Alishan
Encyclopedia
The Alishan National Scenic Area is a mountain resort and natural preserve located in the mountains of Chiayi County
in Taiwan
. It is 415 km² in area. It includes, among other things, mountain wilderness, four villages, waterfalls, high altitude tea
plantations, the Alishan Forest Railway
and several hiking trails. The area is popular among tourists and mountain climbers, and Alishan or Mount Ali itself has become one of the major landmarks associated with Taiwan. The area is also famous for its production of high mountain tea
and wasabi
.
Alishan is well known for its sunrises, and on a suitable morning one can observe the sun come up on a sea of clouds in the area between Alishan and Yüshan. Alishan and Sun Moon Lake
are, arguably, two of the most well-known scenic spots in Asia. The song Ālǐshān de gūniang, ‘the girls of Alishan’, that refers to the beautiful girls of the Tsou
aborigial tribe, is one of Taiwan's most popular folk songs. This song is also well known in several foreign countries, like the People's Republic of China.
, share the same subtropical and tropical climate as the rest of southern Taiwan, while the climate changes to temperate
and alpine
as the elevation increases. Snow sometimes falls at higher elevations in the winter.
Alishan National Scenic Area covers most, but not all, of Alishan Rural Township in Chiayi County, and also parts of neighboring townships.
s in the area include:
of the Taiwanese aborigines
; the name derives from the aboriginal word Jarissang. Ethnic Han Chinese
settlers first settled on the plains near modern day Chiayi as early as the late Ming Dynasty
(around the mid 17th century), but did not move into the mountains until the late 18th century, establishing the towns of Ruili (瑞里), Ruifeng (瑞峰), Xiding (隙頂), and Fenqihu (奮起湖). The resulting armed clashes between the settlers and the aborigines pushed the aborigines even further into the mountains.
Following the cession of Taiwan to Japan
at the end of the First Sino-Japanese War
, Japanese expeditions to the area found large quantities of cypress
(檜木, or hinoki in Japanese). This led to the development of the logging
industry in the area and the export of local cypress and Taiwania
wood. A series of narrow-gauge railways were built in the area during this time to facilitate the transportation of lumber from the mountains to the plains below, part of which continues to operate as the Alishan Forest Railway
. Several new villages also began to sprout up along the railway lines. It was also during this time that the first tourists began to visit the area. Plans were even drawn up to incorporate the area into the new Shintaka (New Highest) Arisan National Park (新高阿里山国立公園).
With the exhaustion of forest resources by the 1970s, domestic and international tourism overtook logging to become the primary economic activity in the area. The tourism industry continued to expand with the completion of the Alisan highway in the 1980s, displacing the railroad as the primary mode of transportation up the mountain. To combat the problems associated with the growing crowds of tourists and the expanding tea
and wasabi
plantations, the area was declared a national scenic area in 2001.
Small town of low wooden buildings built into the mountainside at 1,400 meters, midpoint of the Alishan Forest Railway
. Famous for natural rock formations, mountain streams, forests, and ruins of a Shinto
temple in the vicinity. Also famous for its production of high altitude food products such as bamboo shoot
s and aiyu jelly
(愛玉). The local box lunches (奮起湖便當, Fenqihu bento
) which were once sold to passengers on the rail line are also well known.
Chiayi County
Chiayi County is a county in southwestern Taiwan surrounding but not including Chiayi City. Its historical name in Taiwanese Hokkien derives from Tsirosen in the Formosan languages...
in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. It is 415 km² in area. It includes, among other things, mountain wilderness, four villages, waterfalls, high altitude tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
plantations, the Alishan Forest Railway
Alishan Forest Railway
The Alishan Forest Railway is an 86 km network of narrow-gauge railways running up to and throughout the popular mountain resort of Alishan in Chiayi County, Taiwan...
and several hiking trails. The area is popular among tourists and mountain climbers, and Alishan or Mount Ali itself has become one of the major landmarks associated with Taiwan. The area is also famous for its production of high mountain tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
and wasabi
Wasabi
, also known as Japanese horseradish, is a member of the Brassicaceae family, which includes cabbages, horseradish, and mustard. Its root is used as a condiment and has an extremely strong flavor. Its hotness is more akin to that of a hot mustard rather than the capsaicin in a chili pepper,...
.
Alishan is well known for its sunrises, and on a suitable morning one can observe the sun come up on a sea of clouds in the area between Alishan and Yüshan. Alishan and Sun Moon Lake
Sun Moon Lake
Sun Moon Lake is the largest body of water in Taiwan as well as a tourist attraction. Situated in Yuchi, Nantou, the area around the Sun Moon Lake is home to the Thao tribe, one of aboriginal tribes in Taiwan. Sun Moon Lake surrounds a tiny island called Lalu...
are, arguably, two of the most well-known scenic spots in Asia. The song Ālǐshān de gūniang, ‘the girls of Alishan’, that refers to the beautiful girls of the Tsou
Tsou people
The Tsou are an indigenous people of central southern Republic of China . They are spread across three administrative entities of the Republic of China — Nantou County, Chiayi County and Kaohsiung City....
aborigial tribe, is one of Taiwan's most popular folk songs. This song is also well known in several foreign countries, like the People's Republic of China.
Climate
Alishan National Scenic Area spans a broad range in altitude. Lower elevations, such as in LeYe TownshipLeYe Township
Leye is a village in the Alishan, Chiayi County, Taiwan. It is low in altitude compared to the rest of the mountain, being only 1200m above sea level. This makes it suitable for travelers unaccustomed to breathing at high altitudes.- Sights :...
, share the same subtropical and tropical climate as the rest of southern Taiwan, while the climate changes to temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
and alpine
Alpine climate
Alpine climate is the average weather for a region above the tree line. This climate is also referred to as mountain climate or highland climate....
as the elevation increases. Snow sometimes falls at higher elevations in the winter.
Alishan National Scenic Area covers most, but not all, of Alishan Rural Township in Chiayi County, and also parts of neighboring townships.
- Average temperatures:
- Low elevations: 24 °C in the summer, 16°C in the winter.
- Medium elevations: 19 °C in the summer, 12°C in the winter.
- High elevations: 14 °C in the summer, 5°C in the winter.
Topographical information
- Number of peaks above 2000 meters: 25
- Highest point: Da Ta Shan (大塔山), 2,663 meters.
- Average height of Alishan Mountain Range: 2,500 meters.
Vegetation and wildlife
Important treeTree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s in the area include:
- TaiwaniaTaiwaniaTaiwania is a large coniferous tree in the cypress family Cupressaceae, formerly listed in the segregate family Taxodiaceae. It is native to eastern Asia, growing in the mountains of central Taiwan, and locally in southwest China and adjoining Myanmar and northern Vietnam. It is endangered by...
cryptomerioides, a large coniferous tree in the cypress family CupressaceaeCupressaceaeThe Cupressaceae or cypress family is a conifer family with worldwide distribution. The family includes 27 to 30 genera , which include the junipers and redwoods, with about 130-140 species in total. They are monoecious, subdioecious or dioecious trees and shrubs from 1-116 m tall...
(the same family as the next three species) - Chamaecyparis formosensis, or Formosan Cypress
- Chamaecyparis taiwanensisChamaecyparis taiwanensisChamaecyparis taiwanensis is a species of cypress, native to the mountains of Taiwan, where it grows at altitudes of 1300–2800 m.-Description:...
- CunninghamiaCunninghamiaThe genus Cunninghamia is a genus of one or two species of evergreen coniferous trees in the cypress family Cupressaceae. They are native to China, Taiwan and northern Vietnam, where they may reach 50–55 m in height....
konishii - Pinus taiwanensisPinus taiwanensisTaiwan Red Pine is a species of conifer in the Pinaceae family.It is found only in Taiwan.-References:* Conifer Specialist Group 1998. . Downloaded on 10 July 2007....
, or Taiwan Red Pine - Picea morrisonicolaPicea morrisonicolaPicea morrisonicola is a species of conifer in the Pinaceae family.It is found only in Taiwan.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Conifer Specialist Group 2000. . Downloaded on 10 July 2007....
, or Yüshan Spruce - Pseudotsuga sinensisPseudotsuga sinensisPseudotsuga sinensis is a species of conifer in the Pinaceae family. It is a tree up to 50 metres tall.It is found in China and Taiwan....
var. wilsoniana, or Taiwan Douglas-fir - Abies kawakamiiAbies kawakamiiAbies kawakamii is a species of conifer in the Pinaceae family.It is found only in Taiwan.-Source:* Conifer Specialist Group 1998. . Downloaded on 10 July 2007....
, a species of conifer in the PinaceaePinaceaePinaceae are trees or shrubs, including many of the well-known conifers of commercial importance such as cedars, firs, hemlocks, larches, pines and spruces. The family is included in the order Pinales, formerly known as Coniferales. Pinaceae are supported as monophyletic by its protein-type sieve...
family, only found in Taiwan - Tsuga chinensisTsuga chinensisTsuga chinensis, commonly referred to as the Taiwan or Chinese Hemlock, or in Chinese as Tieshan , is a coniferous tree species native to China, Taiwan, Tibet and Vietnam. The tree is quite variable and has many recognised varieties, though some are also maintained to be separate species by certain...
var. formosana, Taiwan or Chinese Hemlock - Ulmus uyematsui, a species of elm only found in the Alishan region.
History
The Alishan area was originally settled by the Tsou tribeTsou people
The Tsou are an indigenous people of central southern Republic of China . They are spread across three administrative entities of the Republic of China — Nantou County, Chiayi County and Kaohsiung City....
of the Taiwanese aborigines
Taiwanese aborigines
Taiwanese aborigines is the term commonly applied in reference to the indigenous peoples of Taiwan. Although Taiwanese indigenous groups hold a variety of creation myths, recent research suggests their ancestors may have been living on the islands for approximately 8,000 years before major Han...
; the name derives from the aboriginal word Jarissang. Ethnic Han Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
settlers first settled on the plains near modern day Chiayi as early as the late Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
(around the mid 17th century), but did not move into the mountains until the late 18th century, establishing the towns of Ruili (瑞里), Ruifeng (瑞峰), Xiding (隙頂), and Fenqihu (奮起湖). The resulting armed clashes between the settlers and the aborigines pushed the aborigines even further into the mountains.
Following the cession of Taiwan to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
at the end of the First Sino-Japanese War
First Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War was fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over control of Korea...
, Japanese expeditions to the area found large quantities of cypress
Chamaecyparis
Chamaecyparis is a genus of conifers in the cypress family Cupressaceae, native to eastern Asia and western and eastern North America. In the nursery trade it is often incorrectly known as "false cypress" for lack of other common name, so as to distinguish it from other similar genera bearing...
(檜木, or hinoki in Japanese). This led to the development of the logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
industry in the area and the export of local cypress and Taiwania
Taiwania
Taiwania is a large coniferous tree in the cypress family Cupressaceae, formerly listed in the segregate family Taxodiaceae. It is native to eastern Asia, growing in the mountains of central Taiwan, and locally in southwest China and adjoining Myanmar and northern Vietnam. It is endangered by...
wood. A series of narrow-gauge railways were built in the area during this time to facilitate the transportation of lumber from the mountains to the plains below, part of which continues to operate as the Alishan Forest Railway
Alishan Forest Railway
The Alishan Forest Railway is an 86 km network of narrow-gauge railways running up to and throughout the popular mountain resort of Alishan in Chiayi County, Taiwan...
. Several new villages also began to sprout up along the railway lines. It was also during this time that the first tourists began to visit the area. Plans were even drawn up to incorporate the area into the new Shintaka (New Highest) Arisan National Park (新高阿里山国立公園).
With the exhaustion of forest resources by the 1970s, domestic and international tourism overtook logging to become the primary economic activity in the area. The tourism industry continued to expand with the completion of the Alisan highway in the 1980s, displacing the railroad as the primary mode of transportation up the mountain. To combat the problems associated with the growing crowds of tourists and the expanding tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
and wasabi
Wasabi
, also known as Japanese horseradish, is a member of the Brassicaceae family, which includes cabbages, horseradish, and mustard. Its root is used as a condiment and has an extremely strong flavor. Its hotness is more akin to that of a hot mustard rather than the capsaicin in a chili pepper,...
plantations, the area was declared a national scenic area in 2001.
Attractions and landmarks
- Fenqihu (奮起湖)
Small town of low wooden buildings built into the mountainside at 1,400 meters, midpoint of the Alishan Forest Railway
Alishan Forest Railway
The Alishan Forest Railway is an 86 km network of narrow-gauge railways running up to and throughout the popular mountain resort of Alishan in Chiayi County, Taiwan...
. Famous for natural rock formations, mountain streams, forests, and ruins of a Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
temple in the vicinity. Also famous for its production of high altitude food products such as bamboo shoot
Bamboo shoot
Bamboo shoots or bamboo sprouts are the edible shoots of many bamboo species including Bambusa vulgaris and Phyllostachys edulis. They are used in numerous Asian dishes and broths...
s and aiyu jelly
Aiyu jelly
Aiyu jelly , known as ice jelly in Singapore , is a jelly made from the gel from the seeds of a variety of fig found in Taiwan and East Asian countries of the same climates and latitudes...
(愛玉). The local box lunches (奮起湖便當, Fenqihu bento
Bento
is a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. A traditional bento consists of rice, fish or meat, and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables, usually in a box-shaped container. Containers range from disposable mass produced to hand crafted lacquerware...
) which were once sold to passengers on the rail line are also well known.