Alishan Journey
Documenting the journey to Alishan, including detailed timelines and activity records.
D1: Taipei β’ Alishan
Chiayi High-Speed Rail Station
In the morning, I rented a car to pick up Nina, and she brought a large suitcase. We went to Nangang Station together to take the high-speed rail. On the train, Nina kept stomping her feet because her calves were very itchy, which drew complaints from the passenger in front of us. The passenger thought Nina was kicking her seat, but she was quite friendly and didn't say anything harsh. Later, we discovered it was because of the stomping, so I started patting Nina's little feet to help soothe her discomfort. After arriving in Chiayi, Nina went to MOS to buy a cup of lemon black tea, and then we drove towards Alishan.
Fenqihu
Our first stop was Fenqihu, and we were somewhat disappointed because it was just an ordinary old street. The road signs read "Fenqihu Old Street" and "Fenqihu Old Old Street," but the English meant "Upper Old Street" and "Lower Old Street." After walking around the station and old street, I ate two donuts (which were more like Danish pastries) and a piece of chicken breast, while Nina bought a cup of aiyu jelly. Then we headed to Dadong Mountain.
Dadong Mountain
I chose Dadong Mountain because it's one of Taiwan's 100 Lesser Peaks, and I heard the viewing platform had good views. The trail didn't seem very long either, but unfortunately it started raining halfway through. After sharing an umbrella with Nina and walking back to the parking lot, we decided to check in at Astrea first.
Astrea
When we arrived, there was a rainbow in the distance because it had just finished raining. The castle master (the nickname Nina and I gave to the homestay owner) was a friendly couple. The room was clean and tidy, and next to the homestay was their own tea garden, with views of the Zengwen River Valley, Alishan, and Yushan across the way. After resting in the room with Nina for a while, it was already dark, and with the heavy rain, we gave up on our plan to go to Eryanping Trail. After eating the cup noodles provided by the homestay, we took showers, watched TV, and rested.
D2: Tatajia
Astrea
Originally planned to wake up early to watch the sunrise near the homestay, but I got the time wrong, and when we woke up, sunrise time had already passed. After having breakfast and doing some organizing, we headed to Tatajia.
Linzhi Mountain
Since neither Nina nor I had walked in high-altitude areas before, I kept reducing the itinerary and finally decided to walk directly from Dongpu Mountain Villa to Linzhi Mountain. By noon, the parking lot was full, and we only found one parking spot. As we were preparing to set out, a monkey was staring at us from behind the car. Two hikers nearby seemed to be preparing to leave, so I asked them if they were going up the road behind to Linzhi Mountain. While walking along the Nanxi Forest Road, Nina kept stopping to discuss work matters with colleagues. So busy! We first passed the Big Iron Cedar, which was different from what I remembered from videos - there weren't many tourists today. We went right to the Linzhi Mountain saddle, and looking out was completely white. Nina really liked it, but unfortunately the weather was bad and we couldn't see the full view. After reaching the top of Linzhi Mountain, considering we didn't expend much energy (no sweating without the sun) and didn't feel uncomfortable due to the high altitude, we walked towards the Tatajia saddle. It was steep downhill all the way, and although it was foggy, the occasional mountain views that appeared made us stop multiple times. After reaching the Yushan trailhead, there were some hikers waiting for the shuttle bus, but we decided to slowly walk back to the parking lot. It rained for a while on the way, and we also had a chance encounter with a Mikado pheasant and a Formosan serow.
Astrea
Before returning to the homestay, we went to a convenience store to buy some supplies. After returning to the homestay, Nina was in a low mood due to eczema, and I finally saw her condition completely. I originally considered reducing the next day's itinerary further, but Nina said that moving around would make her feel less uncomfortable. At four in the morning, I walked outside the homestay to check the star conditions. Although the moon had already set near the horizon, there wasn't a spectacular display of stars in the sky either, so I went back to sleep.
D3: Alishan β’ Taipei
Alishan National Scenic Area
After checking out, we went directly to Alishan. Today's goal was the Alishan Forest Railway. After arriving at the park, we decided to focus on the Sacred Tree Trail. Since the train to Sacred Tree Station wouldn't depart for another hour, we walked along the Forest Trail to Sacred Tree Station. The sacred tree grove near the station was breathtaking. After reaching the train station and looking at the route, there were tracks leading to Erwanping Station, but they were suspended, and the station staff also said we couldn't walk on the tracks. So we took the small train directly back to Alishan Station. After seeing the sacred trees and riding the small train, Nina's mood improved greatly. After buying some sunrise cakes and mochi, we headed to Erwanping Station.
Erwanping Station
It's very close to the Alishan park, but the road conditions were full of potholes, making the drive quite bumpy. The platform in front of Erwanping Station was fenced off with iron railings, apparently needing renovation.
Eryanping Trail
After leaving Erwanping Station, the journey was also coming to an end. Since Eryanping Trail was on the way back, we went for a walk on the trail. I told Nina that in my memory this was a simple trail that took about twenty minutes to complete, but we ended up staying here for nearly two hours. We only walked to the pavilion between the first and second rest pavilions. Along the way, we watched the cloudscapes of Alishan and Yushan, and could also see Chiayi City and even the coast. When we returned to the trailhead, the sunset was already near the horizon, so we watched the sunset sink into the sea, followed by the sparse lights of Chiayi. Nina said it was mountain views, sunset, and night views all satisfied at once.
Chiayi High-Speed Rail Station
We arrived at the high-speed rail station around eight o'clock, and the area outside was full of cars picking people up. After returning the car, Nina seemed tired too, so we quickly bought tickets and went directly back to Nangang. On the train, we sat in front and back seats, and I could indeed feel the vibration from Nina's foot stomping - the high-speed rail's floor is so thin! I then accompanied Nina back to Neihu before taking the MRT home.