Alishan
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Alishan 阿里山 鄉 |
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.svg) Location of Alishan's in Chiayi County |
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| State : |
 Republic of China (Taiwan)
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| County : | Chiayi | ||
| Coordinates : | 23 ° 26 ′ N , 120 ° 45 ′ E | ||
| Height : | 360 - 3952 m | ||
| Area : | 427.8471 km² | ||
| Residents : | 5,631 (Oct 2017) | ||
| Population density : | 13 inhabitants per km² | ||
| Time zone : | UTC + 8 (Chungyuan time) | ||
| Postal code : | 605 | ||
| ISO 3166-2 : | TW-CYQ | ||
| Community type : | Rural community ( 鄉 , Xiang ) | ||
| Structure : | 12 villages ( 村 , Cūn ) | ||
| Mayor : | Du Li-quan ( 杜力泉 ) ( KMT ) | ||
| Website : | |||
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Alishan ( Chinese 阿里山 鄉 , Pinyin Ālǐshān Xiāng ) is a rural community (鄉, Xiang ) in Chiayi County in the Republic of China on Taiwan . Alishan is also well known as a tourist destination outside of Taiwan.
Naming and history
The origin of the name 'Alishan' is unclear. Originally the region was inhabited by the Taiwanese indigenous people of the Tsou . However, during the time that Taiwan became part of the Chinese Empire (from the end of the 17th century), like the entire interior of the island, the area was never really under the control of the Chinese authorities. After the region at the time of the Japanese rule over Taiwan (1895-1945) was increasingly administratively controlled and penetrated, it was assigned to the Tainan Prefecture. When the island of Taiwan came under the control of the national Chinese government again in 1945, the former Japanese prefecture was divided into the three counties of Tainan , Yunlin and Chiayi and Alishan came to the latter. The community was named Wufong (吳鳳). The name should be reminiscent of the Chinese trader Wu Feng at the time of the Qing Dynasty in the 18th century, who, according to legend, convinced the Tsou to give up their previously practiced headhunting practice and sacrificed his own life for it. When the full democratization of political life in Taiwan began in the late 1980s, the legend of Wu Feng fell into disrepute in many ways. The fate of Wu Feng had previously been presented as an example of the "civilization of the Taiwanese savages" by the superior Han Chinese high culture from the mainland. The indigenous peoples protested against the supposed cultural arrogance that was expressed here. Taiwanese democracy activists saw the legend as an instrument to justify the rule of the Chinese mainland Kuomintang over the residents of Taiwan. Numerous public institutions that were named after Wu Feng were given new names, including Alishan, which got its current name on March 1, 1990.
Geographical conditions
The municipality of Alishan is the largest municipality in Chiayi County in terms of area, but it is the least populated, and is located on the eastern border of the district. To the west border the four rural communities Dapu (大埔), Fanlu (番 路), Zhuqi (竹崎) and Meishan (梅山). Also to the west, the community has a short border to Gukeng (古坑) rural community in Yunlin County , and to the north to Zhushan (竹山) and Xinyi (im) communities in Nantou County . To the east, Alishan is bounded by the (very rural) urban districts of Tauyuan and Namaxia of Kaohsiung .
Alishan is extraordinarily mountainous and the elevation above sea level varies between 360 and 3952 meters. Most of the community is occupied by the Alishan Mountains , an elongated mountain range that extends north-south between the Jiji communities in Nantou County and the Jiaxian district of Kaohsiung. In the far east, Alishan still has a small part of the Yushan Mountains . And in the easternmost tip, on the border with the two districts of Nantou and the city of Kaohsiung, lies Yushan , the highest mountain peak on the island of Taiwan at 3952 meters. The larger rivers Alishans, Cengwun, Bajhang and Alishan (Cingshuei) also have their source in the mountains.
Due to the great differences in altitude, Alishan has very different vegetation. In the plains there are subtropical forests, followed by evergreen shrubbery forest at low altitudes. In the mountain regions, there are oak forests with stone fruit oaks ( Lithocarpus ) and laurel plants ( Litsea ), and then coniferous forests of fir and bristle spruce . In the highest regions, there is an alpine vegetation with cypresses and azaleas in the Jhongshan Valley and other areas.
climate
In Alishan there is a weather station of the Taiwanese Meteorological Office at an altitude of 2,413 meters ( ).
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Climate data from the years 1981–2010
Source: Taiwan Central Weather Bureau
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Population and religions
The population consists mainly of members of the Tsou people, as well as Han Chinese. Members of the Bunun people also live in Chashan village . The Tsou have largely given up their old religious traditions and are now predominantly Christian denominations (Catholics, Presbyterians and other Protestants).
Administrative division
| Outline of Alishan |
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Alishan is divided into 12 villages ( 村 , Cūn ):
- Shanmei ( 山 美 村 )
- Sinmei ( 新 美 村 )
- Chashan ( 茶 山村 )
- Laiji ( 來 吉 村 )
- Fongshan ( 豐 山村 )
- Leye ( 樂 野村 )
- Dabang ( 達邦 村 )
- Lijia ( 里 佳 村 )
- Shihzih ( 十字 村 )
- Jhongjheng ( 中正 村 )
- Jhongshan ( 中 山村 )
- Sianglin ( 香 林村 )
Agriculture
In earlier times the main agricultural products were cedar wood (the now endemic Taiwanese incense cedar Calocedrus formosana ) and bamboo . Mushrooms, plums, tea, horseradish, figs, persimmons and other products were added later. In recent times, special agricultural products such as Ashitaba ( Angelica keiskei ) as well as floriculture products (orchids, lilies) have gained in importance.
tourism
Alishan is a major tourist destination due to its natural attractions. The Alishan Forest Railway , which was built to transport mainly wood during the Japanese rule, is visited by railway enthusiasts from all over the world. The train runs in sometimes very tight curves with a radius of less than 100 meters directly through the forest and through complicated tunnel systems. It is the third highest railway in the world. The sunrises over the Alishan Mountains are also famous and the views from the peaks over the sea of fog, in which the mountain forests of the Alishan Mountains are often shrouded, are also worth seeing.
View of the "sea of fog"
View of the weather station
Taoist Temple in Sianglin (香 林)
Forest path
Web links
- New Alishan Impressions , pictures and videos from Alishan
Individual evidence
- ↑ data.gov.tw 鄉鎮 市長 60909516. Politicians database of the Taiwanese government, accessed on January 14, 2018 (Chinese).
- ↑ Alishan - shining sunrise. taiwantourismus.de, accessed on January 13, 2018 (English).
- ↑ Han Cheung: Taiwan in Time: The drastic downfall of Wu Feng. Taipei Times, September 10, 2017, accessed January 13, 2018 .
- ↑ Interview with tibusungu 'e vayayana. inmotionmagazine.com, 2016, accessed January 13, 2018 .
- ↑ a b c d e f Alishan Township. Chiayi County website, accessed January 13, 2018 .
- ^ WS Ou, KT Huang, HT Lin: Regional Characteristics of Global Solar Radiation: Variation in the Recent 30 Years in Taiwan. (PDF) Retrieved January 13, 2017 (English).
- ^ Alishan National Scenic Area. taiwan.net.tw, accessed January 13, 2018 .
