Travel Suggestions : Rail Tour
Seeing the Sights by Rail
Taiwan's railways offer an endless variety of experience, and
the scenery lining their routes provides an infinite range of
fascinating scenery. If you want to get a close look at the island's
beauties without having to suffer the problems of unfamiliar
roads and the frustrations of traffic congestion, then you could
do no better than choose a railroad tour and immerse yourself
in the delights of enchanting coastlines, awesome mountains,
placid farmlands, and engrossing countryside.
The history of railroads in Taiwan dates back to 1887, in the
declining years of the Qing Dynasty, when court official Liu
Ming-chuan started work on a section of track in the northern
part of the island. The Japanese expanded on that beginning when
they occupied Taiwan from 1895 to 1945, and the round-the-island
network was completed after the island was restored to Chinese
rule. Today, more than a century after its small beginning, Taiwan's
convenient railway network consists of the West Coast Trunk Railway,
East Coast Trunk Railway, North-Link Railway, and South-Link
Railway. Passenger service is divided into four classes, offering
travelers a choice depending on their destination, the urgency
of their trip, and the size of their pocketbooks.
The scenery along the railroad glides by in a never-ending sequence
of change, and each line has its own unique characteristics.
The long, narrow, mountainous nature of the island's terrain
lines the length of the railways with exquisite scenes of mountains
and rivers, and the rail passenger gains access to scenes that
are out of reach of the highway. Taiwan's railroads are far more
than just a tool of transportation; they embody a deep affinity
with the development of local culture and society, and have left
behind large numbers of historic relics, including old stations
and track sections that hark back to the past and reveal unique
facets of local history.
Following is a brief description of the characteristics of travel
on Taiwan's trunk railway lines:
West Coast Trunk Line system: This includes the Keelung to Kaohsiung
north-south line, the Taichung Line (Zhunan to Changhua), Pingtung
Line (Kaohsiung to Fangliao), and South-Link Railway (Fangliao
to Taitung New Station).
(1) Main Line, Taichung Line, Pingtung
Line: The main cities
served by this system include, north to south, Keelung, Taipei,
Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Taichung, Changhua, Yunlin, Chiayi,
Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung. Each of these cities has its
own local customs and natural scenery, and itineraries through
them are quite diverse. Travelers can arrange tours of the Taipei,
Taichung, and Kaohsiung metropolitan areas, they can savor the
famous delicacies of Miaokou (Temple Mouth) in Keelung, see the
fascinating City God Temple in Hsinchu, taste the snacks of Danshui
and the seafood of Pingtung, enjoy the pottery of Yingge and
the wood-carving culture of Sanyi, and observe the historic sites
of Sanxia and Tainan. They can also choose a tour through the
countryside of Chiayi, or go bird-watching at the estuary of
the Keya River in Hsinchu or the Zengwen River in Tainan.
(2) South-Link Railway: This is the only railway line in Taiwan
that gives you access to both the Taiwan Straits and the Pacific
Ocean. Passing through the southernmost extremity of the Central
Mountain Range, it links Pingtung in the west with Taitung in
the east, along the way allowing passengers to enjoy views of
the beautiful Pacific, the awesome natural sights of the mountains,
and the lovely mountain-and-sea views as well as the aborigine
cultures of southeastern Taiwan. Among the most famous sights
of this route are the daylily fields of Taimali, the hot springs
of Zhiben, the Bamboo-Pole Festival of the Atayals, and the vast
expanses of the Pacific.
East Coast Trunk Line System:
This system encompasses the Yilan Line which reaches from Badu
to Suao, the North-Link Railway which runs from Suao to Hualien,
and the Hualien-Taitung Line, which together form a complete
system that serves all of eastern Taiwan and displays the attractions
of Yilan, Hualien, and Taitung. Trains run along the seacoast,
with the high mountains on one side and the vast ocean on the
other providing the most intoxicating scenery on this part
of the round-the-island railway. Travel these lines and you
will experience the permutations and changes of natural beauty;
after passing though the flat vastness of the Lanyang Plain,
and enjoying the bucolic flatlands and the distant sight of
Turtle Island along the way, you will pass through Suao and
the scenery outside your window will undergo a drastic change
as majestic sights of mountain and sea appear before your eyes.
Tourist sites along the way include the Northeast Coast National
Scenic Area, the Lanyang Plain, Turtle Island, the East Coast
National Scenic Area, the East Rift Valley National Scenic
Area, Taroko National Park, and Taroko Gorge with its Swallows'
Grottos, Tunnel of Nine Turns, Bulowan, Cuilu Precipice, Tianxiang,
and the Liwu River. Besides enjoying the stupendous masterworks
of nature's art, travelers here can also arrange itineraries
that allow them to experience aborigine culture, bird watching,
hot springs, rustic old towns, and other special sites of the
area.
In addition, there are also slow trains that run along narrow-gauge
railways: the Alishan Forest Line, Jiji Line, Pingxi Line, and
Neiwan Line. For those who have just come to Taiwan, riding on
this kind of tourist train that proceeds at a leisurely pace
and allows passengers to enjoy the scenery along the way to the
utmost can provide a new and interesting experience.
Pingxi Line:
This line runs through Pingxi Township in Taipei County, and
can be boarded at the Ruifang Station or Houdong Station on
the main railway line. Travelers in this branch line can savor
the beauties of mountain cliffs, streams, and waterfalls along
the way, and experience the rustic lifestyle of country villages
and small mining towns. The main scenic spots along the line
are the Shifen Waterfall, Wildman Valley Waterfalls, and Lingjiao
Waterfall.
Neiwan Line:
This line is located in the easternmost part of Hengshan Township
in Hsinchu County. You can board trains on this branch line
at the Hsinchu Railway Station; as your train moves slowly
along the track, passengers can gain a feeling of the rustic
life in mountain towns. The main scenic spots along the line
include the Beipu Scenic Area and the Wuzhishan (Five-Fingers
Mountain) Scenic Area.
Jiji Line :
This line passes through bucolic scenery in Changhua and Nantou
countries, giving access to "green tunnels," historic
sites, rivers, old pottery kilns, and the little town of Jiji.
A ride along the Jiji Line is like a trip into the past.
Alishan Forest Line:
This is one of only three alpine railways that are left in the
world. It carries passengers through four climatic zones--tropical,
subtropical, temperate, and frigid--and each section of the
line passes by truly unique scenery. It also allows you to
experience a "corkscrew" ride as it winds its way
up one of the mountains along its line; it ends up at the Alishan
National Scenic Area, where you can see the spectacular sunrise,
sea of clouds, sacred tree, flower season, and mountain pathways.
If you want to travel the complete length of Taiwan's railway
system, you can purchase round-the-island tickets from the Taiwan
Railway Administration. These seven separate tickets allow you
to stop at seven stations along the way, so along as you get
back on at the same stations. The tickets are valid for 15 days
from the date of your first ride. If you don't want to bother
making your own arrangements, you can take a special Tourist
Train. Tickets on these trains are currently sold as part of
a package that includes accommodation and tours; in addition
to bigger and more comfortable seats, these trains are also equipped
with salon and dining cars where passengers can engage in karaoke
singing and savor hot meals.
The railroad will always have an allure for travelers that other
methods of transportation cannot match. Do you want to take a
romantic journey by rail? Take a trip on the Taiwan railways,
and you will not be disappointed!
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