Chiayi
Chiayi
Chiayi is a county very often visited in Taiwan for a single reason: the splendid expanse of Alishan National Scenic Area. This immense national park is Taiwan’s most famous one. And if any question should ever arise as to why that is so, anyone who has been to the park knows that there is more than one answer.
The mountain range on which this park sits is so high up that it boasts a fascinating transition in its flora as one goes up: the stark difference in altitudes between the base and the peaks mean that as you enter the park, you find yourself festooned with palms that slowly cede space to alpine cypresses of gigantic height. The flora of Alishan is a delight to see as a result, all the more as the mountain changes coats with the seasons: cherry blossoms for the spring and goldenrod crocosmia in the summer. And all of this is couched in a verdant backdrop of carpet-thick moss.
There are many sights to see in Alishan, from its mountain trails to its forest temples. It’s the sort of forest fastness you enter in a calm, contemplative mode of exploration. (A more rugged version, for the thrill-seeking mountain climbers, would be Yushan nearby.) But remember that this is not all that there is to see in Chiayi, even if it is what will probably lure you here first. Much of Chiayi is also of interest as a charming example of Taiwanese life, particularly in Chiayi City, where some beautiful parks and monuments should be of interest to the traveler. From the beautifully preserved Japanese Kagi shrine in the city to the 62m Chiayi Tower, there is a lot to see in this county too that man himself has constructed. And all of it tends to be cool and calming, as serene as the cypress forests of Alishan itself.
