(Alishan) North – South Historic Trail

The historic trail runs through Alishan Township in Chiayi County from Taihe in the north to Shanmei in the south has a total length of about 95 km. It intersects at Shitzulu of the Alishan Forest Railway. These two routes were the transportation hub in Alishan district during the Japanese occupation.

Before the Japanese rule, this trail was a path connecting the various tribes of Tsou and has existed for a very long time. However, in order to standardize these tribal trails, the Government-General of Taiwan repaired these trails, forest railways and trails for the Han settlement during 1910 and 1929, and widened roads for regulating indigenous peoples. 

Today, the Alishan north-south historic trail has been destroyed completely. There are only two sections of this trail remaining: from Laiji to Shitzulu, and from Lijia to Shanmei.

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Old tracks of the Shanshui Line of Alishan Forestry Railway.
Old tracks of the Shanshui Line of Alishan Forestry Railway.
Old tracks of the Shanshui Line of Alishan Forestry Railway.
Mount Daito Observatory on the right.
Mount Daito Observatory on the right.
Mount Daito Observatory on the right.
Mount Daito Observatory on the right.
Mount Daito Observatory on the right.
Mount Daito Observatory on the right.
View of Yuehyana Mountain Ridge and Danai Valley from Shanmei Bridge.
View of Yuehyana Mountain Ridge and Danai Valley from Shanmei Bridge.
View of Yuehyana Mountain Ridge and Danai Valley from Shanmei Bridge.
Street of Shanmei Hamlet after the 2009 Typhoon Morakot.
Street of Shanmei Hamlet after the 2009 Typhoon Morakot.
Street of Shanmei Hamlet after the 2009 Typhoon Morakot.
Mount Daito Observatory on the right.
Mount Daito Observatory on the right.
Mount Daito Observatory on the right.
Mount Daito Observatory on the right.
Mount Daito Observatory on the right.
Mount Daito Observatory on the right.
Mianyue Line of Alishan Forestry Railway
Mianyue Line of Alishan Forestry Railway
Mianyue Line of Alishan Forestry Railway
Looking out to Tashan from Chaoping, Alishan
Looking out to Tashan from Chaoping, Alishan
Looking out to Tashan from Chaoping, Alishan
Looking out to Tashan from Chaoping, Alishan
Looking out to Tashan from Chaoping, Alishan
Looking out to Tashan from Chaoping, Alishan
View of Zizhong from the distance, and the obvious damage of Alishan Highway
View of Zizhong from the distance, and the obvious damage of Alishan Highway
View of Zizhong from the distance, and the obvious damage of Alishan Highway
Tfuya Historic Trail entrance by Zizhong Road.
Tfuya Historic Trail entrance by Zizhong Road.
Tfuya Historic Trail entrance by Zizhong Road.
Old tracks of the Shanshui Line of Alishan Forestry Railway, passing a man-made forest of conifers.
Old tracks of the Shanshui Line of Alishan Forestry Railway, passing a man-made forest of conifers.
Old tracks of the Shanshui Line of Alishan Forestry Railway, passing a man-made forest of conifers.
Railway Bridge of the Shanshui Line of Alishan Forestry Railway.
Railway Bridge of the Shanshui Line of Alishan Forestry Railway.
Railway Bridge of the Shanshui Line of Alishan Forestry Railway.
Old tracks of the Shanshui Line of Alishan Forestry Railway, passing the root of Formosan Red Cypress.
Old tracks of the Shanshui Line of Alishan Forestry Railway, passing the root of Formosan Red Cypress.
Old tracks of the Shanshui Line of Alishan Forestry Railway, passing the root of Formosan Red Cypress.
Old tracks of the Shanshui Line of Alishan Forestry Railway.
Old tracks of the Shanshui Line of Alishan Forestry Railway.
Old tracks of the Shanshui Line of Alishan Forestry Railway.
Roots of Formosan Red Cypress at 3.7km of Tfuya Historic Trail
Roots of Formosan Red Cypress at 3.7km of Tfuya Historic Trail
Roots of Formosan Red Cypress at 3.7km of Tfuya Historic Trail
Roots of Formosan Red Cypress at 3.7km of Tfuya Historic Trail
Roots of Formosan Red Cypress at 3.7km of Tfuya Historic Trail
Roots of Formosan Red Cypress at 3.7km of Tfuya Historic Trail
Wooden stairs at 4.2km of Tfuya Historic Trail
Wooden stairs at 4.2km of Tfuya Historic Trail
Wooden stairs at 4.2km of Tfuya Historic Trail
Small slope located around 1900m of Tfuya Historic Trail.
Small slope located around 1900m of Tfuya Historic Trail.
Small slope located around 1900m of Tfuya Historic Trail.
Signposts at around 1900m of Tfuya Historic Trail
Signposts at around 1900m of Tfuya Historic Trail
Signposts at around 1900m of Tfuya Historic Trail
Birds’ eye view of Tfuya Village. The path on the bottom right leads to Tfuya Historic Trail.
Birds’ eye view of Tfuya Village. The path on the bottom right leads to Tfuya Historic Trail.
Birds’ eye view of Tfuya Village. The path on the bottom right leads to Tfuya Historic Trail.
Tsatsaya Village from the distance
Tsatsaya Village from the distance
Tsatsaya Village from the distance
View of Tsatsaya Village from Longmei Village
View of Tsatsaya Village from Longmei Village
View of Tsatsaya Village from Longmei Village
Gongtian Settlement
Gongtian Settlement
Gongtian Settlement
Dijiu Suspension Bridge in Chukou Village
Dijiu Suspension Bridge in Chukou Village
Dijiu Suspension Bridge in Chukou Village
Chukou Village
Chukou Village
Chukou Village
Wailaji Village on the left, and Nailaiji Village at the far back
Wailaji Village on the left, and Nailaiji Village at the far back
Wailaji Village on the left, and Nailaiji Village at the far back
Wailaiji (Outer Laiji) Village
Wailaiji (Outer Laiji) Village
Wailaiji (Outer Laiji) Village
Neilaiji (Inner Laiji) Village
Neilaiji (Inner Laiji) Village
Neilaiji (Inner Laiji) Village
Laiji Trail Entrance located next to Shitzulu Station
Laiji Trail Entrance located next to Shitzulu Station
Laiji Trail Entrance located next to Shitzulu Station
十字路通往來吉部落的步道一景
十字路通往來吉部落的步道一景
十字路通往來吉部落的步道一景
Laiji Trail Entrance Signpost
Laiji Trail Entrance Signpost
Laiji Trail Entrance Signpost
Lalauya Village
Lalauya Village
Lalauya Village
Dormitory for police officers at Daban police station. Now it serves as Daban Information Center.
Dormitory for police officers at Daban police station. Now it serves as Daban Information Center.
Dormitory for police officers at Daban police station. Now it serves as Daban Information Center.
Dormitory for police officers at Daban police station. Now it serves as Daban Information Center.
Dormitory for police officers at Daban police station. Now it serves as Daban Information Center.
Dormitory for police officers at Daban police station. Now it serves as Daban Information Center.
Daban Police Station in Daban Village
Daban Police Station in Daban Village
Daban Police Station in Daban Village

古道地圖

Attractions
Daban Men’s Meeting House
影像為達邦部落的男子會所(Kuba),目前達邦與特富野大社,還有男子會所(Kuba)建築矗立於部落中,成為鄒族部落中建築的表徵。
Daban Men’s Meeting House資訊

Cou people believe that the existence or failure of a tribe is dependent on the existence or non-existence of the men’s meeting house (Kuba). The housing facilities inside the settlement are the reflection of the operation of the social system. The settlement is the tribal integration center, and its symbolic building is the Kuba. All political, economic, religious, and other public affairs of the tribe must be carried out inside the kuba. The kuba is built in the center or at the entrance of the settlement and is the largest building in the tribe. There is a fire pit in the center of the kuba. Traditionally, the fire must be lit all year round, which symbolizes the continuous life of the tribe. As it has a thatched roof, the fire cannot be too fierce. The square in front of the kuba is a place for tribal ceremonies, judicial arbitration, and other public affairs. There is a sacred tree and an altar below it on the north side of the square. It is a sea fig tree (Yono), which is the ladder for the gods to descend from the sky.

Tefuye Men’s Meeting House
影像為特富野部落的男子會所(Kuba),特富野部落是阿里山鄒族的兩大社之一,為現存鄒族聚落中最早成立者。目前達邦與特富野大社,還有男子會所(Kuba)建築矗立於部落中,成為鄒族部落中建築的表徵。
Tefuye Men’s Meeting House資訊

Cou people believe that the existence or failure of a tribe is dependent on the existence or non-existence of the men’s meeting house (Kuba). The housing facilities inside the settlement are the reflection of the operation of the social system. The settlement is the tribal integration center, and its symbolic building is the Kuba. All political, economic, religious, and other public affairs of the tribe must be carried out inside the kuba. The kuba is built in the center or at the entrance of the settlement and is the largest building in the tribe. There is a fire pit in the center of the kuba. Traditionally, the fire must be lit all year round, which symbolizes the continuous life of the tribe. As it has a thatched roof, the fire cannot be too fierce. The square in front of the kuba is a place for tribal ceremonies, judicial arbitration, and other public affairs. There is a sacred tree and an altar below it on the north side of the square. It is a sea fig tree (Yono), which is the ladder for the gods to descend from the sky.

Shitzulu
影像為十字路車站及其前方的鐵道
Shitzulu資訊

Shitzulu Station was opened in October of the first year of Taisho (1912). It is a stop of the Alishan Forest Railway, with an altitude of about 1,530 meters.  Before the Alishan highway was opened, Shitzulu was the traffic hub in the village, and also the most interacted village and closest to indigenous villages. Since it is located in the midpoint between the Alishan Forest Railway and the Tefuye hamlet of the Cou tribe, the station connects Laiji and Tefuye hamlets. Therefore, the nearby hamlets like Tsatsaya, Shanmei, Lalauya, Laiji, Tefuye had earlier contact with the outside world than other tribes due to their location.

Today, most of the residents of Shitzulu village are descendants of loggers from the Japanese occupation period or employees of the Alishan Forest Railway. In the past, the area was quite developed because there is a train station as well as simple power supply equipment, a post office, and other facilities. However, after the opening of the Alishan Highway, the function of the railway station died away.

Kinzan Dr. Kawai Monument
影像為河合博士旌功碑,為紀念日本東京帝國大學教授河合鈰太郎林學博士。
Kinzan Dr. Kawai Monument資訊

Kawai Shitaro visited Alishan in Chiayi in May 1902 and found that Alishan had excellent forestry, good materials and abundant resources. Afterwards, Dr. Hehe's opinions played a key role in several important surveys and forestry management planning. Dr. Kawai played a major role in the development of Alishan forestry. In the 6th year of Showa (1931) March 14, Dr. Kawai passed away in Tokyo, Japan. In honoring his achievements, posterity erected the Kinzan Dr. Kawai Monument in Alishan in November, Showa 7 (1932). It was officially unveiled on February 3, Showa 8 (1933), and designated as a county historic site in 2009.

Daban Police Station
位於達邦部落的達邦派出所
Daban Police Station資訊

The Dabang Police Station is located in Dabang Village, Alishan Township, Chiayi County on the terrace where Tefuye River and Changgu River merge into the mainstream, about 970 meters above sea level. The traditional Tsou name of the place, Dabanu, was taken from the last name of the chief who established the tribe. During the Japanese occupation, the Government-General in Taiwan set up a police post in the Dabang tribe. However, due to changes in the Lifan Policy (Indigene Management), the police post had different names and functions. After the police posts were legalized in 1913, it was named Dabang police officer station.

Today, Dabang Police Station still has an independent firearms and ammunition warehouse as well as the police dormitory of that time.

 

Dormitory for police officers at Daban Police Post
達邦駐在所的警察宿舍,現為達邦旅遊服務中心
Dormitory for police officers at Daban Police Post資訊

The Dabang Police Dormitory, located behind the Dabang Police Post in Alishan, was used by the Governor-General in Taiwan to send officers there to supervise the local Tsou people during the Japanese occupation. Due to the changes in the Lifan Policy (Indigene Management), the Dabang Police Post had different names and functions. It was not until the legalization of the station where the officers were stationed that it was named the Dabang Police Officer Station in 1913. At that time, the police dormitory where Dabang was stationed not only provided police housing, but also hosted officials who came for inspection. After the war, the National Government changed it to a dormitory for the mayor’s family members. Currently, the building has been renovated and is being used as the Dabang Visitor Information Center.

Lalauya Hamlet
從遠處眺望樂野部落
Lalauya Hamlet資訊

Located in Alishan Township, Chiayi County, Lalauya (or Leyeh) Hamet is located about 2 km away from Shizhao Section of Alishan Highway. It is a small community derived from Tfuya village. Due to the ravages and natural disasters in the past, the tribes moved here. The name Leyeh is the transliteration of the traditional Tsou name, Lalauya.

In the early days of the Japanese Occupation, the tribe had 5 households with 70 people. In the early post-war period, the number increased to 26 households with 111 people. With the opening of the Alishan Highway that connected the county roads and township roads, it made traveling more convenient for the Tsou people. Especially since 2003, the Alishan township office, household registration office and police station have all moved to nearby areas. Lalauya has become the administrative center of the whole township.

Shitzulu (Laiji Trail)
十字路通往來吉步道的入口指標
Shitzulu (Laiji Trail)資訊

Shitzulu (Laiji Trail) is located between Shizi village and Dabang village in Alishan Township, Chiayi County.  It is about 1,530 meters above sea level and was used to be a passage between Tfuya village and Laiji village of the Tsou. The name Shitzulu means crossroad because during the Japanese occupation, this area was marked as a crossroad on the mountain line. At that time, when the Alishan Forest Railway was built by the Governor-General in Taiwan, it was also the residence of the railway workers. After the completion of the railway, the Shitzulu Station was built. Later, due to the development of the camphor industry, they settled in camphor workers and formed a Han settlement.

Today, the Shitzulu Station settlement is only about 50 meters away from the Alishan Highway, which is the closest place between the railway and the highway.

Neilaiji (Inner Laiji) Village
從高處眺望內來吉部落
Neilaiji (Inner Laiji) Village資訊

Neilaiji Hamlet is located in the alluvial land on the right bank of the Alishan River, in Laiji Village, Alishan Township, Chiayi County. The traditional name is Bnguu or Pnguu, which means low basin. It is also known as the old Laiji Hamlet. During the Qing period, the people of Neilaiji Hamlet moved from Tfuya to Lalauya and lived there for about 20 years. Then they crossed the Shitzulu and temporarily settled in traditional territories such as Chumana, Meongo, and Fnafnau. Finally, they moved to the current Neilaiji during the Japanese occupation. Relevant documents from the Governor-General in Taiwan noted that the migration road between Shitzulu and Laiji Hamlets was repaired in the middle of the Japanese occupation.

Wailaiji (Outer Laiji) Village
從高處眺望外來吉部落
Wailaiji (Outer Laiji) Village資訊

The Wailaiji Hamlet is located on a terrace where the Tashan River merges into the mainstream in Laiji Hamlet in Alishan Township, Chiayi County. It is about 1 km north of the Neilaiji Hamlet and the traditional name is Bon, which means outside pump. During the Qing period, Wailaiji Hamlet was a new community of the Liuliuzi clang, and because it was located in the north of the old site, it was named Wailaiji (Outer Laiji).  In the early days of Japanese Occupation, the Government-General in Taiwan built a police post and an education center indigenous children because this area had relatively large flat land.

Chukou Village
從高處眺望番路鄉觸口村
Chukou Village資訊

Chukou Village of Fanlu Township, Chiayi County, was the last flatland settlement to be established in the Alishan area. It is located at the valley entrance where the Bazhang River flows from the mountains to the flat land. There are two bridges, Tianchang and Dijiu, on the upstream and downstream of the river respectively. This is also where the Chukou fault is located. The Bazhang River that sits in between two mountain walls forms a cliff with a huge drop. It is as steep as two bulls fighting head-to-head, hence the name.

At the end of the Qing period, this place was developed into Chukou Street, which was a trading hub for mountain products. In the early days of the Japanese occupation, there was a railway for transporting goods leading to Chiayi South Gate via Dingzhongxia Street (Dingliu). At that time, there were 36 households and 134 people in Chukou village. At the end of the Japanese occupation period, there were only 18 households left.

Gongtian Village
從空中俯瞰公田聚落
Gongtian Village資訊

Gongtian Village, located in Fanlu Township, Chiayi County, is bounded by Zhuqi Township and Alishan Township from the north to the east. People of the Liu family named this place Gongtian (literally means public field) because this piece of land was jointly cultivated. Gongtian then gradually became a regional general term. During the Japanese occupation, this place belonged to Gongtian Dazi and a police post was set up. In the post-war period, the administrative area was re-structured. The main settlement remained to be Gongtian and thus, the old administrative area name, Gongtian Village, was used.

Tsatsaya Hamlet
從龍美聚落俯瞰智智亞部落
Tsatsaya Hamlet資訊

The Tsatsaya Hamlet is located in Shanmei village, Alishan Township in Chiayi County. It is located below the junction of Alishan Highway and Shanmei Industrial Road. It was a small community of the bigger Dabang group of the Tsou tribe. The traditional name is Tsatsaya, but was called “Laitoushe” by the Han people at that time, because the hamlet is located near Laitou (Longmei) of Fanlu Township. Today, the hamlet is known by Zhizhiya, which is the transliterated name of Tsatsaya.  In the early days of Japanese occupation, the Tsatsaya hamlet had six households with 52 people, and in the early post-war period, there were nine households with 48 people. Also, since they were located near the Alishan Forest Railway,  they had earlier contacts with the outside world.

 

Tfuya Hamlet
從空中俯瞰特富野部落,右下道路可通往特富野古道
Tfuya Hamlet資訊

Tefuya Hamlet in Dabang Village, Alishan Township in Chiayi County. It is located on the high river terrace on the left bank of the Zengwen River. It is about 1,050 meters above sea level. It is an important passage for the Tsou people to go to Yushan area for hunting. As Tfuye hamlet is situated closer to the source of the Zengwen River, the traditional name is Tsumuna, which means water source. However, relevant documents from the Qing period noted that this place was called Zhumulaoshe or Duwuliaoshe. It was also recorded as Zhimulaoshe or Tunmushe in the early days of Japanese occupation. Both terms were transliterated from the pronunciation of tu-bu-la in Hoklo language. It was not until after the war that the term was transliterated  into Tfuya in Chinese.

Tfuya Historic Trail
特富野古道約1900公尺處的小鞍部
Tfuya Historic Trail資訊

The Tfuya Historic Trail, which straddles the junction of Alishan Township in Chiayi County and Xinyi Township in Nantou County, mainly leads from Tfuya to Zizhong. It was a path that the Tsou people used for hunting, wedding, and visiting families in the past. In addition, it can be connected to Tataga and all the way to the Yushan area, which is an important passage for connecting Alishan and Yushan. In the middle of the Japanese occupation period, the Government-General in Taiwan rebuilt the old trail adjacent to Zizhong into an old railway on the Shuishan Line, which was used to transport timber. The railway was abandoned in 1977 and in 2001, the 6.32 km long trail that goes from Tfuya to Zizhong was refurbished, preserving the original railway pavement, which is the Tfuya Historic Trail known today.

Tfuya Historic Trail (Old railway of the Shanshui Line)
(阿里山)南北縱貫古道封面照
Tfuya Historic Trail (Old railway of the Shanshui Line)資訊

Located in Alishan Township of Chiayi County, the Tfuya Historic Trail (Old Railway of the Shuishan Line) is a branch line of the Dongpu Line of the Alishan Forest Railway in the past. The railway was completed in 1931, leading from Zhaoping to Eryu (Zizhong), and thereafter extending to Xingaokou. It is a railway built by the Government-General in Taiwan to develop the forest resources of Alishan during the Japanese occupation. Where the old Shuishan line meets Zizhong, there was a railway line branching out to the southwest. That is the current section of the Tfuya Historic Trail. However, the railway was abandoned in 1977. In 2001, the Chiayi Forestry Administration reorganized a part of the railway and made it the Tfuya Trail for tourists recreational hike.

Zizhong
自忠路旁可見特富野古道的登山口
Zizhong資訊

Located at the junction of Alishan Township in Chiayi County and Xinyi Township in Nantou County, Zizhong is at the valley pass between the Alishan Mountain Range and the Yushan Mountain Range. During the Japanese occupation, this place was called Eryu (Kodama), mainly in memory of Taiwan Governor Kodama Gentaro. But after the war, the name was changed to Zizhong in memory of Zhang Zizhong, an anti-Japanese General during World War II.  In 1931, the Government-General in Taiwan completed the construction of the Shuishan Line of the Alishan Forest Railway, which went from Zhaoping to Eryu (Zizhong), also known as the Eryu (Kodama) Line.

Looking out to Tashan
從阿里山的沼平向北觀望塔山
Looking out to Tashan資訊

Tashan is one of the Alishan mountain ranges. The mountain ranges from east to west. The rock formations are arranged horizontally and stacked on top of each other like a tower. The main peak of Tashan Mountain is 2,663 meters above sea level. It is the holy mountain of the Tsou tribe.

The traditional Tsou name is Hocubu, which has a meaning of the goblins’ nest and home to the spirits. Tsou people believe that the spirits live on Tashan after death, and that the good spirits live on Big Tashan, while the evil spirits live on small Tashan. Small Tashan is 2,484 meters above sea level, and its traditional name is Maeno, which means peak.

Railway of the Mianyue Line
阿里山林業鐵路的眠月線
Railway of the Mianyue Line資訊

The Mianyue Line of the Forest Railway is located inside the Alishan National Forest Recreation Area. It was completed in 1915 and is about 14 km in length from Alishan old station to Songshan station. There are two stations along the way, mainly Tashan and Mianyue. In 1934, the Mianyue Line was dismantled because the logging operation was terminated.  In the early post-war period, due to the need for afforestation along the Alishan Forest Railway, the National Government restored the railway up to the Shihou section. However in recent years, the Mianyue Railway has suffered severe damage from the Jiji earthquake and Typhoon Morakot, and is until today still impossible to pass.

 

Mount Daitou (Big Tashan)
右側為大塔山主峰,設有觀景臺
Mount Daitou (Big Tashan)資訊

Tashan is one of the Alishan mountain ranges. The mountain ranges from east to west. The rock formations are arranged horizontally and stacked on top of each other like a tower. The main peak of Tashan Mountain is 2,663 meters above sea level. It is the holy mountain of the Tsou tribe. The traditional name is Hocubu, which has a meaning of the goblins’ nest and home to the spirits. Tsou people believe that the spirits live on Tashan after death, and that the good spirits live on Big Tashan, while the evil spirits live on small Tashan. Small Tashan is 2,484 meters above sea level, and its traditional name is Maeno, which means peak.

Shanmei Hamlet
2009年莫拉克風災後的山美部落街道一景
Shanmei Hamlet資訊

Shanmei Hamlet is located in Shanmei village in Alishan Township, Chiayi County. It was originally the location for Shamijishe, a small community of the larger Dabang group. It used to be scattered in the southern base of Mount Sapiji above the present site. However, due to a landslide in the early days of the Japanese occupation, the people moved south to Shamiji and lived close to the police post, where they continued to use the old name. At that time, there were only 2 households with 14 people. In the early post-war period, the number increased to 58 households with 260 people.  When the National Government established an administration hub, the name of the hamlet was directly transliterated into Shanmei village.

Today, Shanmei hamlet has schools, a police station, farmers’ association, offices, churches, etc. It is the center of Alishan Township.

Limei Hideout Trail
從山美橋遠眺岳亞那山稜線和達娜伊谷
Limei Hideout Trail資訊

The Limei hideout trail that is located in Shanmei village and Lijia village in Alishan Township, Chiayi County used to be the main path from Tsou’s Shanmei hamlet to Lijia hamlet.  Starting from Shanmei hamlet, walk along the trail on the left bank of the Zengwen River, enter the Danai Valley, then climb the small branch on the west side of Yueyana Mountain to pass by Yofuni, you will arrive at Lijia hamlet. After the Alishan Highway was opened to traffic, this hideout trail has been abandoned for many years. When the trail was destroyed by Typhoon Morakot in 2009, people of the hamlet began to propose to the Forest Service Bureau to repair this historic trail. Other than for emergency relief, this area was also developed for tourism purposes. The Limei hideout trail was opened in 2013, with a total length of about 2.1 km.