Table of Contents

A day trip from Taichung to Alishan National Park offered ancient forests, historic railways, and mountain serenity. From walking beneath towering cedar trees and visiting the peaceful Sister Ponds to riding a scenic mountain train and warming up with sour-cabbage hot pot back in the city, the day blended nature, history, and local cuisine into an unforgettable Taiwanese experience.

Links to the next parts

• Taiwan, day 1
• Taiwan, day 2
• Taiwan, day 4
• Taiwan, day 5
• Taiwan, day 6
• Taiwan, day 7-8

Journey to the Mountains

For this day, we decided to visit Alishan (阿里山) National Park, which is located quite a distance from Taichong. To avoid complicated mountain roads, we decided to just buy a day tour. The starting point was located quite far from our hotel, but Uber saved us again. Upon arrival, we quickly identified our tour guide, “Alisha from Alishan,” and how she introduced herself.

The bus ride to the national park was pretty straightforward, with a quick stop on the way, where I had bought “government-approved” Taiwanese tea. But why go to the mountains? Firstly, it’s a beautiful place, developed by the Japanese at the beginning of the last century. The government carefully presented Japanese artifacts such as a railroad, a rail station, trains, etc. In addition, Alishan is famous for its tea and cherry blossom season, which we hadn’t had the chance to witness. Lastly, Alishan is a habitat of local Taiwanese tribes that inhabited the island even before the Chinese dwellers. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a chance to visit them, but this visit is definitely on my travel list now.

Lunch Above the Clouds

At the arrival point, our guide handed us our lunch - locally made, sticky rice-based, dragon boat dumplings called zongzi (粽子). The dumplings were extremely cheap, flavourful, delicious, and hot! The letter was especially important as the weather up there was quite chilly. Also, we had a chance to grab a couple of snacks in the highest 7/11 in Taiwan! What an honour!

Walking Through an Ancient Forest

Most of the time, we were walking downward, except for one extremely short (maybe a minute long) hike. I can say that the forest in the mountains is simply breathtaking! Gargantuan, sentinel old trees surround you like a cathedral pillar with a vaulted canopy of leaves high above. The park’s nature and feeling are extremely similar to what I remember from my homeland hiking experience, as you can have a very similar vibe in Russian pine forests. The overall feeling is pretty surreal, and I felt truly a part of a fairytale. Probably, Harry Potter had a similar feeling in the Forbidden Forest, or the Hobbits, who entered the Ents’ ground. The Taiwanese government is truly preserving the park, and visitors have a chance to experience the true wonders of the ancient forest.

Sister Ponds and a Temple Stop

After a short walk, we approached a place called Sister Ponds. It’s two serene ponds separated by a tiny piece of land. Locals have a tearful fairytale explaining such an unusual arrangement. You should try to guess it! The area has a couple of flower arrangements, which frame the pond, and a gazebo. After the pond, we came down to a park with magnolias, but it wasn’t the right season, so we didn’t see any blooms. The walk ended in a small rest area centered around a Taiwanese temple. Here, I managed to get a tiny tea pet (茶宠) for my set.

Riding the Historic Railway

Lastly, we went down to a train station to return to our bus. During the walk, we had a unique chance to contemplate another batch of ancient trees, each of which has its own unique number. After a short wait, an old, steam-powered train arrived, and we boarded the car number for, backwards, to a station as suggested by our guide. It gave us a fantastic, unblocked view of mountains, forests, and rivers along the way! After the train ride, it was a noticeable ride back to the city.

Hotpot to End the Day

To conclude the day, we went to a hotpot restaurant, which we spotted on our first day in the city. The place was a unique, exemplary sample of local cuisine - sour-cabbage-based hot pot! We arrived at the restaurant (on a weekday!) around 7+, and the whole restaurant was fully booked, and the place isn’t that small! Luckily, a waiter brought us to a restaurant extension (literally, a tent connected to a main building) with a couple of available tables. We got hotpot (the only dish!) with the whole shebang of side dishes - meat, tofu, dumplings, vegetables, etc. I can say it feels tremendous to have hot pot after freezing weather in the mountains! I highly recommend this place, so try it out if you visit Taichong in winter!