The Alishan Forest Railway is an 86km network of 762mm narrow gauge railways running up to and throughout the popular mountain resort of Alishan in Chiayi County. Originally constructed by the Japanese Colonial Government in 1912 to facilitate the logging of cypress and Taiwania wood, is itself a tourist attraction with unique Z-shaped switchbacks, 50 tunnels, and over 77 wooden bridges. In the 1980s, 10 Hitachi-built diesel-hydraulic locomotives were delivered and replaced the railcars and the steam engines. The railway line was severely damaged by rains associated with 2009's Typhoon Morakot and, as of 2014, services are only running between Chiayi and Fenchihu.
The Alishan National Scenic Area is a mountain resort and natural preserve located in the mountains of Chiayi County, which includes, among other things, mountain wilderness, four villages, waterfalls, and high altitude tea plantations. The area is popular among tourists and mountain climbers, and Alishan, or Mount Ali, itself has become one of the major landmarks associated with Taiwan. The area is also famous for its production of high mountain tea and wasabi. It is well known for its sunrises, and on a suitable morning one can observe the sun come up on a sea of clouds in the area between Alishan and Yüshan.
About the stamps
The second stamp is part of the series The Cherry Salmon, issued on July 27, 1995. The four stamps depicts Oncorhynchus masou formosanus, the Formosan landlocked salmon, or Taiwanese salmon, a freshwater salmonid fish endemic to Taiwan. It is a subspecies of the more widespread West-Pacific cherry salmon (or masu salmon).
• Oncorhynchus masou formosanus (5 TWD)
• Oncorhynchus masou formosanus (7 TWD) - It's on the postcard
• Oncorhynchus masou formosanus (10 TWD)
• Oncorhynchus masou formosanus (17 TWD)
This is a post for Sunday Stamps II-37, run by Violet Sky from See It On A Postcard. The theme of this week is: Fish in the sea (or lake or ocean). Click here to visit Violet’s blog and all the other participants.
References
Alishan National Scenic Area - Wikipedia
Alishan Forest Railway - Wikipedia
Sender: Yuting (postcrossing) TW-474179
Sent from ??? (Taiwan), on 20.02.2012
Photo: L-Schen
I did a double take when I saw the train, however the cherry salmon was worth the wait.
ReplyDeleteSalmon is my favourite fish to eat. Haven't tried this one though. Perhaps a trip to Taiwan for a fish supper and sunrise train ride is in order :)
ReplyDelete