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An Overview of Chiayi, the Entry Point to Ali Mountain
Many tourists pass through the city and county of Chiayi (嘉獩 or Jiayi) on their way to Alishan (Mount Ali), Taiwan’s most popular high mountain resort. Located in Chiayi County, Alishan shares a border with Nantou County and offers views of Taiwan’s highest peak, Yushan, during sunrise.
However, if you are ready to put in the effort, we can say that Chiayi has much more to offer than Alishan. Taiwan’s best-known teas are made on the tea plantations in Chiayi. You can spend the night in a tea plantation or hike along truly picturesque trails through the tea plantations. By the way, Chiayi City’s street cuisine is so delicious that an episode of the Netflix series Street cuisine: Asia was devoted entirely to the city. We can’t help but mention that Chiayi is also home to the recently opened South Branch of the National Palace Museum!
Chiayi, my wife’s hometown, has a special meaning for me. We celebrate Lunar New Year every year by “coming down” (渋去) with crowds of Taiwanese. We’re staying in a classic three-sided courtyard house in a small community surrounded by flooded coastal plains that offer some of the tastiest oysters in the country.
Below, I’ll go into more detail about my adventures exploring the Chiayi countryside, as well as the many other things this wonderfully satisfying city and county has to offer!
Introduction:
Located on the outskirts of Tainan, the first capital of Taiwan, Chiayi was formerly the ancestral home of the Hoanya indigenous people. It was ruled by the Dutch after the Europeans were expelled and later became part of the Tungning Kingdom of Koxinga.
When the Japanese invaded Taiwan, they left their mark; Many of its structures and artifacts can still be seen in Chiayi. The small gauge railway to Alishan was built by the Japanese to transport Hinoki (cypress) trees from the high mountain regions to the city of Chiayi.
Farmers in the Chiayi highlands began growing oolong tea after the Japanese left Taiwan because the growing conditions were excellent. Known as Alishan High Mountain Tea, it remains the most sought-after and recognized tea in Taiwan.
Nowadays, the majority of visitors to Alishan come from Chiayi city via the Alishan Forest Railway. However, since Typhoon Morakot in 2009 devastated the higher part of the railway line, passengers can only ride the train halfway before boarding the bus to Alishan.
Travelers seeking a more in-depth experience often spend an additional night at a tea estate in Xiding or Shizhao, or in the charming mountain town of Fenqihu, surrounded by bamboo trees, on their way to Alishan.
Ferries from Budai to the Penghu archipelago, home to some of Taiwan’s largest islands, depart from Chiayi coast; However, I personally recommend flying there.
How to Get to Chiayi?
The two most popular ways to get to Chiayi are HSR (High Speed Train) or TRA (Normal Train). Your decision will be influenced by many things, especially if you are moving to Alishan.
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Via Regular Train (TRA)
Although it takes longer (and costs less) to get to Chiayi using the TRA train, it does have a benefit. The heart of Chiayi City is home to Chiayi TRA Station. If you are thinking of taking the Alişan Forest Railway from here to Alişan, you should still come to this station. See this link to learn about your train ticket purchasing alternatives.
The bus to Alishan leaves more frequently from Chiayi TRA station rather than HSR station, even if you want to use it, as it is cheaper and faster than Alishan Forest Railway.
If you’re traveling to Chiayi from a nearby city like Tainan, Kaohsiung, or even Taichung, it only makes sense to use the TRA. In all these places, much of the time you could save by using the HST is wasted going to the station outside the city centre.
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Via High Speed Rail (HSR)
HSR trains to Chiayi are twice as fast but cost at least twice as much. Another factor to consider is that the Chiayi HSR station is located outside Taipei and all other Taiwanese cities except downtown Chiayi.
Actually, there are fewer buses from Chiayi HSR station to Alishan than from TRA station; only four buses a day. Confirm hours in advance before leaving.
However, if you want to go to Alishan using the Alishan Forest Railway, you will need to change from HSR station to TRA station in Chiayi. Take the shuttle (free from that day if you issue an HSR ticket) or plan a 20-minute taxi ride.
I always use HSR when traveling from Taipei to Chiayi. While regular trains take between 2.5 and 5 hours, this one only takes about 1.5 hours (see my Taipei city tour).
Take advantage of the early bird discount on HSR tickets by making a reservation on the official website up to 28 days in advance. Alternatively, buy them from Klook and get a 20% discount.
Purchase cheap HSR tickets on Klook.
Via Bus
Comfortable buses are available to Chiayi from all major cities on the west coast; journey times are comparable to those of slower trains. Click this link for bus tickets.
There is a single bus every day from Sun Moon Lake in Nantou to Alishan in Chiayi. The minibus leaves from Shuishe hamlet in Sun Moon Lake at 8 am and arrives in Alishan around 11 am.
The bus leaves Alishan at 13:00 and arrives at Sun Moon Lake in the other direction around 16:00. You can swipe your Easy Card to board the bus; Reservations are not accepted. To beat the line, get there a bit early.
How to organize your Chiayi itinerary
Most visitors stay in Chiayi between one and three nights. A popular overnight strategy is to drive to the county, head straight to Alishan, spend the night, watch the sunrise, and then head out. Although it may seem rushed, there is enough time to see Alishan.
You can spend the whole day walking there and watching the sunset if you arrive early in the day (take the 8am bus from Sun Moon Lake, which arrives at 11am), or take an early bus or train + bus from Chiayi.
Before you leave, you will have a few more hours of walking because you will be up very early the next morning for sunrise. You have enough time to hit all the major trails there this afternoon and morning.
However, some travelers book two nights in Alishan so they have more time to explore the park’s trails and feel less rushed. Alternatively, you can try to see the sunrise on two different mornings. For half the time, visibility is poor due to cloud cover, so you can try again later.
Unless you want to see everything I mentioned above, I wouldn’t bother spending a night in Chiayi City if your schedule for Taiwan is already full. Some, on the other hand, travel to Chiayi later that day and stay overnight to catch an early bus or train to Alishan the next morning.
If you have two nights free, I highly recommend staying one night in Alishan and the other in Xiding, Shizhao or Fenqihu. The ideal way to get to know this area, in my opinion, is to spend one night in each of these towns and one night in Alishan.
If these places appeal to you, consider spending a total of three nights there: perhaps one in Xiding or Shizhao (choose one of these towns as they are quite close), one in Fenqihu, and one in Alishan. .
Remember that there is not much to do in these three small towns other than walk around and enjoy the views of the tea plantations. While some people find them boring, others, like me, would stay even longer if we could.
Top Activities in Chiayi
I’ve divided the top attractions in Chiayi into the city itself, the Coastal Plains, Alishan National Scenic Area, and On the Alishan Road.
City of Chiayi
Although most visitors only pass through Chiayi City on their way to Alishan, there are a few attractions in the city center you may want to check out.
The main attraction of the city is Hinoki Village (檜意森洼村). It is an extraordinary collection of approximately twenty carefully preserved buildings from the Japanese period. Although admission is free, there are plenty of opportunities to spend money on food and souvenirs inside. Chiayi Station is a 20-minute walk away.
If you still can’t get enough of historic Japanese buildings, there is another Japanese ruin nearby called Chiayi Old Prison (嘉獩舊監獄). There are original prison cells that you can tour inside. Moreover, entrance is free.
Many historic Alishan railway wagons are on display at the Alishan Forest Railway Garage Park (阿懌山森林鐵路車庑園區), located near Hinoki Village. There are plenty of opportunities to photograph any decommissioned train; toilets are in old Alishan trains!
The Song of the Forest (森林之歌), a massive work of art made from repurposed railroad tiles, is five minutes away.
The Taiwan Tile Museum (釺灣花磚博物館) has an excellent collection of traditional Taiwanese tiles and is located between Alishan Station and Alishan Forest Railway Garage Park.
Not to mention, the expansive Chiayi Park is home to the striking Sun Shooting Tower (嘉獩公園射日塔), a playground, fountains, and a Confucius Temple, among other historical artifacts.
Housed in a heritage Japanese building in the park, the Chiayi City Historical Relic Museum (昭和十八J18-嘉義市史蹟資料館) offers traditional tea ceremonies and kimonos for hire.
A truly amazing mud spa in Tainan, Guanziling Mud Spa is located 40 minutes south of Chiayi City and takes 1 hour by bus. You can apply the mud on your body or take a dip in the silty hot spring water for medicinal effects. See my Tainan guide for more information.
Travel to Alishan
On the way to Alişan, tourists sometimes spend a few hours or nights in three different places. Choose Fenqihu for the best food and a trip through the bamboo forest, Shizhuo to buy tea or spend the night at a tea farm, and Xiding district for the famous dawn climbing and tea farms.
I love all three of these locations and wholeheartedly recommend them as additions or less crowded alternatives to Alishan. It only takes fifteen minutes to drive from Xiding to Shizhuo and from Shizhao to Fenqihu. If you decide to spend the night in any of them, ask the owner where to see fireflies at night.
Among the three, Xiding (颙頂) is the closest to Chiayi city. The magnificent Tea Mist Road (茶霧之道, the trailhead is here) and Eryanping Road (溌延平步恓) are the main reasons to stay here. Check out my Tea Mist trail and Eryanping guide here.
Stunning views of the tea farms can be seen from two interconnecting roads. If you want to walk these roads at night, they can be difficult due to their steepness. Here both routes result in the same spectacular view (see photo above).
These trails provide views of sunset and dawn, where the “sea of clouds” phenomenon can occasionally be seen. There isn’t much in Xiding other than a few motels and hiking trails.
Buses from Chiayi to Alishan pass through Xiding and it takes about an hour and twenty minutes to get there. It takes about an hour to reach Xiding from Alishan.
A similar sight can be seen in Shizhuo (石棹, sometimes written as Shizhao), 15 minutes after Xiding on the bus to Alishan. It is especially known for its tea fields, which are the source of the Alişan High Mountain Stream.
Many of these tea plantations allow overnight stays; For more information see “Where to Stay in Chiayi” above. see section. The farms have various trails such as Tea Trail, Mist, Cloud, Sunset and Alishan Sakura (where you can usually see cherry blossoms in March).
Shizhao consists mainly of a short strip of tea shops and a few restaurants along the highway; All buses from Alishan to Chiayi pass here. This is the main bus stop in front of 7-Eleven; You can get off here and go to Alishan. The downhill bus stop is located on the other side of the road.
After the bus stop for the climb, some buses will turn left and make a short detour to Fenqihu, then turn back and continue towards Alishan. Some buses go directly from Shizhao to Alishan, bypassing Fenqihu.
The third place along the Alishan route where many people stop or spend the night is Fenqihu (奮起湖; often written as Fenchihu). A small mountain community known for its lunch boxes and cute but lively Fenqihu Old Street. This is also the start of the spectacular Fenrui Historical Trail, a more strenuous journey through a dense bamboo grove.
The majority of Chiayi City train passengers descend on Fenqihu for lunch. Then they get on the bus to Alişan. The penultimate train stop is Fenqihu; You can continue to the last stop, Shitzulu, to catch the bus to Alishan, but there isn’t much to see there.
Due to its small size, the only things to do in Fenqihu are eating and bamboo climbing. However, if you spend the night, especially in spring, you can often see fireflies here.
On the way from Chiayi to Alishan, very few buses stop in Fenqihu. Thoroughly check train and connecting bus schedules from Chiayi TRA or HSR stations to avoid getting stranded there.
Recreation Area in Alishan National Forest
Taiwan’s best-known high mountain resort is Alishan. Major activities include hiking through the ancient forest, riding three lines of the historic small gauge railway, watching the sun set and rise, and viewing cherry blossoms in March and April.
A one-time payment of TWD 300 is required to access Alishan National Forest Recreation Area. If you present your bus ticket to Alişan, the fee will be only 150 TL.
Once you arrive at Alishan Bus Terminal, you will need to travel 5 to 10 minutes (walking from the entrance gate and walking a short distance uphill) to reach the tourist hamlet of Alishan, which hosts all the accommodation options, dining options and food options. retail stores and train station. From there you can go for a walk to see the beautiful sights or take one of the park’s three small railway lines.
Traveling from Alishan Station to Chaoping Station on the Alishan Forest Railway is a well-liked route. Trek the Sister Pond Trail to the temple at Shouzhen, and then join the Giant Tree Trail from there. You may then take a train back to Alishan station from Shenmu (Sacred Tree) Station.
Alishan offers astronomy trips at night. The majority of people get up early the next day and ride the train to Chushan Station, which is located at the well-known location for seeing the sunrise.
You will travel to Duigaoyue Station, which is just before Chushan station, as it is now undergoing repairs. From there, you may watch the dawn; alternatively, you can trek up to Chushan, or much higher, to Xiaoliyushan.
If you’re lucky, you may observe the morning phenomenon known as the “sea of clouds” that appears on all postcards. However, in my experience, your chances are only 50%. Sometimes clouds block your view in the morning, making it impossible to see anything.
After witnessing the dawn, you can choose to take a walk or take a train.
Chaoping Station is surrounded by cherry blossoms in late March and/or early April. It can be quite difficult to find a hotel room in Alişan during this busy period.
Plains Along the Coast
Travelers rarely venture to the coastal plains of Chiayi County, except specifically to see the South Branch of the National Palace Museum.
Newer and perhaps superior to the Taipei branch’s first location. Tell the guards that you are just passing through and proceed behind the train station and take bus 7212, which leaves Chiayi HSR station in 10 minutes and takes 40 minutes for free. Buy your ticket from this web link.
A few go to Budai Port (布袋港) to catch the ferry to Penghu. I recommend flying to Penghu instead of an hour-long choppy boat ride and an hour-long drive from Chiayi City.
One of the most unique sights in Taiwan is the High Heel Shoe Church, which is located on the same small island as the ferry terminal. It is a glass church shaped like a high-heeled shoe, as its name suggests.
From there, it’s a short drive south along the coast to Haomeili 3D Painted Community (好美懌3D彩繪村), a small local community covered in wall paintings. Some of them have been painted in such a way that you can step on them and feel part of the image.
The paintings in this town have evolved over the years, starting with mostly cat-related themes when we first arrived many years ago.
It is difficult to go to Haomeili 3D Painted Village and High-Heeled Shoes Church from Chiayi City. It would make sense to include them, along with three other interesting sites on the Tainan coast, on a driving trip.
These are Cigu Salt Mountain, Jingzijiao Wapan Salt Fields and Beimen Crystal Church. This car tour can be done from Tainan City or Chiayi City. For more information about them, check out my guide to Tainan.
Best Guided Tours in Chiayi
Since Alishan is the main attraction in Chiayi, tours to Alishan are the only ones available. Some visitors choose to take a day trip, overnight tour, or longer vacation in Taiwan that includes a visit to Alishan due to the fairly difficult route to get there.
This is a one, two or three-day trip to Alishan from Chiayi that offers bus and/or train transportation options.
This is a day trip to Alishan from Taichung or Kaohsiung; However, a day trip to Alishan from these cities is a bit quicker and gives you less time to spend in Alishan.
This private tour departing from Taipei by car includes stops at Alishan and Sun Moon Lake.
Where to stay in Chiayi
These are my top picks for hotels in Alishan Forest Recreation Area, Chiayi City, and the route to Alishan.
Chiayi city
There are two possible reasons to spend the night in Chiayi City. One is to visit the places I’ve listed below (although they’re only worth a few hours in my opinion). The other is in case you plan to go there late at night and want to take an early train or bus to Alishan.
I’ve stayed at the Chiayi King Hotel (see Reservations / Agoda) near Chiayi train station, a cheap but suitable place for a short overnight visit. Mega Hotel is a better option suitable for families; Check it on Booking / Agoda.
Chiayi Petite Hostel (see on Booking / Agoda) is a great hostel option.
Travel to Alishan
I suggest SunSweet Hotel (see on Booking / Agoda) or Bao Chi B&B (see on Booking / Agoda) if you spend the night in Xiding to enjoy the well-known Eryanping and Tea Mist sunrise trails (see more information below). Both offer great views from the rooms.
I wholeheartedly recommend staying at a tea farm guesthouse in Shizhao if tea is your thing. My stay at Cuiti B&B was fantastic (see it on Booking or Agoda). Although it’s a long walk from the highway, they offer a pick-up service from Fenqihu Train Station or Shizhao Bus Stop.
Longyun Leisure Farm is another tea farm accommodation I visited and it was really lovely (see on Booking / Agoda). It is located further up the mountain. Both Alishan Hinoki B&B (see Reservations / Agoda) and Green Incense Homestay (see Reservations / Agoda) are owned by tea estates, so you can stay close to the highway and bus stop.
Staying overnight in Fenqihu, the small town where most tourists change from the Alishan Forest Railway to the bus to reach Alishan, is an additional option for travelers heading to Alishan. I have stayed at the local traditional hotel, Fenqihu Hotel (see Reservations / Agoda); It also offers the well-known local lunchboxes.
Recreation area in Alishan National Forest
Be sure to book in advance at Alishan as there aren’t many hotel alternatives and they are often sold out. However, keep in mind that some hotels do not release their rooms until about three months in advance. The months of March to April are ideal for observing cherry blossoms.
The best hotel in Alishan is Alishan House (see Reservations / Agoda), although it is often crowded with tour groups. This hotel is located further into the park, along hiking trails than most of them, which are in the small tourist settlement next to the bus and train station. They provide pickup from the bus station.
All hotels in Alishan Tourist Village are located behind the visitor center and the main car park on the same street. They are all outdated and expensive for what they offer, so none really stand out.
See Chinshan (booking / Agoda) or Kao Feng (booking / Agoda).
Restaurants in Chiayi For Your Food
Although Tainan is often considered the culinary epicenter of Taiwan, Chiayi should also be mentioned. Since Chiayi has long been adjacent to Taiwan’s first capital, many of Tainan’s delicacies are also available in Chiayi.
Wasabi tastes great! The tourist village of Alishan has restaurants selling cold tofu with wasabi for dipping, or you can buy bottles of wasabi at the park’s gift shops. There won’t be many vegetarian alternatives available at this location. Here’s where to get vegan and vegetarian meals in Taiwan.
Naturally, Alishan is also known for its Alishan High Mountain tea, which can be purchased directly at farmers markets along Shizhao Highway or at Alishan resorts.
Coffee is also grown in the Alishan area! You can also see boxes of it in tourist stores. If it’s mostly offered in small one-cup filter bags instead of whole beans, don’t be surprised.
Spanish mackerel soup (土歠魚羹), eel noodles (鱔歚意麵) and bailei noodles (但在杢) are some Tainan delicacies to look out for in Chiayi. To locate them in Chiayi City, simply copy and paste their names in Mandarin into GoogleMaps.
Oysters are Chiayi’s specialty. A delicious way to try them is in a fried oyster ball (蚵嗲). This is a stall in Chiayi City that sells them.
You can try oyster omelets (蚵仔煎) at Wenhua Road Night Market which is another option. Another is to go to a restaurant by the sea where the only thing you can eat are oysters. Each individual simply has to pay 200 TWD for this!
Chiayi City’s main night market is located on Wenhua Road. Delicious regional dishes abound there, most of which I have included below.
Additionally, Chiayi owns two restaurants whose notoriety has skyrocketed since they were featured in the Netflix original series Street Food: Asia.
The first is Smartfish (林聰明沙捋歚栭), which specializes in soup made from fish heads. This is a hearty meal that is best shared between two or more people. In addition, they sell rice made in Türkiye.
Smartfish has significant wait times, but their service is excellent. Wenhua Road Night Market is where the restaurant is located. In addition to a duplicate restaurant offering the same items but with reduced wait times, here is another establishment.
Chiayi Turkey Rice Liu Li Zhang (劉懌敷雞肉飯) was the second Chiayi restaurant to be featured by Netflix. The popular Taiwanese chicken rice is made with turkey, called turkey rice.
It’s pretty basic, consisting of a small bowl of rice topped with a few strands of meat and occasionally pickled vegetables, fried shallots, and/or meat liquid. Many residents vouch for the superiority of other Turkish rice stores over Netflix, including this one, this one, and this one.
Try fried mochi (炸麼糬) at this popular mochi vendor in Chiayi for dessert (open only from 1 to 5). Don’t forget to try the gold leaf matcha ice cream I discovered at Hinoki Village:
Food options in Xiding or Shizhao will be very limited if you decide to stay overnight. The few local restaurants are small and close early.
You may have to bring your own meals if your accommodation is far from the highway (as was my case at Cuiti B&B). In Shizhao, there is only one 7-Eleven on the highway. Breakfast is usually included in hotels.
Fenqihu City is known for its lunch boxes (Fulong, Chishang, and Guanshan are other Taiwanese places with notable lunch boxes).
There are also tons of delicious treats at Fenqihu Old Street. I really like the tofu burger (鱆乍包), which was a big piece of tofu stuffed with tasty pickles, fried shallots, cilantro, and other ingredients. This is where you can try it. This food was also visible to me in Hinoki Village of Chiayi City.
You won’t find the best meals of your Taiwan vacation in Alishan. Most restaurants in the resort town offer extensive menus filled primarily with Taiwanese shared dishes.
A special feature to note is the Alishan wasabi, which is freshly produced from horseradish grown nearby. Compared to the usual green (fake) wasabi found in most Japanese restaurants, this wasabi is more brown than green and less spicy.