Alishan, Chiayi

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Alishan Township
阿里山鄉
Mountain indigenous township
Lalauya.JPG
Alishan Township in Chiayi County
Coordinates: 23°21′N 120°48′E / 23.350°N 120.800°E / 23.350; 120.800Coordinates: 23°21′N 120°48′E / 23.350°N 120.800°E / 23.350; 120.800
LocationChiayi County, Taiwan
Area
 • Total428 km2 (165 sq mi)
Population
 (July 2018)
 • Total5,602
 • Density13/km2 (34/sq mi)
Area codesfor multiple area codes
Websitewww.alishan.gov.tw

Alishan Township (Chinese: 阿里山鄉; pinyin: Ālǐshān Xiāng) is a mountain indigenous township in Chiayi County, Taiwan. 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, whose rich oral histories describe the migrations of each ancient clans' ancestors into the area between Yushan and the Chianan Plain. Originally, each clan had its own settlement, with the first multi-clan town, Tfuya, only forming approximately 1600 CE.[1] The earliest written record of the Tsou dates from the Dutch occupation, which describes Tfuya as having approximately 300 people in 1647. Ethnologists 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.[1]

Map of Alishan area (1944)

The Alishan area was originally settled by the Tsou tribe of the Taiwanese aborigines; the name derives from the aboriginal word Jarissang. From 1920 to 1945, the area was classified as Savage Land under Kagi District, Tainan Prefecture. After 1945, the area was named Wufong Township (吳鳳鄉), after Chinese merchant Wu Feng, but was renamed to Alishan Township in March 1989.[2]

Geography[]

It has a population total of 5,544[3] and an area of 427.8471 square kilometres. It is located at an elevation of 2,190 metres (7,190 ft) in the western highlands of Taiwan.

Climate[]

Alishan has a subtropical highland climate (Köppen: Cwb) with extremely wet and mild conditions during the monsoon season when the town receives 3.2 metres (130 in) 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 typhoons hit Taiwan during the wet season, rainfall in highland locations like Alishan can exceed 1 metre (39 in) 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.

Climate data for Alishan (normals 1981–2010, extremes 1933–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 20.4
(68.7) 		21.3
(70.3) 		21.7
(71.1) 		23.6
(74.5) 		23.0
(73.4) 		25.5
(77.9) 		24.9
(76.8) 		24.3
(75.7) 		25.2
(77.4) 		23.6
(74.5) 		23.2
(73.8) 		20.8
(69.4) 		25.5
(77.9)
Average high °C (°F) 11.0
(51.8) 		11.7
(53.1) 		13.8
(56.8) 		15.7
(60.3) 		16.9
(62.4) 		18.1
(64.6) 		19.1
(66.4) 		18.7
(65.7) 		18.3
(64.9) 		17.5
(63.5) 		15.5
(59.9) 		12.4
(54.3) 		15.7
(60.3)
Daily mean °C (°F) 6.2
(43.2) 		7.2
(45.0) 		9.3
(48.7) 		11.4
(52.5) 		12.9
(55.2) 		14.2
(57.6) 		14.6
(58.3) 		14.4
(57.9) 		13.7
(56.7) 		12.3
(54.1) 		10.3
(50.5) 		7.3
(45.1) 		11.2
(52.1)
Average low °C (°F) 2.5
(36.5) 		3.7
(38.7) 		5.8
(42.4) 		8.2
(46.8) 		9.7
(49.5) 		11.3
(52.3) 		11.2
(52.2) 		11.4
(52.5) 		10.6
(51.1) 		8.8
(47.8) 		6.6
(43.9) 		3.5
(38.3) 		7.8
(46.0)
Record low °C (°F) −11.5
(11.3) 		−8.5
(16.7) 		−7.0
(19.4) 		−5.5
(22.1) 		0.7
(33.3) 		0.0
(32.0) 		5.6
(42.1) 		4.0
(39.2) 		−0.8
(30.6) 		−5.2
(22.6) 		−5.0
(23.0) 		−8.0
(17.6) 		−11.5
(11.3)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 71.7
(2.82) 		137.3
(5.41) 		166.5
(6.56) 		254.2
(10.01) 		493.6
(19.43) 		649.6
(25.57) 		668.3
(26.31) 		809.3
(31.86) 		432.9
(17.04) 		146.7
(5.78) 		46.3
(1.82) 		55.9
(2.20) 		3,932.3
(154.81)
Average rainy days (≥ 0.1 mm) 7.6 8.5 10.6 13.3 18.4 20 20.3 22 17.9 9.7 5.7 6.2 160.2
Average relative humidity (%) 71.4 73.1 73.7 75.2 76.7 77.7 75.8 76 76.5 72.5 70.8 69.3 74.1
Mean monthly sunshine hours 158.8 126.9 141.5 121.8 109.2 105.1 127 107.7 104.2 142.3 155.5 165.5 1,565.5
Source: Central Weather Bureau[4][full citation needed]

Administrative divisions[]

Administrative divisions of Alishan Township

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, Taiwan's highest peak and the highest and sole formerly glaciated[5] point on the Tropic of Cancer. , 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 Rail Station

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[]

  1. ^ a b Hung, Ling-yu; Ho, Chuan-ko (2007), "New Light on Taiwan Highland Prehistory", Bulletin of the Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association, 26: 21–31, doi:10.7152/bippa.v26i0.11990.
  2. ^ "Republic of China Era (1945－)". Chiayi County Government. Archived from the original on 2014-03-28. Retrieved 2014-05-04.
  3. ^ "Ālǐ shān xiāng lìnián rénkǒu shù" 阿里山鄉歷年人口數 [Population of Alishan Township Over the Years]. Jiāyì xiàn zhúqí hù zhèng shìwù suǒ 嘉義縣竹崎戶政事務所 (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2020-09-29. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
  4. ^ "Weather". Central Weather Bureau. 26 August 2021.
  5. ^ Lin, Jianwei; Chyi, Shihjieng; Ho, Lide; Chang, Shanshan; Chu, Chen; Lu, Huayu; Yi, Shuangwen (2011), Late Pleistocene to Early Holocene Glacial Landforms of Yushan Area, Taiwan (PDF) (Abstract).

External links[]

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