《TAIPEI TIMES》 Alishan to offer cherry blossom steam train rides

/ Staff writer, with CNA

The Alishan Cherry Blossom Festival, which opened yesterday, is to feature six guided tours on the area’s 100-year-old steam trains, taking visitors through the mountain resort’s stunning terrain, the Chiayi Forest District Office said.

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The special steam train tours would be available tomorrow, Monday next week and on March 27, with two tours per day. They would coincide with the Alishan National Scenic Area’s annual cherry blossom festival that runs through April 10, the office said.

The steam train would travel on the Alishan Forest Railway’s Zhushan Line, along an S-shaped mountain route that has great views of the cherry trees, it said.

Each train can only accommodate 80 passengers, and only tickets for March 27 remain available, the ticket booking Web site showed as of yesterday afternoon.

The festival was a big attraction on its opening day, with 5,000 tourists visiting the park yesterday morning, office head Chang Tai （張岱） said at a news conference.

The park’s Taiwan cherry and Okame cherry trees are in full bloom, while the Wusheh cherry trees have bloomed to 70 percent and the Yoshino cherry trees are set to bloom at the end of this month, Chang said.

Besides cherry blossoms, flowers such as magnolias, azaleas, daisies and windowsill orchids are expected to bloom soon, Chang said.

More information about the Alishan Cherry Blossom Festival and its train tours is available at afrch.forest.gov.tw or www.facebook.com/AlishanForestRailway.Taiwan.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES