The Alishan Impressions Sunrise Concert – Welcome the dawn with symphony

The crowd gradually took out their mobile phones and cameras, ready to capture the beautiful sunrise after the countdown. (Photo by Weng Shengxun)

At the 2018 "Alishan Sunrise Impressions Concert," the on-site audience prepared to welcome the sunrise while listening to the performance of renowned singer Xu Jingchun. (Photo by Weng Shengxun)

Co-hosted by the Alishan National Scenic Area Administration of the Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation, Chiayi County Government, and the Chiayi Forest District Office of the Forestry Bureau under the Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan, the 2018 "Alishan Sunrise Impressions Concert" kicked off at 5:30 a.m. at the Guoyue Observation Deck in the Alishan National Forest Recreation Area. Nearly ten thousand tourists took the Alishan Forest Railway up the mountain to watch the sunrise and enjoy the music, all waiting together in temperatures of 5°C for the first light of 2018.

The 2018 Alishan Sunrise Impressions Concert opened this year with a performance by the Youth Symphony Orchestra affiliated with the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra. It featured performances by renowned singer Xu Jingchun, tenor Nan Xiantian, and other top-tier musicians and veteran singers. Nearly ten thousand people crowded into the venue, with Chiayi County Magistrate Chang Hua-kuan, Executive Yuan Yung-Ka-Nan South Joint Service Center Director Xu Wen-zhi, Tourism Bureau Director-General Chou Yung-hui, Alishan Scenic Area Director Ma Huida, and Forestry Bureau Chiayi Forest District Director Huang Miaoxiu also present to enjoy this high-altitude concert.

The first sunrise of 2018 in Alishan appeared at 7:03 a.m. After enduring the low temperatures for a long wait, the crowd gradually took out their cameras and phones, ready to capture the sunrise after the countdown. The excited onlookers exclaimed, “It’s really beautiful!!” Some hugged their family and friends nearby, exchanging “Happy New Year” wishes and blessings to welcome the dawn of the new year.