Unlocked Taiwan: Alishan-Part II
阿里山森林遊樂區幅員廣大，為了好好善用在山上的時間，我們決定住在園區裡的飯店。選定最有名的阿里山賓館，從日治時期就是接待各大總督的度假勝地，也名列蔣公行館之一。
Alishan National Forest Recreation Area covers an area of approximately 1,400 square hectare. To make good use of time, we decided to live in Alishan House located in the recreation area. Alishan House is one of the prominent historical architectures in Taiwan. It was built in 1913 during the period of Japanese occupation, serving as a club for the government and celebrities at that time. Many big wheels have ever visited the hotel including President Chiang Kai-shek and Den Kenjirō, the 8th Japanese Governor-General of Taiwan.
阿里山賓館提供服務 The service offered by Alishan House
1. 免費接駁車往返阿里山旅客服務中心與飯店:
Free Shuttle bus between Alishan Visitor Information Center and Alishan House2. 50年代咖啡館 The 50s Coffee Shop
3. 日出火車票櫃檯代訂 Sunrise Alishan Forest Train ticket reservation (Zhushan/祝山 Station)
當天入住的房間隔壁就有招待過田健治郎，當下非常興奮，不枉名為古蹟飯店。搭配昏暗的燈光，確實有短暫穿越的感覺!
We were told that Baron Den Kenjirō had stayed just right next to our room. It’s interesting to share our memory with historical figures, and we felt our soul were traced back to Japanese colonial period when the light of the corridor got dimmer.
就在我們房間門口轉角處，就是50年代咖啡廳，據說這個看起來小巧的空間，在50年代是舞廳，現在仍保留懷舊的古蹟佈置，桌燈、木製桌椅搭配木窗，以及窗外的田園造景。伴隨懷舊的音樂和雨聲，我們在書中得到平靜。
Another spot of Alishan House that you can’t miss is ‘the 50s Coffee Shop’.
The 50s Coffee Shop is located at the corner of the lobby. Dating back to 1950s, it was an elegant ballroom. And now, the 50s Coffee Shop still remained all the settings of the ballroom including lamps, chairs, phonographs and the classical Chinese garden outside the windows. Accompanied with nostalgic music and the rhythm of the rain, we found peace in books.
阿里山非常適合森林系與鐵道迷，願望一次滿足。
路線建議：從阿里山賓館步行至神木車站，途經巨木群棧道（三代木、象鼻木），步道大部分平緩或大階梯，走在森林中很輕快舒服。剛好遇到火車停駐神木車站，周圍滿滿的植被與木棧道，輕輕鬆鬆就能抵達，是一條CP值非常高又充滿驚喜的路線。
Alishan is very suitable for those who like hiking or those who are fascinated by railways.
Route suggestion: You may start walking from Alishan House, through Giant Tree Plank Trail to Shenmu Station. Most of the trails are easy for hiking. It’s comfortable to walk in a forest. Surrounded by the woods, walking is definitely the best way to feel the wonder of the nature.
造訪當時(2020/08/28) 水山線步道已公告將維修關閉，直到2020/12/30再度開放，為了不錯過這個難得機會，於是我們二話不說直接前往阿里山車站，搭上前往「沼平車站」的小火車，再走上水山步道步行1.6公里，走過簡易月台、仿古木棧橋(a wood-structured railroad bridge) ，爬上小坡後，終於看見水山巨木。這條步道以前是水山支線，所以沿途都可以看到過去鐵道痕跡，路線規劃平坦好走。途中也可見鄒族聖山——塔山。
Shuishan Line is going to be closed until Dec. 30th, 2020 because of maintenance. In order not to miss the beauty of Giant Tree of Shuishan, we took a train from Alishan Station to Zhaoping Station. After getting off the train, we kept walking 1.6km along the wood-structured railroad bridge and climbed up a hill. Finally, we arrived at Giant Tree of Shuishan. The scenery along Shuishan Line was fascinating. We saw lots of railways remains and the saint mountain of Tsou people — Tashan.
當天微雨，溫度夠低，適當的雲霧又添增神秘驚喜感，彷彿置身宮崎駿電影。
The surrounding clouds and the sprinkle made the line mistier, just like we were all in the animations of Hayao Miyazaki.
我們不過走著一段長達1.6公里的路，來到水山巨木面前，原來這樣就2700年了呀，而它就安靜地、穩穩地在這兒矗立著。
It took us only a couple of minutes to reach Giant Tree of Shuishan, a tree has been 2,700 years old. The old tree stands here silently, watching the time washes away glory and decay year after year.
Author: Mavis & Mercy
Photography: Patrick
