Taiwan 5: Alishan Sightseeing

As I gained altitude, the morning fog cleared as if by magic.

高度を増すごとに朝の霧は嘘のように晴れ上がってきました。

This is the entrance to the Forest Recreation Area. As you can see, the weather is clear and sunny. After walking a short distance from the entrance, you’ll reach a well-maintained walking trail.

これは森林遊楽区の入り口です。ご覧のように上天気です。入り口からしばらく行くと整備された遊歩道に出ます。

Continuing deeper into the giant trees along the walking path leads to two lakes known as “Sisters’ Pools.” This is the larger Sister Pool. Legend tells of two sisters who lived on this mountain, both falling in love with the same man. Out of consideration for each other, they both took their own lives at the lakeside.

遊歩道の巨木群をさらに奥へと進むと「姐妹潭」と呼ばれる大小ふたつの湖に出ます。こちらは大きい方の姐潭です。この山に住む姉妹が同じ男性を好きになり、互いを思いやるがために二人とも湖のほとりで自ら命を絶ったという言い伝えがあります。

This is the “Sacred Tree,” a 3,000-year-old Taiwan cypress, one of the “Five Wonders.” Below it, you can see the rails of the forest railway. This sacred tree was felled in 1998 due to severe damage from a lightning strike the previous year. This was likely also to prevent railway accidents. In 2007, the second-generation sacred tree, the “Xianglin Sacred Tree,” was selected from among many old trees.

「五奇」の一つ樹齢3000年の台湾檜の「神木」です。その下に森林鉄道のレールが見えています。この神木は1998年、前年の落雷のダメージが大きいため切り倒されてしまいました。おそらく鉄道の事故防止もあったのでしょう。2007年になって多くの老木の中から二代目の神木「香林神木」が選ばれています。

This is the “Three Generations Tree.” The first generation, a cypress, withered away. From its moss-covered fallen trunk, the second generation sprouted. And just as that second generation withered, the third generation grew. They were intricately intertwined.

こちらは「三代木」です。一代目の檜が枯れ、その苔むした倒木から二代目が芽吹き、その二代目も枯れると同じように三代目が生育したそうです。複雑に絡み合っていました。

This is the sea of clouds viewpoint at Alishan, but as expected, it’s no good once the sun gets high. The mountain on the right is Mount Tashan, 2,484 meters high, famous for its exposed rock strata joints that reveal its tectonic history. Come to think of it, I can see the joints (?).

Regarding Alishan’s “Five Wonders”: the ‘Railway’ is just the tracks, the “Evening Glow” is actually morning mist, and the “Sea of Clouds” can’t be seen when the sun is high. So, in the end, the only one I actually saw was the “Sacred Tree”.

The remaining one, “Sunrise,” has a dedicated viewing point called Zhushan. The forest railway laid during the Japanese colonial era only reached Zhaoping Station, but later, Zhushan Station was built further ahead specifically for sunrise viewing. Trains now run daily, timed to coincide with sunrise. It’s popular to watch the sunrise from Zhushan’s observatory, rising over Taiwan’s highest peak, Yushan (3,952m).

During Japanese rule, Yushan was called “Nii-Takayama” (New High Mountain) as it was considered taller than Mount Fuji. The surrounding area was developed as “Alishan Nii-Takayama National Park.” The Pacific War’s cryptic battle cry “…Niitakayama Nobore…” (“…Climb Niitaka Mountain…”) is famously associated with this.

For those my age, alongside canned Sakuma Drops, the cylindrically wrapped Niitaka Drops bring back nostalgic memories. These drops were made by Nii-Taka Confectionery, a Japanese company founded in sugar-rich Taiwan during the Meiji era. While Sakuma Drops are still seen today, Niitaka Drops seem to have disappeared (?).

I’d peel back the wrapper bit by bit and pop the round, flat Niitaka Drop into my mouth. It took courage to pop two or three at once. As a child, it surely felt like a luxury.

ここは阿里山の雲海ポイントですが、さすがに日が高くなるとダメです。右の山は標高2,484ｍの塔山、造山活動がわかる岩層節理が露出していることで有名です。そういえば節理が見えている(？)。

阿里山の「五奇」ですが、「鉄道」は線路のみ、「夕霞」は朝霧に、「雲海」は日が高く望めず、こんな具合で実際に私が見たのは「神木」だけでした。
残る一つ「日の出」は祝山というご来光ポイントがあります。日本統治時代に敷設した森林鉄道は沼平駅までですが、後にその先にご来光を拝むための祝山駅ができて毎朝ご来光の時間に合わせて列車が運行されています。祝山の展望台から台湾の最高峰3,952ｍ「玉山(ユイシャン)」から昇るご来光を拝むのが人気です。

日本統治時代には玉山を富士山より高い山として「新高山」と呼び、周辺環境を整え「阿里山新高山国立公園」としていました。太平洋戦争開戦の暗号「…ニイタカヤマノボレ…」はあまりにも有名です。

私ぐらいの年齢になると缶入りのサクマドロップとならんで円筒状に包まれたニイタカドロップが懐かしく思い出されます。明治時代に砂糖が豊富な台湾で創業された日本の企業、新高製菓のドロップです。今でもサクマドロップは見かけますがニイタカドロップは無くなってしまった(？)ようです。
包装紙を少しずつ剥がしながら丸くて平たい形状のニイタカドロップを口の中に放り込みます。二個、三個いっぺんに放り込むには勇気がいりました。きっと子供心に贅沢に感じていたのでしょう。