The Alishan Cherry Blossom Season Draws to a Close with Over 400,000 Visitors, Setting a New Record

By Chen Guanxin, compiled and reported

This year’s cherry blossom season at Alishan Forest Recreation Area concluded on the 15th. During the one-month floral event, a total of 400,013 visitors flocked to the area — an increase of nearly 50% compared to the same period last year. The average daily visitor count reached over 12,500, marking the highest number of visitors during the Alishan cherry blossom season in the past five years.

As Taiwan’s top destination for cherry blossom viewing, coupled with its breathtaking sunrise views and the classic charm of Fenchihu Old Street, Alishan attracts large numbers of tourists every year from mid-March to mid-April. Over the past five years, aside from a dip in the year following Typhoon Morakot, visitor numbers to the Alishan cherry blossom season have seen significant annual growth, surpassing 400,000 this year. Liao Yiguang, Director of the Chiayi Forest District Office, stated that this year’s Alishan cherry blossom season rode the wave of the Wuling Farm blossom boom. Additionally, the number of mainland Chinese visitors during the season reached over 169,500, contributing to a new record in the average daily number of park entrants.

During this year’s cherry blossom season, the park offered services such as shuttle buses, forest trains, guided tours at the visitor center, as well as free shuttle services outside the park. Next year’s blossom season will continue to increase staffing, expand ticket windows, and maintain off-site shuttle bus services to alleviate the large influx of visitors.

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