudless days. Today was not that day.The Zhushan footpath is the only one lined with lampposts for all those early risers hiking in the dark.
Shenmu area is where you’ll find clusters of giant cypresses that have been around for hundreds to thousands of years.
On the way to the Shenmu area you’ll find the Alishan House. Probably the best lodging option within the park.The Boat bridge, named for its shape.As lush as Taiwan is, drought is a problem in the southern part of the island.Oddly, a temple in the middle of the forest.Quick snacks at the Shouzhen temple area.Back to walking amongst the trees.The Three-Generation tree where the subsequent generation grew on top of the previous, with the first generation dating back to a thousand years ago.Cute little suspension bridge.Xianglin sacred tree, another fused tree.More giants along the Giant Tree Trail.The Giant Tree trail ends at the Sacred Tree station, where you’ll take the train back to the park entrance.The dried up Shenyi waterfall For $100NT (~$3) per person, this is a great option to traverse the uphill return to the Alishan station..
A lot of people visit Alishan park for the day. But two full days are needed to leisurely wind your way through the park and appreciate the beauty of this place. In fact, there are still a couple of trails and sights we’ve missed, but those will have to wait for our return trip.
Yes, it’s $200NT (~$6.50 USD) per person. If you plan to visit 2 days in a row, you can get your receipt stamp when you leave on your first day and use that same receipt to enter the next day at no additional cost.
FIRE'd @ 47 
This looks like a very serene place and well maintained. Is there a fee to visit?
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Yes, it’s $200NT (~$6.50 USD) per person. If you plan to visit 2 days in a row, you can get your receipt stamp when you leave on your first day and use that same receipt to enter the next day at no additional cost.
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This is great information. Thank you! Really nice you can use the same pass/ticket on more than 1 day without additional cost/fees.
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