Tourism Administration, Republic of China (Taiwan)-Taiwan Tourism Administration's Taiwan Tourism Information Website

Chukou Visitor Center at Alishan National Scenic Area

Basing on the construction goals of preserving natural environment and incorporating the original terrains and surrounding mountains, designing methods such as “intertwining landscapes”, “floating”, and “interchanging movements” were implemented. And the end result is a naturally harmonical landscape architecture. Between the Management Center and the rear mountain, a tourists’ backyard was set up with the elements of mini trains, cherry blossoms, Cou tribe gazebo, sacred tree, and tea garden. In front of the Management Center, rows of trees penetrated through the “Plaza of Wind and Rain”, extending the symbolic image of sacred trees all the way to the backyard. Mini railways in the shapes of “之” and “8” have been arranged as the tourists’ main path of movements. Wandering amidst the cherry blossom woods and circling up to the hilltop, tourists would experience the fun similar to climbing up to Alishan. Various kinds of trees also bring biodiversity and changing sceneries and colors of four seasons for the Scenic Area.

Shizilu Community Guided Tour or Mihu Trail

Located by Alishan Township Office is the starting point for the 1.2km-long Miyang Creek Trail. A beautiful and elegant Miyang Suspension Bridge quietly stands over the river valley, and the hiking trail is softly summoning the tourists at the other end of the Suspension Bridge. Along the way, there are also many plum trees. And at the meeting point with Fushan Ancient Trail, visitors could also find the “FO’na” or “life bean” that symbolizes life and romance in Cou tribe. Miyang Creek Trail is also a great bird-watching trail, which offers views of Steere's Liocichla, Taiwan Sibia, red-headed tree babbler, barbet, and more.

Tefuye Ancient Trail (Walk 6.32km from Tefuye end to Zizhong end)

The Tefuye Ancient Trail was originally a hunting path opened by the Tsou indigenous people. During the Japanese Rule, the second half was rebuilt into the Shuishan Line Railway for lumber transportation. Many traces of the tracks can still be seen today. The first half of the trail is smoother. There are many Japanese cedar trees along the way. The second half, a steep trail with wooden steps, runs through a virgin broadleaf forest where the scenery changes through the seasons. The plant and animal ecology is rich and it is an excellent trail for bird watching.

Alishan

Alishan National Forest Recreation Area, with its forest railways, Sacred Trees, sea of clouds, sunrise, and cherry blossoms, is the most famous and popular forest recreational area in Taiwan. It is a brilliant jadeite shinning on the Alishan Mountain Range.
You may take the renowned mountain touring forest railway at TRA Chiayi Station, slowly make your way to the terminal station Alishan Station (the forest railway’s main line currently operates between Chiayi and Fenqihu only, not fully operational yet) while enjoying the marvelous landscape of forest. You can also drive via the Provincial Highway No. 18, which will take you to Alishan National Forest Recreational Area at the 88.2k marker with an elevation of 2216 meters in less than two hours. The Alishan Mountain Range is one of the Top Five Mountain Ranges in Taiwan. Alishan (Ali Mountain) is not just a mountain, but the name for the entire mountain area. Rich in Taiwan Red Cypress and Taiwan Yellow Cypress ever since the ancient times, Alishan became the largest forest area in 1912 until the end of 1960s. The primitive cypress forests almost die out after the logging by the Japanese and the nationalist government. Only some 40 Giant Red Cypress beside the Giant-tree Plant Walk-1 and -2 survived to date for us to remember the majestic forest of Sacred Trees back in the day. “Alishan Sianglin Sacred Tree”, with a height of 45 meters and a circumference of 12.3 meters, approximately 2300 years old, is the tallest of all and a stop visitors to Alishan should never miss.
There is a rich ecology in Alishan National Forest Recreational Area. In particular, the most unique species among the flora are the rare Oleandra wallichii, Huperzia somae, Alishan Mahonia, and Taiwan Pleione. As for those of fauna, there are Taiwan macaque, Mikado Pheasant as well as the little stars like Steere's Liocichla, Collared Bush Robin, and Alisan's Salamander. A vibrant ecosystem it is.
Aside from the Sacred Tree, there are lots of attractions worthy of visiting: Alishan Forest Railways, the ethereal Sister Ponds, the magnificent sea of clouds, the splendid Chushan Sunrise, Shouzhen Temple, Hundred-year-old Ciyun Temple, the historical sites of forestry, the various flowers such as cherry blossoms and rhododendron in the spring time, and so on and so forth. Alishan National Forest Recreational Area is an international-level tourist attraction that represents the cloud forest belt in Taiwan, welcoming tourists around the world to come to learn about the rich and beautiful mountains and forests in Taiwan.

Tataka Visitor Center

“Tataka” in Cou’s language has the meaning as a spacious prairie plateau.
In the Tataka area, visitors can look over to the high-mountain landscape of Yushan’s main and continuous peaks in the east, and Zhushan and Tashan Mountain Range are at the opposite end over the west, across from Shenmu Creek. In early mornings and early evenings, sea of clouds and mountain mists would often appear amidst the mountain valleys. As winter approaches, Acer morrisonense in the mountains start to turn red, and the red-maple scenery within the lush green forest would accentuate Tataka Visitor Center to become ever so enchantingly beautiful.