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Alishan Township ( zh, t=, p=Ālǐshān Xiāng) is a mountain indigenous township in
Chiayi County Chiayi is a County (Taiwan), county in Taiwan. Located in Regions of Taiwan, southwestern Taiwan surrounding but not including Chiayi City, it is the sixth largest county in the island of Taiwan. Its major tourist destination is Alishan Natio ...
, Taiwan. The Alishan National Scenic Area covers most, but not all, of the township and also parts of neighboring townships.


History

Alishan is traditional territory of the headhunting
Tsou people The Tsou ( Tsou: ''Cou''; ) are an indigenous people of central southern Taiwan. They are an Austronesian ethnic group. They reside in Chiayi County and Nantou County. The Tsou numbered around 6,000, approximately 1.19% of Taiwan's total Indige ...
, whose rich
oral histories Oral history is the collection and study of historical information from people, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews. These interviews are conducted with people who pa ...
describe the migrations of each ancient clans' ancestors into the area between Yushan and the
Chianan Plain Chianan, Chia-nan, or Jianan may refer to: * Chiayi–Tainan Plain, also known as the Chianan or Jianan Plain (, ''Jiānán Píngyuán''), a large plain on Taiwan Island * Chianan Irrigation (, ''Jianán Dàzùn''), also known as the Kanan Irrigat ...
. Originally, each clan had its own settlement, with the first multi-clan town, Tfuya, only forming approximately 1600 CE. The earliest written record of the Tsou dates from the Dutch occupation, which describes Tfuya as having approximately 300 people in 1647.
Ethnologists Ethnology (from the , meaning 'nation') is an academic field and discipline that compares and analyzes the characteristics of different peoples and the relationships between them (compare cultural, social, or sociocultural anthropology). Scien ...
have attempted to reconstruct the development of Tfuya, proposing that each stage of clan migration could be equivalent to three or four generations of family. The Alishan area was originally settled by the Tsou tribe of the
Taiwanese aborigines Taiwanese may refer to: * of or related to Taiwan **Culture of Taiwan **Geography of Taiwan ** Taiwanese cuisine *Languages of Taiwan ** Formosan languages ** Taiwanese Hokkien, also known as the Taiwanese language * Taiwanese people, residents of ...
; the name derives from the aboriginal word ''Jarissang''. From 1920 to 1945, the area was classified as Savage Land under Kagi District,
Tainan Prefecture was one of the administrative divisions of Taiwan during the Japanese rule. The prefecture consisted of modern-day Tainan City, Chiayi City, Chiayi County, and Yunlin County. Population Administrative divisions Cities and districts In ...
. After 1945, the area was named Wufeng Township (), after Qing merchant Wu Feng, who Han Chinese legend credits with causing the aborigines to give up headhunting. In 1989, soon after the 1987 lifting of
martial law in Taiwan Martial law in Taiwan () refers to the periods in the history of Taiwan after World War II, during control by the Republic of China Armed Forces of the Kuomintang-led regime. The term is specifically used to refer to the over 38-year-long c ...
and taking advantage of a new-found emphasis on human rights, aborigines who had long been offended by their perception of racism in the Wu Feng story protested against its continued presence in history books, and as part of the protest, they demolished statues of Wu Feng "wherever they found them". As a result, in March 1989 Wufeng was renamed Alishan Township.


Geography

It has a population total of 5,374 and an area of 427.8471 square kilometres. It is located at an elevation of in the western highlands of Taiwan.


Climate

Alishan has a
subtropical highland climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring c ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
: Cwb) with extremely wet and mild conditions during the
monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in Atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annu ...
season when the town receives of rain in five months, and cool and drier conditions during the winter months. Temperatures remain relatively constant throughout the year, with only noticeably cooler temperatures during the winter months of December to February of the following year. When
typhoon A typhoon is a tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere and which produces sustained hurricane-force winds of at least . This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, accounting for a ...
s hit Taiwan during the wet season, rainfall in highland locations like Alishan can exceed per day, which is the heaviest rainfall in the Northern Hemisphere and exceeded only in a few oceanic islands of the Southern Hemisphere such as
Réunion Réunion (; ; ; known as before 1848) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France. Part of the Mascarene Islands, it is located approximately east of the isl ...
.


Administrative divisions

The township comprises 12 villages: Chashan, Dabang, Fongshan, Laiji, Leye, Lijia, Shanmei, Shihzih, Sianglin, Sinmei, Jhongshan and Jhongjheng.


Tourist attractions

Alishan is the main base for trekkers in the highlands of Taiwan and for mountain climbers aiming to scale
Yu Shan Yu Shan or Yushan, also known as Mount Jade, Jade Mountain, Tongku Saveq or Mount Niitaka during Taiwan under Japanese rule, Japanese rule, is the highest mountain in Taiwan at above sea level, giving Taiwan the List of islands by highest ...
, Taiwan's highest peak and the highest and sole formerly glaciated point on the
Tropic of Cancer The Tropic of Cancer, also known as the Northern Tropic, is the Earth's northernmost circle of latitude where the Sun can be seen directly overhead. This occurs on the June solstice, when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun ...
. Chu Shan, though lower, is more accessible and climbed by most visitors to the region, which is extremely popular with Taiwanese tourists. The highland region in which Alishan is situated also contains a number of notable rock formations from the continuing uplift of the island. Jiao Lung Waterfall, Taiwan's tallest waterfall, is located within the township. YuYuPas Tsou cultural tribe park showcases the culture of the Tsou.


Transportation

Alishan township is accessible from Duolin Station, Shizilu Station, Pingzhena Station, Erwanping Station, Shenmu Station, Alishan Station and Zhaoping Station of the Alishan Forest Railway.


Notable natives

* Francesca Kao, actress, singer and television host * Shih Chih-wei, baseball player


References


External links


Alishan Natiaonl Scenic Area
{{Taiwanese aboriginal areas Townships in Chiayi County