[旅][文學] Alishan Forest Railway: A Legacy of Taiwan’s Logging History

阿里山鐵道-關於森林的記憶

「…沿著步道，一旁傳來的鳴笛聲劃破天際，紅色的火車，從樹林旁穿過，地板微微的震動，像是給神木群的一個問候。阿里山鐵路是台灣伐木業的歷史見證，如今帶領著千千萬萬的朝聖者來到這絕美的山林，廢棄的鐵道蜿蜒通往遊人鮮至的山水神木，在這，祂看著森林的興衰，也將繼續守護著穿越時空的記憶。」

Alishan Forest Railway: A Legacy of Taiwan’s Logging History

The Alishan forest railway was built in 1912 by the Japanese Colonial Government. The railway was constructed to exploit the forest in Alishan, where abundant cypress and Taiwania woods grew. After the ending of the logging era, the ROC government turned the industrial railway into a civilian one, connecting the Alishan railway with the island-wide railway system. Today, the Alishan forest railway is the only operating high mountain railway in Taiwan, making Alishan one of the most famous tourism spot. More than 140 million people visited Alishan National Scenic Area in 2011.

Best known for its sunrise, Alishan attracts numerous tourists to the sunrise-seeing platform of Zhushan train station (on Zhushan Line). If lucky enough, you can see the sun bursts through the mountains and creates thousands of glorious rays. It’s truly the scene of a lifetime.

March is the time of blossoms. In early spring, cherry and prune trees burst into full bloom. Trees along the railroads greet the trains with thousands of white and pink flowers. The railroad in front of the Alishan Police Station is one of the most appealing spot for photographers. There are two cherry trees growing at the front yard of the police station of more than 150 years old. With the radio tower of the station standing in the yard, the Tokyo-like scene welcomes visitors to the police station to have a cup of Alishan’s vintage tea.

Although the logging industry destroyed most of the original cypress and Taiwania forest, there are still some ancient trees left. Even though the Japanese Colonial Government cut down most of the huge trees, sending them back to Japan for building ships and shrines, those unqualified for building survived and became the “Divine Trees” today. They carry memories of thousands of years. Standing by a divine tree makes one feel small. Japanese colonizers, though, were not only good at deforestation; they also planted tens of thousands of Japanese Cedars on the mountain after cutting off the original forests. More than six decades on, the trees become dense forests. You can wander deep into the woods by walking along abandoned railroads. The smell of trees and mossy earth washes away all the worries and stress. The sunlight colors the trees with dazzling paint and turns the grass into golden carpet, awaiting visitors’ steps.

The logging history, along with railway construction, has changed the forest of Alishan forever. Alishan National Scenic Area is not only a place for sightseeing, but also a sanctuary for dormant spirits. It will keep on attracting millions of tourists. As for the divine trees, they will keep their memories of history and nature for ever and ever.

Written by Leon Lin 林立揚 (edited by Paris Chen), and Ken Huang 黃寶慶 /

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