With its abundance of natural beauty, Alishan is famous throughout Taiwan as one of the island's most popular tourist destinations. To get there you can take a narrow-gage mountain railway, observing endless riches of geological and plant-life scenery along the way. The sunrise, sea of clouds, sunset, forest, and mountain railway are known as the "five wonders of Alishan," and the culture of the Tsou tribal people adds another dimension to the attractions of this area.

The sea of clouds at Alishan, known as one of Taiwan's eight top scenic attractions, occurs regularly at sunrise and dusk. The best season for viewing this phenomenon is the fall, and the best places include Erwanping and, within the Alishan Forest Recreation Area, Ciyun Temple, Alishan House, Alishan Railway Station, Zhaoping Park, Sunrise House at Zhushan, and near the First Parking Lot. These are also preferred locations for viewing the sunset.

Alishan possesses rich forestry resources, with tropical, subtropical, temperate, and frigid-zone forests all in the same scenic area. The most precious of these resources are stands of old-growth cypress trees. Mid-March to mid-April is the Alishan flower season, when whole mountainsides are decorated in the rich colors of several species of cherry blossoms. On Linyin Trail, where the tips of ancient trees pierce the heavens, in addition to basking in the healthful atmosphere you can enjoy the delightful melodies of babblers, orioles, tits, and thrushes. (Alishan is listed as one of Taiwan's 10 top bird-watching venues, especially for mid-elevation birds species.) Among the attractions of the area are the trunks of thousand-year-old trees that were felled long ago, and there is also a plethora of scenic spots, such as Sisters Pond, that must not be missed.

After you enjoy the beauties of nature in the Alishan National Scenic Area, you can go on to Fenqihu, which is known primarily for natural scenery such as gushing waterfalls and clear streams, odd stones and strange trees, all exhibiting the features of the primeval wilderness and making you feel like a fearless explorer of the forests. Fenqihu also produces mountain vegetables, bamboo shoots, and other wild delicacies that are waiting for you to try them.