# Taiwan's Stunning 106-Year-Old Mountain Railway > The century-old Alishan Forest Railway winds through Taiwan's mountains. Here's the story of this unique historic route and why it belongs on your trip. - URL: https://langandtrip.com.ua/en/article/potriasaiushchaia-106letniaia-hornaia-zheleznaia-doroha-taivania/ - Language: en - Published: 2025-07-16 - Categories: Culture, Historic Sites, Mountains, Taiwan, Mountain, Forests --- As the red-and-cream train climbs through Taiwan's Alishan mountains, tourists and villagers stop to wave at the passengers on board. It feels like an adventure that carries you back to the days when train travel was still something new and thrilling. In a way, it is. The train has set off on one of the recently launched cruise-style tours along the century-old Alishan Forest Railway, a 71.4-kilometer network of narrow-gauge lines threading through the Alishan range in central Taiwan. ## A former Japanese logging railway Completed in 1912 during the Japanese occupation, the Alishan Forest Railway was built to haul the now-endangered Taiwanese cypress down from Alishan. After logging was banned, it lived on as the only passenger train that climbs into these mountains. Today it remains one of the most historic and beautiful mountain railways in the world. Running between the city of Chiayi, at an altitude of 30 meters, and Chushan, at 2,451 meters (Taiwan's highest railway station), the Alishan Forest Railway serves up an incredible variety of natural scenery. It's the highest narrow-gauge mountain railway in Asia, even higher than the famous Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, which climbs from 100 meters to 2,200 meters. ![](https://test.langandtrip.com.ua/wp-content/uploads/de_import_uploads/june-article-image-72-1-2025.jpg) Best of all, much of the Alishan network works just as it did 100 years ago. The sleepers are still made from solid timber, and drivers have to step off the train and switch the direction of travel by hand. "It feels more human, unlike the cold, automated machines of today," says Liao Yuan-chiao, an Alishan train captain. A railway enthusiast, Liao left his job as a teacher six years ago to work as an assistant driver on the Alishan Forest Railway. ![](https://test.langandtrip.com.ua/wp-content/uploads/de_import_uploads/june-article-image-72-2-2025.jpg) "I love railways because I love the low hum of the train's diesel engine. You can hear the sound shift as the machine changes speed. It sounds alive. "Luckily, the Alishan Forest Railway was never replaced by electric trains," Liao adds. "This is absolutely my paradise." ## Saving the Alishan Forest Railway ![](https://test.langandtrip.com.ua/wp-content/uploads/de_import_uploads/june-article-image-72-3-2025.jpg) The "cruise tour" is one of several efforts to revitalize and preserve the Alishan Forest Railway under new management, the recently created Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Office (AFRCH) of the Forestry Bureau. The railway's popularity slipped after the faster, easier Alishan Highway was built in 1982. Its services were repeatedly disrupted by natural disasters and derailments. After taking over, the AFRCH closed the railway for three months of maintenance and inspections before reopening it in June 2018. "The Alishan Forest Railway is priceless cultural heritage \[for Taiwan\]," says Tang Yu-chin, an AFRCH representative. "So preserving the Alishan Forest Railway isn't just for tourism; it's about promoting this culture." ![](https://test.langandtrip.com.ua/wp-content/uploads/de_import_uploads/june-article-image-72-4-2025.jpg) Themed tours run regularly. The current series takes place every Wednesday until mid-October. Instead of simply spotlighting Alishan's landmarks, it focuses on the history and culture of the Alishan Forest Railway. Travelers spend time at various stops, including the wooden Beimen and Zhuqi stations, which have been rebuilt to match their original designs. "I used this back when I was a lumberjack," says Hsu Chao-huo, an 87-year-old volunteer guide at a small museum at Shizilu station, pointing to a rusty saw on a shelf. "I've lived in Alishan my whole life. The mountain is better for my health; the land down below is too hot." The cruise ends at Hinoki (Taiwanese cypress) Village near Beimen station, a cultural village made up of 28 Japanese-style wooden houses that were home to Japanese officials half a century ago. ## "I never imagined it could disappear one day" ![](https://test.langandtrip.com.ua/wp-content/uploads/de_import_uploads/june-article-image-72-5-2025.jpg) Working in the Zhuqi township office along the Alishan Forest Railway, Lai Kuo-hua started taking aerial photographs of the area about four years ago. "I grew up next to the railway," he says. "My grandfather and my father both worked on the Alishan Forest Railway. "I thought it would always be there, until voices started calling for it to be torn down completely. Some felt we shouldn't bother maintaining it, since we could just use the highway these days. "That's when I began photographing the Alishan Forest Railway, so I could introduce it to people who didn't know the line. It's filled with memories of my growing up, and of everyone living along the tracks. "Those voices are still out there, so we're doing our very best to showcase the Alishan Forest Railway and help more travelers discover it too," adds Wu Han-en, a part-time tourism lecturer in Tainan who also serves as stationmaster at Fenqihu station (one of the railway's larger stops). ## How to get to Alishan The Alishan Forest Railway isn't a continuous line, as the stretch of track between Shizilu station and Alishan station was damaged by a typhoon. Travelers can board the main line from Chiayi station to Fenqihu station (2 hours 20 minutes) and continue the journey by bus from Fenqihu station to Alishan station. Only one train departs from Chiayi, at 9 a.m. on weekdays. On weekends, two more trains are added (at 8:30 and 9:30 a.m.). From Alishan station, three shorter lines branch off, Shenmu, Zhaoping and Chushan, carrying passengers between the main Alishan stations and the sights of the Alishan scenic area. Visitors should keep in mind that the best views are on the right-hand side going up and on the left coming down. ## The technical side Beyond the history, it's worth brushing up on a bit of railway terminology to truly appreciate what makes the Alishan Forest Railway so unique. For instance, it features a loop line, a spiral track design, S-shaped lines and 180-degree U-shaped lines, as well as Z-shaped switchbacks. It's rare to find all these formations in a single railway system. The train makes four loops through several tunnels, spiraling up and down the narrow summit of Mount Duli. When the slope grows even narrower, the train has to inch forward and back along a Z-shaped route to climb or descend. ## Best hiking trail: "Spirited Away" in Alishan ![](https://test.langandtrip.com.ua/wp-content/uploads/de_import_uploads/june-article-image-72-6-2025.jpg) One of the coolest hiking trails is the 1.6-kilometer Shuishan Trail. With an unassuming, hidden entrance, the trail leads hikers along an abandoned, moss-covered railway track dotted with a few derelict buildings from the old days. The path at the end of the line brings you to a magnificent 2,700-year-old Taiwanese cypress. ## Landmarks in Alishan ![](https://test.langandtrip.com.ua/wp-content/uploads/de_import_uploads/june-article-image-72-7-2025.jpg) Exploring the sights around Alishan can easily fill two or three days. The Chushan Line is the most popular route. It makes one round trip each day in the early morning, carrying travelers up to watch the sunrise and the sea of clouds at Chushan. The Xiaoliyuanshan viewing platform, a 15-minute hike from Chushan, offers an even better view. Fenqihu station, nicknamed the Bento Kingdom for its historic role as the main rest stop for workers, is famous for its 100-year-old food street and a former logging trail turned walking path through a bamboo forest. Shenmu station is home to several trails winding through stunning old-growth forests. Zhaoping station takes travelers to the breathtaking Jiemei (Sisters) Pond and the Sakura Sky Walk. During cherry blossom season from March to May, the Alishan Forest Railway runs a special vintage steam locomotive once a week. Autumn is also a popular time to visit. ## Where to stay Sitting at 2,200 meters above sea level, the 103-year-old Alishan House is the most luxurious place to stay in the area. A note on each of the hotel's doors tells you which important political figures once stayed in that room. A modern wing of the Alishan House stands beside the original building. The old wing also doubles as a museum of Alishan culture. Ticket holders can take a tour of the old Japanese-style hotel rooms and other historic exhibits inside the hotel. Tip: Many hotels with "Alishan" in the name are actually far from the park; Alishan is a vast mountain range. It's better to book a hotel within the park itself. ## Where to grab a cup ![](https://test.langandtrip.com.ua/wp-content/uploads/de_import_uploads/june-article-image-72-8-2025.jpg) The Alishan mountains produce some of the finest oolong teas and coffee beans in Taiwan. The cruise tour includes a tea tasting, where you can sample and buy tea directly from the tea farmers of Alishan. Otherwise, Fenqihu station is packed with tea houses. The Din-Zhan café-kitchen next to Fenqihu station serves excellent coffee from beans grown and roasted by the owner. ## How to get tickets for the Alishan Forest Railway ![](https://test.langandtrip.com.ua/wp-content/uploads/de_import_uploads/june-article-image-72-9-2025.jpg) Tickets for the main line can be booked online (in Chinese) up to 15 days before departure, or at select Alishan Forest Railway or Taiwan Railways station counters. Fares are calculated by distance (from $0.3/kilometer). The trip from Chiayi to Fenqihu costs about $12. Tickets for the Shenmu Line (TWD100 or $3) and the Zhaoping Line (TWD150 or $5) can be bought at the station on the day of travel. They run every 25 to 30 minutes. Tickets for the Chushan Line (TWD150) must be purchased the day before travel, between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., at Chiayi station. Tickets for the shuttle bus between Fenqihu and Alishan can also be bought at Chiayi station.