If you’re planning a trip to Alishan National Forest Recreation Area and only have time to do one walk, make sure it is this one. (Although I seriously hope this isn’t the case because you’d be missing too much!) The experience of walking through a grove of towering giant trees is truly magical and is something you do not want to miss.
Distance: About 1.4km.
Time: 40-90 minutes. I spent an hour walking at a very relaxed pace.
Difficulty (regular Taiwan hiker): 1-2/10 – Pretty easy, just lots of steps.
Difficulty (new Taiwan hiker): 3/10 – This should still be easy even if you’re not used to hiking in Taiwan—treat the steps as training!
Total ascent: About 60 metres.
Water: A single 0.5L bottle is plenty. There are refreshment stalls in the area around Shouzhen Temple, and I think you can also fill up your water bottle here too.
Shade: This is pretty well-shaded throughout.
Mobile network: The mobile network is clear on this trail.
Enjoyment: If you only have time for one walk during your visit to Alishan, make it this one. It’s short, but the large number of giant trees will leave a lasting impression.
Bathroom facilities: There are toilets at Shenmu Station and more close to Shouzhen Temple.
Route type: Loop
Permit: None needed, but you do need to pay to enter the park (more on this here).
Jump to the bottom of this post for a trail map and GPX file.
Shenmu Station is a short, single-stop shuttle on the iconic Alishan Railway from Alishan Station. Laying beside the tracks to the left of the train, you can see the fallen remains of the giant tree that gave this station its name. The tree, which grew to a height of 53 metres with a circumference of 23 metres before it was killed by lightning in 1956, was finally brought down by a heavy rainstorm four decades later.
At the moment, Shenmu Station is the last stop on the line, since the connecting tracks through Erwanping and Pingzhen to Shizilu have still not been reopened since they were damaged by typhoon Morokat. News reports have stated that it is set to be fully repaired and reopened by the end of this year (2023), but well, it’s November now and the promised reopening hasn’t yet materialised. Maybe because Erwanping isn’t back in use, the commemorative station stamp for that station is kept here next to the one for Shenmu Station.
Cross over the tracks and head up the steps to the right. In fact, one you turn right, there’s soon a second junction. I followed the sign directing me along the giant tree boardwalk trail, not the one heading towards Ciyun Temple (慈雲寺).
If you have never been amongst giant trees before, you’re in for a real treat. These ginormous beings make you feel so gloriously unimportant.
The boardwalk gently works its way through the trees, giving you ample opportunity to see the forest from all angles.
After climbing some steps, I found myself in the flatter area around Alishan Museum.
To the right of where the steps join, there are a couple of points of interest. One is this monument. The translation is the Pagoda of the Tree Spirit (樹靈塔). It was erected by the forestry authorities in 1935 as a way to commemorate (and appease) the spirits of the 77 forestry workers and over 100,000 trees that had fallen during logging operations in the park. Right next to the monument, you’ll find Xianglin Giant Tree.
Walk towards the timber structure of Alishan Museum (inside, there are maps, models, photos, and other exhibits detailing the region’s logging history, but unfortunately, no English again), then take a left turn to walk along one wing of Shanlin Elementary School. At a lofty 2,190 metres above sea level, this is the highest school in Taiwan, and yes, it is still in use (although the number of students enrolled here is pretty low). Can you imagine growing up and going to school in an environment like this? As someone who went to a small rural primary school and treasures the memories of tramping over the fields to get to classes, I am certain this experience must be embedded in their hearts as they grow.
Beyond the school, the path reaches a junction. I took the steps on the left and headed down.
This land god temple sits in a clearing with some benches and the trail leaving the clearing passes through an archway formed by the stump of a giant cypress that has been named the Tree of Eternal Fortune (福德萬古樹). The English translation for this written on the signage is a particularly egregious example of people going off-piste and doing whatever the hell they want with it: “Fhu Der Wann Guy Shuh”. Next to the fortune tree, there’s a small wishing well. Actually, I’m not sure it counts as a wishing well if it’s not a well. It’s not a pond either though, so what to call it? A wishing pot? A wishing bucket?
A little further down from the temple, the trail splits in two. The path on the left will take you straight back down to Shenmu Station, and the path heading over Alishan Suspension Bridge leads to the second giant tree boardwalk.
I headed over the bridge and continued along the trail with giant trees towering above me.
At this junction, the boardwalk trail continues straight over, but if you want to pick up some snacks or check out Shouzhen Temple, it’s worth taking a short detour up the steps to the right.
It’s impossible to get enough of all these tall trees.
Giant tree number 28 has been given special attention with viewing platforms added both above and below. It’s easy to see why this one deserves special treatment. At over 43 metres tall and roughly 2000 years old, this is the oldest and tallest of the giant trees along the giant tree trail, and it towers above walkers.
Past giant tree 28, the trail starts to curve its way back around and down towards Shenmu Station.
As you enter the station, you’ll pass Shenyi Waterfall (神怡流瀑) on the right. This is not a natural waterfall, instead, it’s a staggered series of pools with short cascades, but with the sky reflecting on the water’s surface, it is beautiful despite its artificial nature.
HOW TO GET TO ALISHAN NATIONAL SCENIC AREA
Google Maps address: I decided to start and end my walk at Shenmu Station (you can catch a train here from Alishan Station — this is within the park), but you could just as easily walk through the park to start from Shouzhen Temple. If you are planning to arrive here using your own transport, you’ll want to park along the stretch of roadside above the park and then walk or catch the shuttle bus to the park entrance.
GPS location: N23 31.140 E120 48.430
Public Transport to Alishan
Public transport: Given the park’s location, you’ll probably want to spend the night in the area even if you have your own transport. There are a couple of options to get here on public transport.
- Bus from Taipei – the 1835 Kuo-kuang bus departs Taipei Bus Station, although their website is unclear and doesn’t list any timetable, so you’re better off either calling (good luck) or going in to enquire about when that service operates.
- Bus from Chiayi – the 7322 Chiayi County bus leaves Chiayi Station (not the Chiayi HSR Station), whilst the 7329 departs from the HSR Station (not the regular train station). You can buy tickets for both of these from Famiport or iBon machines – again, just make sure you’re prepared in advance and know where you’re going.
- Train and bus from Chiayi – if it’s you’re first (and maybe only) time in the area you might want to consider riding the Alishan Forest Railway as far as Fenqihu and then transferring to bus for the remainder of the journey (hopefully the whole of the route will be repaired soon, but for now you can only go part of the way). This railway is a truly spectacular feat of engineering, and (assuming you don’t get motion sickness), it’s a journey well worth taking at least once in your life.
Alishan Park Entrance Tickets
There’s no need to pre-book Alishan tickets, you pay when you enter the park. When I visited, the cost was NT$300 for a standard ticket for foreigners, NT$200 for a standard ticket for Taiwan ID/APRC/ARC holders and NT$150 for a discount ticket. If you have the yellow ticket issued by bus operators to prove you travelled on public transportation, you can get a discount.
Nearby trails:
- Alishan Sisters Ponds Loop
- Mount Data Trail
- Shuishan Sacred Tree Trail
Alishan Giant Tree Boardwalk Map
GPX file available here on Outdoor Active. (Account needed, but the free one works just fine.)
Taiwan Trails and Tales 