Alishan Cherry Blossom Season: Daily Cap of 10,000 Tour Group Visitors, Car Access Restricted on Holidays

▲ Alishan cherry blossoms continue to bloom, with mountain cherries about 80% in flower.

Lifestyle Center / Taipei Report

This year’s Alishan Cherry Blossom Season runs for one month starting March 15. The Directorate General of Highways under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications announced on the 1st that a daily visitor cap will be enforced on holidays—10,000 visitors for tour groups—and car access up the mountain will be restricted. Tour groups must book entry online, with reservations now open.

Alishan’s cherry blossom season typically kicks off in mid-March, but this year, due to warmer weather, it started earlier in early March. The mountain’s mountain cherries and Showa cherries have already bloomed, and the main highlight now is the arrival of Yoshino cherries. In particular, the “King Cherry” is a must-see attraction for visitors. The Forest Management Office has installed wooden walkways around it to prevent visitors from damaging the tree while taking photos, as large crowds could pose a risk. The cherry blossom season has also brought a significant boost in business to Alishan.

The Directorate General of Highways said that in previous years during the Alishan cherry blossom season, the Alishan Forest Recreation Area would see a huge influx of flower-viewing visitors on holidays, leading to severe congestion on Highway 18 due to insufficient parking. The Directorate General of Highways and the Chiayi Forest District Office under the Forestry Bureau have developed related traffic diversion plans.

The Directorate General of Highways stated that the key traffic management dates for this year’s Alishan Cherry Blossom Season are the weekends within the first four weeks of the season and the Qingming holiday period, including March 16–17, 23–24, 30–31, and April 4–7.

According to the Directorate General of Highways’ plan, visitor numbers will be capped on key traffic management dates. The general principle is 10,000 tour group visitors per day, plus 2,000 visitors staying overnight and 2,000 individual visitors during controlled hours. For tour groups, an online reservation and entry system will be implemented, with reservations now open.(Right image: A new attraction in the Alishan Forest Park—the elevated “Cherry Blossom Path.”)

Individual visitors during controlled hours must park their cars at the foot of the mountain and take shuttle buses instead. The Directorate General of Highways said that in previous peak periods of the Alishan cherry blossom season, excessive traffic caused travel times from Chiayi HSR Station or Chiayi Railway Station to the Alishan Forest Recreation Area to exceed five to six hours.

This year, the Directorate General of Highways has planned to restrict car access up the mountain during holiday periods of the Alishan Cherry Blossom Season. From 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., on the section from the Chiayi end to the Nantou end, all cars must park at the base and take shuttle buses up the mountain. The goal is to reduce travel time to three hours.

Hotel bookings on Alishan are nearly full, so visitors planning to enjoy the cherry blossoms should book accommodations quickly. Aside from the blooming cherry blossoms on Alishan, the nearby Rui-li area in the Alishan region has become famous in recent years for its wisteria flowers. From March 2 to March 16, there is a two-week period of vibrant blooms. Enjoying high-mountain coffee amidst the cascading wisteria is truly a refreshing experience.