Alishan (阿里山), located in the central Taiwan, is one of the most well-known
mountain resorts in Taiwan and among the neighboring Asian countries. Alishan is
famed for its 5 wonders: sunrise, sunset, cloud sea, various forest facets, and
mountain train. Alishan mountain range is one of the five mountain ranges in
Taiwan, and is composed of 18 peaks above 2,000 meters. What most people mean
when they say they are going to "Alishan," they are referring to the tourist
village inside the Alishan Forest Recreation Area, which has a total of 1400
hectares embracing high mountain peaks and rich cultural and natural resources.
Getting there ...
We arrived at TPE Airport in the early morning on 6/20 and took a taxi to
Shilin, Taipei, to take a rest at Woanyu's home. After a simple
lunch at home, we went to the Taipei main train station to take the High Speed
Rail (HSR) to Chiayi to begin our Alishan journey. We checked in the hotel
in Chiayi and headed out to the nearby night market to find some street food for
dinner. When we were back to the hotel, we found the hotel offered very
good local snack and beer (all free to hotel guests) at a very comfortable
environment (with air condition) at the lobby.
The main purpose of this trip
was to celebration Woanyu's Mom's 80th birthday for the family (there were total
13 people joining the trip). The
Alishan Formosensis (阿里山福森號觀光列車), the most luxurious, aesthetically designed
sightseeing train in Taiwan, was a good option for Woanyu's family to have an
immersive Alishan experience at a relaxed pace. The Alishan
Formosensis (福森號) officially became operational on July 28, 2024. Its
maiden voyage was launched to celebrate the historic full reopening of the
Alishan Forest Railway, which had been partially closed for 15 years due to
severe typhoon damage. Built with a steel frame wrapped in premium,
domestically sourced Taiwanese Red Cypress and Hinoki, the train carriages are
filled with a natural woody fragrance. The round-trip from Chiayi to
Alishan is split into four segments which each one has its own theme and unique
experiences: Forest Dining (森好食), Forest Healing (森林癒), Forest Music (好森音), and
Forest Tea Tasting (森品茗). We decided to book all four segments of
Formosensis (not many people doing this way...) to have a full 福森 journey
experience (full itinerary pdf)!
Day 2 (6/21) ...
- 福森號 Formosensis A (北門 9:30AM -- 十字路 1:20PM) -- Forest Dining (森好食)
We
walked from the hotel to 北門 train station at about 9AM in the morning to
start our Formosensis journey.
- 樟腦寮
We had our first music concert in the forest!
- 奮起湖 -- 多林 九宮格便當
Combining gastronomy and art, the main theme of this
segment of journey (Forest Dining) was the premium 9-grid wooden bento box
custom-catering by the Hotel Indigo Alishan while the train was moving
slowly in the middle of the forest.
- 福森號 Formosensis B (十字路 2:20PM -- 阿里山 5:45PM) -- Forest Healing (森林癒)
After the traditional folk dances, we got aboard the train for the 2nd leg
of the journey to Alishan.
- 祝山
The main theme of this segment (Forest Healing) was a guided
walking tour offering a five-sense experience immersed in the mountain
forest. A very special concert (nyckelharpa, Swedish keyed fiddle) was
also arranged in the forest.
Day 3 (6/22) ...
- 祝山 Sunrise
We all got up early to take the shuttle directly from the
hotel (阿里山賓館) to Zhushan (祝山)
at about 4:30AM to catch the sunrise. Some of us walked a little
further to the upper observation deck for a better view of distant
mountains.
- 阿里山
Iris and us walked the trail around the hotel after the
breakfast. We found the "3-generation trees" (三代木) which we also
visited 20 years ago.
- 福森號 Formosensis C (阿里山 8:55AM -- 奮起湖 11:30AM) -- Forest Music (好森音)
We were back to the train and ready for our return journey.
- 二萬平
The main theme of this segment (Forest Music) was a Forest
Concerto, experience an exclusive musical feast amidst the lush, dark
cryptomeria forest, and immerse yourself in the lingering melodies of
Alishan’s "Forest of Music."
- 福森號 Formosensis D (奮起湖 12:40PM -- 北門 4:25PM) -- Forest Tea Tasting (森品茗)
For the final leg of Formosensis journey, we were the only guests in Car #5
(18 seats). We had the entire carriage to ourselves :-)
- 水社寮
The main theme of this segment was Forest Tea Tasting amidst
mid-altitude mountain forests. Professional tea masters share the art
of the tea ceremony, allowing travelers to savor the tea, a special offering
from Alishan.
Going Home ...
| We were back to
Chiayi HSR station at about
5:30PM to catch the train back to Taipei. Although it was a short
family trip (only 1 night at Alishan), it was a journey full of
experiences and memory. Everyone's luggage was stuffed with the
souvenirs from the Formosensis (福森號 紀念品). |
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