Alishan - Chiayi County, Taiwan
I had hoped for clear skies at sunrise, but when I woke at 4 AM to check, it was cloudy. I went back to sleep until 8 AM, then grabbed breakfast and set out for a few hours of hiking before leaving Alishan (阿里山) for Sun Moon Lake.
I began on the Zhushan Sunrise Trail and headed toward the decommissioned Duigaoyue Station, which has a great mountain viewpoint. From there, I continued to Zhushan Station—Taiwan’s highest train station at 2,451 m. The platform here is a popular sunrise spot, and I even saw wild monkeys nearby. Next, I hiked to the Xiaoliyuanshan Lookout, where a surprised worker told me most visitors take the train instead of walking from the visitor center.
I then descended via the Shuishan Trail to see a 2,700-year-old cypress tree. The trail was in good condition, and the tree was truly impressive. Since the connecting trail to the village was closed, I had to take a longer route back. I reached the bus depot around 12:15, had a light lunch, and caught the bus to Sun Moon Lake.
Although the sunrise didn’t work out, I still had an amazing time and definitely want to return for the full sunrise experience Alishan is famous for.
Route Overview
Distance: 13.85 km out & back (Alishan Visitor Centre)
Total elevation gain: 458 m
Duration: 3 hr 1 min (with breaks 3 hr 4 min)
Difficulty: Intermediate
Peak: Chushan Station 祝山車站 2451m
Cost Breakdown
Food: NT$98
