We woke up bright and early, just as the sun rose, to catch our 6:30 AM bus to Alishan. The tour bus coasted smoothly through the flatlands of Tainan and Chiayi and we winded our way through the mountains to reach our destination on the mountain. Thanks to the clear skies, we were welcomed with a beautiful view of the luscious vegetation and the rugged sides of the Alishan mountain range. After four hours, as we alighted from the tour bus, the clouds and the fog set in, obstructing the sun from view. The fog filled the forest with a mystical aura. I could not help but feel as if I was transported into a Studio Ghibli film.
In a tour bus on our way to Alishan! Sunny blue skies greeted us on our way up the mountain. In the far distance (middle right edge in photo), one can barely make out the bustling cities in the flatlands.
As we started the tour, I noticed that though many of the trees, rocks, vegetation, etc. look as though they have been preserved, many areas showed signs of human interference. For example, under this bridge is an artificial staircase-like stream. Our tour guide explained that while these structures do bring various negative environmental impacts, i.e., fish not being able to swim back up stream, the safety benefits and environmental preservation still outweigh the environmental impacts. This staircase design not only slows down the flow of water, which is important for the safety of visitors, it also slows down bank erosion, as the sides and bottom of the stream is reinforced with stone.
As we walked further into the forest, we noticed many species of trees. Alishan is known for its giant cypresses, but many of these younger third-generation trees have taken their place. They are most recognizable by their thinner trucks and sparser canopy. Many of the first-generation and second-generation trees were cut down by locals or Japanese woodcutters and transported to Japan during the colonial period (1895-1915). Many more were lost to natural disasters. The second-generation trees that were lucky to have survived this period released seeds that, over decades, gave rise to these third-generation trees.
Later on, as we came to a rest area, we noticed a recurring red, black, and blue motif on the side of these stairs. As our tour guide explained, the red, blue, and black are the colors of the aboriginal Zhou (Cou) tribe, who reside in an area within Alishan mostly closed off to the public. These colors, along with the triangle motif, are seen throughout the mountain on buildings and bridges. The red, blue, and black are also worn by members of the Tsou tribe.
After lunch, on our walk back to the tour bus, we stopped by this building, Siang-lin elementary school, the tallest elementary school in Taiwan. With the fog and the peeling paint, the school looks like it has been abandoned for decades; however, to this day, this school is still functioning. Though they have repainted the school, due to the high humidity, the paint cannot be well-maintained. The school services the local children living in Alishan township.
We soon hopped back on the tour bus and started our journey back to Tainan. It looked cloudy the entire duration of our trip, but never rained, for which I am very grateful! We were able to quickly stop by some popular scenic areas, but we weren’t able to see everything due to time restrictions. I hope to one day return to take in Alishan in its full beauty!
AC Study Abroad Need-Based Scholarship Recipient (sponsored by the generous support of the Taiwan Ministry of Education)
Taiwan Intensive Summer Language Program (TISLP) Participant
National Cheng Kung University (NCKU)
Tainan, Taiwan, Summer 2023