The term “Alishan” gets used, misused, overused, and abused so much that it’s almost hard to say just where Alishan really is. Aside from that sprawling entity known as the Alishan National Scenic Area (32,700 hectares in size), there is the even larger Alishan Township (42,780 hectares) which is not the same place. Added to the mix is the Alishan Forest Recreation Area (175 hectares). Despite the fact that Alishan means “Ali Mountain,” there is, ironically, no such mountain by that name.
What most people mean when they say they are going to “Alishan,” they are refering to the tourist village inside the Alishan Forest Recreation Area. ((Forest Recreation Area))Even this is deceptive, since the tourist village is officially three separate villages none of which are named Alishan. The village(s) is/are spread out over an area about 2km long and 2km wide, with an elevation range between 2200m and 2400m. The combined population is about 1000 person, the vast majority of whom are Han Chinese.
The main center of activity is Zhongzheng village where you’ll find the bus station, post office, telephone office, shopping arcade, traveler’s service center, and most of the hotels. Moving a short distance east (the uphill direction) there is a gate across the road to restrict motor vehicle traffic — this is the entrace to Xianglin village, the main scenic area that has walking trails, two temples, a museum, two schools, a ranger station, and the Zhaoping train station. Xianglin village was at one time the most heavily developed area of Alishan, but after the great fire of November 10, 1976, the area was changed into a park-like setting and tourist development moved downhill to Zhongzheng village.
The third district is the residential area known as Zhongshan Village, but has nothing of special interest for visitors.
Whatever you want to call the place, there is no denying that Alishan is beautiful. It’s Taiwan’s premier mountain resort, and the only village in Taiwan above 2000m to boast a full range of modern facilities. The first tourists arrived in 1918 when two passenger cars were added to the logging train, and ever since then the stampede of tourists has continued unabated. Unfortunately, at times Alishan can be too popular. Approximately 700,000 people visit every year (an average of more than 1900 per day), but during peak times such as the cherry blossom season (about March 15 to April 20), the Chinese new year or summer school holidays, the crowd of daily visitors can exceed 10,000 persons! Visiting during the off-peak times is recommended.
Alishan is well-known in neighboring Asian countries, and that’s probably the major reason why the largest contingents of foreign tourists come from Japan and Korea. However, many Westerners also make the pilgrimage, and increasingly there are visitors from mainland China.
Being under the adminstration of the Forestry Bureau, Alishan is a protected area and development is strictly controlled. A moratorium on new construction effectively means that the population of the village can scarcely increase since one cannot build a new house. Businesses are also restricted to the currently constructed buildings, and not even all of these businesses are legally licensed. In other words, unless the rules are loosened, there is little prospect for further expansion of the current tourist facilities.
The cold climate and high-altitude ecosystem give Alishan a special look and feel, and it’s not surprising that this one of the Taiwan’s star attractions. Alishan should be high on your list of places to see.
Health Clinic 阿里山衛生所 (Tel: 05-2679806, 2679565) The Health Clinic is open daily, even on weekends. Most of the time it’s staffed by nurses, but doctors put in an appearance on Tuesday and weekends — check the clinic for the exact times. Don’t expect to have major surgery here, but the staff is competent at handling most minor illnesses and emergencies.
Entrance Fee The main tourist facilities are just inside the the Alishan Forest Recreation Area, and all vehicles stop at the toll gate where a fee is extracted from each visitor. Apparently, the Forestry Bureau needs the money. The toll gate is in operation 24 hours, so arriving at 3 am won’t enable you to slide in for free, and you’d have a hard time sneaking past the gate even under the cover of darkness thanks to a formidable-looking steel fence (however, it’s not electrified). There is also a toll gate at the train station, so arriving by train doesn’t get you off the hook. Unless you fly in by hang glider or hot air baloon, there is just no way to escape paying.
The fee for entering the Forest Recreation Area is a substantial NT$200 per person (adults), or NT$150 on weekdays. Admission fees are half-price for children between 115 centimeters and 145 centimeters tall. Admission is free for children less than 115 centimeters in height. There are also discounts for those aged 65 and older, regardless of how tall they are. If you’re driving your own vehicle, don’t close your wallet yet because the parking fee is NT$100.
Transportation Alishan is just off Highway 18 at highway marker 75km. There is a gas station just before the toll-gate at the entrance to the Forest Recreation Area.
The train is the most entertaining way to reach Alishan, even if not the fastest. At the current time, the Alishan train station (elevation 2190m) is closed due to earthquake damage, but nearby Zhaoping station (elevation 2274m) is still functioning (it’s about a 20-minute walk between the two stations). The Chiayi-Alishan one-way journey takes 3-1/2 hours. At off-peak times (most weekdays), departures from Chiayi are at 9:00 and 13:30, arriving in Alishan’s Zhaoping station at 12:32 and 17:03 respectively. Heading downhill, departures from Zhaoping station are at 13:18 and 13:40, arriving in Chiayi station at 16:50 and 17:21 respectively. Expect some slight variation in this schedule, as it is often adjusted according to season. At peak times such as Chinese new year there can be up to six trains per day. The cost of train tickets for adults is NT$399 one-way, or NT$680 round-trip: for people 115-145 centimeters tall or those age 65 and over, it’s NT$200 one-way, or NT$340 round-trip. Those shorter than 115 centimeters ride for free. It can sometimes be hard to buy tickets at Chiayi train station, but is easier at nearby Beimen train station (Tel: 05-2679833). See the Chiayi section of this publication for more information about buying tickets on this train.
Bus is the least expensive public transportation option, not to mention the fastest. A one-way Chiayi-Alishan bus journey takes 2-1/2 hours uphill or two hours downhill, and costs NT$156. Service is offered by the Chiayi County Bus Administration 嘉義縣公車處 which has a busy station in Chiayi (Tel: 05-2243140) and a decidedly deserted-looking station in Alishan (Tel: 05-2679922). Departures from Chiayi are at 7:10, 9:10, 11:10, 13:10, and 15:10. Departures from Alishan are at 8:30, 9:40, 12:00, 14:00, and 16:00. It should be noted that this schedule is “flexible” — there will be fewer departures when demand is low (usually weekdays, and when the road is being repaired which unfortunately is a frequent occurance). Therefore, it would be prudent to inquire locally the day before your planned departure.
Visitor Center The Traveler’s Service Center 旅客服務中心 (tel 05-2679917) is in the main tourist zone just next to the telephone office. You can pick up a few English-language brochures and maps here.
Phone, Bank & Post Office Unique in the Alishan National Scenic Area, the Forest Recreation Area boasts a full-fledged Chunghwa Telecom office (with a row of public payphones), a Farmer’s Association Bank complete with ATM (Tel: 05-2562391, and a post office with an ATM (Tel: 05-2679970). Unfortunately, both ATMs only accept Taiwanese ATM cards. If you do have a Taiwanese ATM card issued by any institution except the post office, use the Farmer’s Association ATM — it’s much easier to use, though the display is still in Chinese only.
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