Could the Alishan Forest Railway become a World Heritage Site? International experts are optimistic

▲Alishan Forest Railway. (Photo / fromAlishan New Impressions Facebook fan page)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

The Ministry of Culture today invited international World Heritage experts to visit the Alishan Forest Railway. New Zealand railway expert Paul Mahoney stated that the Alishan Railway has the right to be recognized as a World Cultural Heritage site.

The Bureau of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture today invited World Heritage experts from countries and regions such as Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Macau to visit the Alishan Forest Railway. The group was accompanied on the tour by Yan Yaning, director of the Cultural Heritage Center at China University of Technology.

Paul Mahoney pointed out that the Alishan Forest Railway possesses several world “firsts” and “onlys,” particularly its unique “Z”-shaped climb and the spiral design of Zhi Shan, which are unparalleled globally and are key candidates for Taiwan’s World Heritage nomination.

He said that the likelihood of the Alishan Forest Railway becoming a World Heritage Site is quite high, as he has conducted extensive research and comparisons using scoring methods, and no matter how he calculates, the Alishan Railway always comes out on top.

Paul Mahoney mentioned that his father was also a railway expert, and he first learned about Taiwan’s Alishan Forest Railway from his father when he was 7 years old. When he visited Taiwan for the first time last year, he found the Alishan Railway truly beautiful, and the sunrise at Alishan was also stunning.

Yan Yaning noted that most of the few remaining alpine railways in the world have already been designated as World Heritage Sites. The Alishan Forest Railway is also listed as one of the “Taiwan World Heritage Potential Sites” by the Ministry of Culture. International experts suggest following United Nations guidelines to apply for World Heritage status. (Source: Central News Agency)