Fenqihu (奮起湖, also spelled Fenchihu) is a major highlight in one of my personal favorite regions of Taiwan: Alishan.
This cute little mountain village is a worthwhile stop in your Alishan itinerary. Many visitors only come to have a famous bento lunchbox lunch then move on, but I highly recommend spending a night here.
Besides some interesting foods, Fenqihu offers the chance to hike in stunning bamboo forests and spot fireflies at night. It’s the perfect complement to Shizhuo 10 minutes drive down the road, famous for its tea plantations and sunsets. Now you just have to choose between the two (I recommend visiting both if possible!)
In this article, I’ll dive deep into Fenqihu, providing all the info you need and tips you won’t find anywhere else. This comes from three visits over the last 10 years, including most recently with my kids – in my opinion, Fenqihu is one of the best places to visit in Taiwan with kids!
Fenqihu Old Street Intro
Fenqihu started as a tiny Hakka village in the mountains, then underwent a mini boom when it became a stop on the Japanese-built train line to Alishan. The Japanese built this train line to transport camphor trees they were logging at Alishan.
Trains would stop at Fenqihu, the largest station between the two ends, for repairs and for railway workers to have lunch. This is how it came to be one of Taiwan’s most famous bento box train stations – still a huge draw for most visitors today.
Fenqihu Old Street thus developed, but there’s actually a second even older old street, fittingly called the Old Old Street (老老街), which I’ll introduce in the hiking section below.
Fenqihu sits at 1405 meters above sea level. Surrounded on three sides by mountains, with a gap to the southwest, its landscape apparently looks like a traditional dustpan (benji 畚箕). You can see an example of these dustpans above the door to every room at Fenqihu Hotel (see image below).
Hence the town used to be called Benjihu (畚箕湖). Although “hu” usually means lake, the character can also mean mountain area in Taiwanese. When the train line opened in 1912, the name was changed to Fenqihu (奮起湖).
Wooden clogs were also made here during the Japanese period – you can also see these hanging from the ceiling in the side building of Fenqihu Hotel.
After the Japanese period, the vehicle highway was built to Alishan and Fenqihu declined. However, when the Alishan Forest Railway was reopened as a means to transport tourists to Alishan, the village was reborn as a tourist attraction.
The biggest draws of Fenqihu are its lunchboxes, old street, local products like Alishan tea, wasabi, millet donuts, tofu, and tree tomatoes, bamboo forest hikes, and fireflies at night.
I found this out after my last trip, but Fenqihu area even has a special species of square-shaped bamboo originating from Mt. Emei in Sichuan, China.
It’s not so obviously square-shaped, as the edges are supposedly rounded. People say it’s easier to notice by touch than by sight. Some of my photos in this article may even be of the square bamboo, but I’m not sure which ones. Next time I visit Fenqihu, I will investigate!
Getting There
There are several ways to reach Fenqihu: Private transfer, self driving, train, or bus.
Private Transfer, Self Driving, or Taxi
The easiest and fastest way is by private transfer from Chiayi.
On our most recent visit with our kids, we tried Tripool, a Taiwan taxi service, to go from Chiayi to Fenqihu and back the next day.
The driver was extremely professional, van was very clean, and the best part is the he drove super slowly and carefully so our kids didn’t get sick on the winding road.
When you download the Tripool app, if you click the link or enter my referral code Nick2025 on the registration page, you’ll receive an email with three TWD 100 discount vouchers!
If you decide to self drive, it only takes one hour and 15 minutes from Chiayi to Fenqihu. I recommend renting a car via this link at Chiayi HSR station or see my Taiwan scooter guide for how to rent a scooter in Chiayi.
Due to the growing popularity of Fenqihu, the main parking lots there now have parking fees. Here’s my guide to driving in Taiwan.
There are also taxis in front of Chiayi station. The going rate for a one-way ride to Fenqihu seems to be around 2000-2500 (or 3500 to Alishan). In Fenqihu, there are no taxis waiting around, but if you ask your hotel to arrange one, it costs around 1000 to Alishan.
By Train
Ever since the reopening of the Chiayi to Alishan train line in summer 2024 (the Fenqihu to Alishan portion had been closed for 15 years), the train to Alishan is incredibly popular and it is extremely hard to get tickets through to Alishan.
If you want a chance to actually get seats, please see my Alishan Forest Railway booking guide. Here’s a quick summary.
Currently, there are two trains per day from Chiayi to Alishan:
- Аlіѕhаn Ехрrеѕѕ Nо. 1: Dераrt Сhіауі: 9 АМ, аrrіvе Fеnqіhu: 11:30 АМ (this train terminates at Fenqihu, so it is your best bet).
- Аlіѕhаn Ехрrеѕѕ Nо. 5: Dераrt Сhіауі 10:00 АМ, аrrіvе Fеnqіhu 12:12 and depart 1:21 РМ (one-hour lunch break), аrrіvе Аlіѕhаn 2:56 РМ (this train will be extremely hard to get seats on, especially since they prioritize those who are riding all the way to Alishan)
Going down, here are the times:
- Аlіѕhаn Ехрrеѕѕ Nо. 8: Dераrt Аlіѕhаn 11:50 АМ, аrrіvе Fеnqіhu 1:29 РМ (no break), аrrіvе Сhіауі: 3:45 РМ (again, this will be very hard to get seats on)
- Аlіѕhаn Ехрrеѕѕ Nо. 2: Dераrt Fеnqіhu 2:35 РМ, аrrіvе Сhіауі: 4:55 РМ (try for this one)
While the train is slower and more expensive than the bus, it’s an iconic Taiwan experience and less likely to make you feel sick (compared to bus or driving).
During cherry blossom season (March to April) it can be especially hard to get tickets.
Don’t fret if you can’t get seats or decide not to take it. You can still experience the Alishan Forest Railway by riding the three small lines inside Alishan National Forest Recreation Area when you get there, and those don’t need to be booked.
By Bus
Taking the bus to Fenqihu is easier because it doesn’t need to be booked in advance – you can just swipe your EasyCard to ride it.
However, during cherry blossom season, I actually do recommend reserving your seat, even though doing so is very complicated.
Here are the bus times from Chiayi train station (4 per day) and HSR station (only 1 per day!) to Fenqihu and how to reserve your bus ticket to Fenqihu online if you want to.
In Chiayi, the buses depart from the bus stop right in front of Chiayi train station and exit 2 of the HSR station.
They arrive and depart from this bus stop above Fenqihu Old Street on weekdays, and this bus stop 5 minutes down the road on weekends and in cherry blossom season (March to April).
When leaving Fenqihu by bus, it’s not possible to reserve your seat (seats can only be reserved starting from Chiayi or Alishan). There’s only one exception, bus 7302 from Fenqihu to Chiayi. This one can be booked online, but there’s only two departures per day – 9 AM and 5 PM.
Therefore, for all other buses leaving Fenqihu, it’s best to line up around 30 minutes early for the bus to improve your chance of getting a seat. Make sure to go to the correct bus stop for weekdays vs weekends/cherry blossoms season.
Where to Stay in Fenqihu
If you are spending the night in Fenqihu, one hotel stands out above the rest: Fenqihu Hotel (see on Booking / Agoda). This is where I always stay in Fenqihu.
Fenqihu Hotel is a short walk from the bus or train station. It’s at the easternmost end of the old street. It is connected to the only 7-11 in town and its kitchen makes some of the best Fenqihu lunchboxes in town (we’ll talk all about those below!)
The hotel also offers the only firefly viewing walks in town, around 7 to 8 PM and free for all guests (not available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but I’ll still tell you how to find the firefly spot they go to). They generally only offer the tour when there are lots of fireflies (spring to early summer).
Rooms at the hotel are tatami style with super cute wooden bathtubs. Ours came with a free box of Alishan High Mountain Tea (which is grown nearby in Shizhuo) and the equipment to make it. We also paid a little more for a room with windows. Breakfast is a 7-11 voucher.
If Fenqihu Hotel is full, you can also try Yeashow Villa (see on Booking / Agoda) in the middle of the old street. Watch for the paintings of Alishan sights on the staircase going down to it.
Things to Do in Fenqihu
Now we come to the most important part: what to do in Fenqihu! This will help you to determine whether you only need to visit for a few hours or spend the night in Fenqihu.
Fenqihu 1912 Loco Shed
After a being closed for several years, the Fenqihu Railway Museum, now the “1912 Loco Shed”, has finally reopened.
Located just past the eastern (front) end of the Fenqihu station platform, the former train repair shed turned free museum houses some old Alishan locomotives. There are several rooms with Alishan Forest Railway equipment and displays.
The museum has a small light display with diferent colored lights shining on the trains every 30 minutes from 11 AM to 3 PM (weekdays) and at 10, 11, 11:30, 12, 12:30, 1, 1:30, 2, 2:30, 3, and 4 on weekends.
Inside, there’s now a brand new cafe with desserts, coffee drinks, and Alishan Forest Railway honey flavored beer. They also sell merchandise from Lavender Cottage (which has branches in Taichung and Hsinchu).
Next to the cafe, there’s an ice cream kiosk with Alishan wasabi-flavored soft serve. I found it surprisingly yummy and not very spicy.
The ice cream, which also comes in a few other interesting flavors, is TWD 120 or 2 for 200. To buy it, choose and pay on the large screen then give your receipt to the person at the kisok.
Eat a Fenqihu Bento Box
Having a bento box/lunchbox is pretty much obligatory in Fenqihu. And yes, there are vegetarian ones available at almost every shop, too! All spots have seating or you can take your box to enjoy on the train, while hiking, or whatever.
These meals in a box come with some combination of meat, strewed vegetables, local bamboo shoots, tofu, braised egg, sweetened bean curd, and other goodies on a bed of sticky rice.
You’ll have bento box options before you even stop off the train station platform. Fenqihu Hiker’s Canteen Bento Boxes (奮起湖登山食堂便當 here) sells bentos right beside the tracks. You can’t miss it, as the restaurant is shaped like an Alishan train.
I recommend the above option if you’re in a rush and need to catch a bus or train very soon. Otherwise, the below two lunchbox shops are even better.
My second recommended spot for bento boxes is Old Street Nostalgic Bento Boxes (老街懷舊便當 here), which is located inside Fenqihu Hotel at the eastern end of the Old Street, just past the only 7-Eleven. In my opinion, it’s the second best one in town (the best one is below).
You can’t miss the old man on the hotel’s sign, who I assume is the hotel owner. I got the below photo of him (standing beside the sign of himself) over a decade ago. On our most recent trip in 2024, we saw him again, but he is very old now and wheelchair-bound.
My third and most recommended place to get a bento box in Fenqihu is Railway Mountain City Nostalgic Bento Boxes (鐵道山城懷舊鐵路便當, here).
You’ll have to walk a little further for this one, about five minutes away from the old street.
This is worth the trek, though. In my opinion, these are the best bento boxes in Fenqihu.
On weekdays, they have 3 options: pork ribs, chicken drumstick, or vegetarian (not on the menu but just ask – here’s how to ask for vegetarian food in Taiwan).
On weekends they offer two more special ones: Dongpo pork belly and pig trotters. There’s also delicious bamboo soup and cold tofu available as sides.
Besides the excellent bento boxes, the restaurant has old-timey vibes and red hanging lanterns. Take the path up to the building at the back to check out all the nostalgic gear (and to find the toilets).
Stroll Fenqihu Old Street
Fenqihu Old Street is the main thing to do in Fenqihu village. It is the highest old street in all of Taiwan. It is only about 200 meters from end to end.
After you get off the train, you’ll most likely access it by walking down a staircase at the bent portion of the blue line (section 2) above. If you get off at the bus stop, you’ll walk down the car road to the eastern end of the red line (section 1), where 7-Eleven is.
The way I see it, there are three different sections of the old street. The first section of Fenqihu Old Street (red line on my map above) is the eastern end, with shops on either side as well as 7-11 and Fenqihu Hotel. This end is also closest to the Fenqihu bus stop.
In the above photo, you’d go down those stairs and turn left to reach it from the train station.
In this section, you’ll find a few Alishan tea shops and Station Coffee (驛珈琲, here), which sells Alishan coffee, including brewed coffee or Alishan coffee beans to take home.
I highly recommend the tofu hamburgers (豆乾漢堡) sold here. These are big hunks of firm tofu stewed in herbal soup then stuffed with pickled veggies, peanut powder, cilantro, fried shallots, and pork floss (vegetarians can ask for them to leave out the latter). They are SO GOOD!
It’s also on this street where I managed to find a bottle of special Alishan-themed Taiwan beer, which you can’t find anywhere else in Taiwan.
You may also hear the popping sound of a machine making large Hakka rice cakes (米餅) at this shop.
The middle section of Fenqihu Old Street, which starts if you go right when going down the staircase from the train station, is a covered section.
Little shops inside sell a variety of local herbs, seeds, nuts, teas, dried fruits, edible plants, jelly drinks, and super delicious Alishan wasabi – both fresh and in jars to take home, and really excellent wasabi salt. I stocked up!
In this area I enjoyed a bowl of tofu pudding (豆花 or douhua) with sweet soy sauce and Alishan wasabi at Fenqihu Tofu Shop (奮起湖豆腐店 here).
Occasionally the same shop also sells “Thumb Lemon Douhua” (拇指檸檬豆花). The douhua is topped with Australian finger limes, the “caviar” of the plant world, which create a pop of sourness in your mouth. Unfortunately they didn’t have it when we last visited.
We didn’t see it, but recent visitors have mentioned you can now find wasabi ice cream on the old street.
The final, westernmost section of Fenqihu Old Street is again a normal paved/outdoor street. Here you’ll find more of everything, including a few more bento box shops.
Some highlights to watch out for are the insanely delicious millet donuts (甜甜圈), which come in flavors like cheese, chocolate, or maple. They are available from a few stalls on the old street, but the ones down here off the old street are even better.
Also watch for the slushy aiyu (愛玉) drinks with basil seeds and brown sugar here.
At the end of the road, you can make a short detour to find this stall selling traditional caozaiguo (草仔粿), which are herbal sticky rice cakes stuffed with pickled radish and other tasty things.
Go Firefly Watching
Alishan region is one of the best places in Taiwan to see fireflies. In fact, of the 60 of the world’s 2000 firefly species which live in Taiwan, 42 species can be seen in Alishan region.
Of all the firefly viewing spots in Alishan region, Fenqihu is the most accessible one. Fireflies can be seen year-round there, but the type of firefly changes by season.
May is considered the best time to see fireflies in general in the area. You can see them in other months of the year, but you may only see a few.
Here’s a list of the main firefly species around Fenqihu by season.
- February to March: 神木螢 or “Sacred Tree Firefly”
- April to June: 大端黑螢 or “Big End Black Firefly” and 黑翅螢 or “Black Winged Firefly”
- July to August: 三節熠螢 or “Three Festivals Shining Firefly” and 梭德氏脈翅螢 or “Sauteri’s Vein Winged Firefly”
- September to October: 台灣山窗螢 or “Taiwan Mountain Window Firefly”
- November to February: 鉅角雪螢 or “Giant Horned Snow Firefly”
The easiest way to see them is to take advantage of Fenqihu Hotel’s free firefly walking tour every evening except Tuesdays and Wednesdays in spring.
If you are visiting on one of those days or staying at a different hotel, don’t worry, I’ll tell you exactly how to find them below!
You’ll need to walk about 10 minutes from the old street to find them, and you’ll probably notice a firefly or two on the way!
In spring and summer, the best spot to see fireflies is along this road (see image above). From 7-11 at the end of the Old Street, keep following the vehicle road downhill, past this church, then turn right at the police station until you reach an intersection here.
At this intersection, you need to walk south down this road. It is a narrow, paved vehicle road to Guanghua (among the several signs at the road entrance, one of them says “Guanghua 往光華”). Go a few minutes down the road then watch for all the fireflies on the farmer’s field to the left.
In fall and winter, it’s better to view them from one road over (to the east), here.
Bamboo Hikes in Fenqihu
A major highlight for those who stick around Fenqihu a little longer is the excellent series of boardwalk trails and bamboo forest hikes around the village.
These feature some lovely cypress and maple trees, including a few giant ones, ruins of a Japanese Shinto shrine, and some absolutely jaw-dropping bamboo forests on the hillside north of the village.
It can be a little daunting to figure out which trail to take for the best views and how exactly to get to it. My above map and directions below should help!
2025 Update: There are some trail repairs going on in Fenqihu. The entrances to Fenqi Trail (behind Good Point coffee shop, two blue lines on above map) are currently blocked. You can still access the best parts of Fenqihu trail, including Shinto Shrine Ruins and Luding Giant Tree, and via the Fenrui Historic Trail (find the trailhead here, green line on above map), then you’ll need to go back the same way.
Fenqi Trail: The Best Trail in Fenqihu (1 hr)
If you only do one trail at Fenqihu, make it Fenqi Trail (奮起步道). After walking all the trails around town, we found that this one has the most beautiful bamboo forest. It also features the best view of town, a giant tree, and ruins of a Japanese Shinto shrine.
Starting from 7-Eleven in town, walk up the car road to the highway, where you can’t miss Good Point Coffee and Tea Shop (好望角咖啡, here) on the opposite side (see image above).
To access the trail, walk up the little staircase as if you were really going to enter this café.
EDIT: See the blue box above about the current closure of this trail entrance and alternative access point.
As you approach the front door of the café, you will notice little arrows on the steps to the left pointing the way up. You’ll climb up behind the café, passing right beside its lovely rooftop patio.
Right away, you’ll reach a signed intersection where you can go right for the Logging Track Trail (see next entry) or left for Scenic Outlook, Shinto Shrine Ruins, and Luding Giant Tree. Take the left.
In 45 meters, you’ll reach the Scenic Outlook (觀景台, here), a small platform which offers the best view of Fenqihu train station and village. We got here in 15 minutes after leaving from 7-Eleven.
From there, the trail keeps going up through the forest until it reaches another section of the same highway. After crossing the highway, the trail finally enters the bamboo forest.
The trail soon reaches the Shinto Shrine Ruins (神社遺址), which of course date to the Japanese period (1895-1945), when the Japanese first built the Alishan Forest Railway. Little is left except for a small staircase a stone foundation, but the setting in the bamboo forest is sublime.
EDIT: You’ll still be able to find the Shinto Shrine Ruins via the Fenrui Historic Trail detour.
After the shrine, the trail turns left and enters the most stunning section of bamboo forest. This is what it’s all about! Come here for your bamboo forest photos!
In the middle of it you’ll also find Luding Giant Tree (鹿鼎巨木 here). It is also called Luding Sacred Tree (鹿鼎神木).
This flying moth tree (a type of maple) is nearly 1000 years old. Its base and roots are intertwined with a rock, resulting in a deer-like appearance, hence the word deer (鹿 or “lu”) in its name.
Shortly after the giant tree, you’ll reach a pavilion and staircase going back down to town on the left. You also have the option to continue going straight on Fenqi trail – doing so will add an extra 20 minutes or so to your hike.
If you choose the latter option, you’ll soon pass the ruins of a historic charcoal kiln. You’ll eventually intersect with the start of Fenrui Historic Trail (see final hike below) at the western end of town.
We decided to take the shorter way back to town. From the pavilion, the staircase soon reaches the highway, then continues down on the opposite side. This staircase back down to town is called Gou-A-Kam Trail (糕仔崁古道, here) and will take you back to just a few steps away from the café where we started.
In total, it took us 1 hour 20 minutes to do this loop with our kids. We walked very slowly. On my own, I could probably have done it in 45 minutes.
Also read about Mianyue Line, by far the coolest hike in Alishan!
Logging Trail: Optional Add-On (1 hr)
Also called the “Wooden Horse Logging Track” (木馬棧道), this trail follows an old route which locals used to pull logs on simples sledges called “wooden horses”.
The trail features more bamboo forests (watch for the “square-shaped bamboo!) and leads to another giant tree. I recommend this trail as an add-on to Fenqi Trail for those who want a longer hike. To avoid backtracking, do this trail first.
From 7-Eleven in town, follow the car road downhill. Either use this small staircase or the turnoff just past it to go up to the highway. Opposite a large parking lot (location of the weekend-only Fenqihu bus stop), you’ll find the trailhead here.
EDIT: I’m not sure if this trail is currently accessible.
The trail ascends steeply into the forest – make sure to look back for glimpses of town through the trees. It then crosses a little bridge over the Alishan Railway Line.
If you’re very lucky or time it well, you could see a train going by on its way from Fenqihu to Alishan.
You’ll then reach a signed turnoff – go right for Fenqihu Giant Tree (奮起湖巨木, here), which you’ll reach in a few minutes. Just like Luding Giant Tree, this is another Flying Moth Tree. You can appreciate its full size as you walk down the final staircase to it.
Return to the signed turnoff and go the other way. The trail now leads through some lovely bamboo forest, with occasional glimpses of the Alishan Railway tracks. Towards the end, you’ll see the trail’s namesake “wooden horse” tracks.
The trail then meets with Fenqi Trail, as I described in the previous entry. You can go left to return to town or make a sharp right uphill to do Fenqi Trail.
Cedar Boardwalk & Old Old Street: Easiest Trail (1 hr)
The Fenqihu Cedar Boardwalk Trail (杉林木棧道) is an easy boardwalk trail on the west side of Fenqihu.
This one is the easiest because it has fewer stairs than the above trails. It is mainly through forest but does have some bamboo, too, just not as much as the previous two trails. On the plus side, you’ll get to see a small Earth God Shrine and finish at Fenqihu’s original Old Street.
From the western end of Fenqihu Old Street, follow the car road to Fenqihu Earth God Shrine (奮起湖福德宮, here, visible at top right of above photo).
The small temple sits just above the Alishan Railway Line, right at the point where Alishan trains will enter Fenqihu village when coming from Chiayi.
From the temple, watch for a small staircase going down – you’ll actually walk across the train tracks then continue down the stairs on the other side. This will bring you to the official start of the Cedar Boardwalk Trail here.
The trail descends through some bamboo and regular forest. You’ll be walking on an elevated boardwalk for most of it. After a few minutes, you’ll have the option to go left for a shorter path or right for a slightly longer one. Take the right.
The trail eventually meets a paved car road here. This road happens to be the best spot to see fireflies at night.
Turn left at the road, then turn right at the coming intersection to reach Old Old Street (老老街 or lao lao jie, here), Fenqihu’s original old street.
Locals call this the “Bottom Foot Street” (下腳店仔) to differentiate it from the “Tip of the Head Street” (頂頭店仔), today’s old street at the train station.
The Old Old Street indeed looks very old. This was the original village before Fenqihu train station was built. It was once home to a mere 10 families. It’s very quiet today, with one or two little coffee shops if you happen to need a drink or snack.
From the end of the Old Old Street, follow the street as it curves left. Walk for 10 minutes up that road to return to 7-Eleven on Fenqihu Old Street.
Fenrui Historic Trail: Most Difficult Trail (3-4 hrs one-way)
Fenrui Historic Trail (奮瑞古道) is an epic ascent through never-ending bamboo forest. On it, you’ll find hours of solitude and become one with the swaying, creaking stalks of bamboo, including the special square-shaped ones. It is without question one of my favorite hikes in all of Taiwan.
The trail name means “Fenqihu to Ruili”, as it starts here in Fenqihu (near the Earth God Shrine) and ends here in Ruili village (瑞里). Ruili is a remote village with limited amenities. It has infrequent bus connections to Chiayi city and no bus connections to Fenqihu or Alishan.
This means if you want to hike the whole thing, you need to plan it carefully. If you want to start and finish at Fenqihu, then I suggest you only hike as much of the trail as you have time/energy for, then return back the way you came.
The trail is 6 kilometers, so if you hiked the whole thing and back, that would be 12 km and take 6 to 8 hours. It would be a long, tough day.
If you want to start or finishing at the Ruili end, you can take a 2.5 hour bus ride there from Chiayi station.
Bus 7315A (or 7315 on Sundays) goes from this stop in Chiayi to Ruili once per day, departing at 9:25 (get there a little early to make sure) and arriving at Ruili (Ruitai Historic Trail) stop here in Ruili near the trailhead.
There is a second bus departing Chiayi at 3:10 PM, but then you would arrive at Ruili around dark – only do this if you intend to sleep in a guesthouse like this in Ruili and do the hike the next day.
When my friends and I hiked this trail (with limited luggage of course), we caught the morning bus to Ruili, hiked the Fenrui Trail to Fenqihu, then spent the night in Fenqihu. It was an awesome day!
If you hike starting from Fenqihu, the same bus goes back from Ruili stop to Chiayi station at 6:10 AM or 1:10 PM.
This means you could potentially hike out from Fenqihu early in the morning and catch the 1:10 PM bus back to Chiayi, or hike from Fenqihu to Ruili, sleep in a guesthouse there, and take the early morning bus down the next morning.
hi nick, thanks for the wonderful article, I am thinking to rent a small car from Chiayi then drive to Fenqihu for bento box and some tea/coffee hunting then from there drive to Eryanping to check in our stay and catch the sunset (perhaps drive up?) next morning wake up and go for sunrise. As I do understand that there is nothing much at Eryanping…
Yes, this sounds like a good plan and all correct. Xiding is name of the tiny village near Eryanping trail. And yes, there’s not much there. A couple guesthouses (like Sunsweet) are closer to Tea and Mist Trailhead (not Eryanping), but the two hikes go up to the same lookout platform, which yes you can also drive up to. There’s a HiLife convenience store a little further up the highway from there too. A few basic shops and restaurants further south in town closer to Eryanping trailhead (may or may not even be open) and that’s really it. Enjoy your visit!
The logging trail and Fenqhui to Rulli trail are currently closed, due to damage caused by a Typhoon- not sure which one. I have a picture of the notice taken a few days ago but can’t add it to the comments.
All the information you provided was really helpful, I saw some (4) fireflies even though the hotel said there wouldn’t be any! All the buses worked out fine and there was lots of space. Really glad we went, wouldn’t have been able to do it without your information.
Thank you for sharing this info!
hi! my mom and I wrre thinking of staying in alishan for 1 night. We arw staying in one of the hotels near the train station.
Are there any places in Chiayi or Alishin where we can leave our big luggages overnight?
Thank you!
Hi, we plan to stay in Fenqihu and take a day trip to Alishan. Is it possible to take the train only from Fenqihu to Alishan (and bus back)?
Yes, as long as you can get a seat on the train. They usually sell out very quickly. If you try and it’s sold out, keep trying for many days.
Chiayi train station has lockers for up to 24 hours, Chiayi HSR station has lockers for up to 72 hours (look for the orange ones), and Alishan bus station also has lockers at the back of 7-Eleven (I think 24 hrs).
hi nick, great website first of all
About the buses google maps says that the last bus from Fenqihu to Xiding is 6.52pm, is this correct? I’m not staying at Fenqihu (couldn’t find or too expensive)
Thanks
That is an infrequent bus which is not running every day. You can check it’s daily schedule here: https://www.taiwanbus.tw/eBUSPage/Query/QueryResult.aspx?rno=00940&rn=1653482939748&lan=E
much thanks to this, what are the options from Fenqihu to Xiding after 6pm. (I want to see the fireflies). I will be sleeping midway between Xiding and Shizhou (Alishan sunrise) ? Taxi possible?
If you check GoogleMaps directions, there seems to be one option involving taking a “Xingfu Happiness Bus” at 6:56 from Fenqihu to Shizhuo, then 7314 from Shizhuo to Xiding. That’s the only one. But 6:56 doesn’t give you much time at all. The place to see the fireflies is about 20 minutes walk from the bus station – all uphill. It only really gets dark enough to see them around 6:30 or 7. So this seems too tight to me. The only viable option is driving. And in some seasons, there are hardly any fireflies (only spring is really the best). You may be disappointed if you go through the trouble and only see a few.
Your Tripool referral code cannot be used.
Thank you for letting me know. I have contact Tripool and the code should work now. It needs to be used when signing up for the app. Then you should receive 3 x 100 discount vouchers.
Thank you so much for this helpful guide! I was wondering if you think it is easy to travel between Fenqihu and Alishan by bus (if trains are not available)? We are not really finding accommodation in our target budget in Alishan that are also available and are hoping to stay in Fenqihu instead but want to make sure there are enough bus times between Fenqihu and Alishan and Fenqihu and Chiayi (to take the HSR home). Thanks!
I have shared all the bus times in this article. You will see that there are only 3 buses per day from Fenqihu to Alishan. https://www.taiwanobsessed.com/chiayi-to-alishan-bus-schedule/ Many travelers (understandably) worry about this, because the buses could be full before they even arrive at Fenqihu. Usually some people get off at Fenqihu, and more people get on. You may be able to get seats, but if all the seats are full, you may need to stand for the one hour ride to Alishan. It’s best to go to the bus stop a little early to have a good spot in line, and please note that there are two possible bus stops (weekdays vs weekends/holidays/cherry blossom season), as I have described in this article. You will also see in my article that there is only 1 bus per day from Fenqihu to Chiayi HSR, at 11 AM. Finally, please note that if you are boarding a bus at Fenqihu, you can’t reserve that online. Only lining up and swiping EasyCard is possible. But you can reserve Chiayi to Fenqihu or Alishan to Fenqihu online – any ride starting at Chiayi or Alishan can be reserved online, but you can’t reserve if boarding at smaller stops like Fenqihu.
Hi Nick! I’m using your advice for visiting Fenqihu and Alishan. I decided to stay a night in Fenqihu then travel to Alishan the next morning, at a normal time (08:00) non-holiday weekday. I booked a Tripool trip and it quoted me about NTD$3000. That’s a lot more than your suggestion of asking a hotel to arrange a taxi, and saying it’ll cost about NTD$1000 to Alishan. Are you sure about that taxi pricing and reliability? I reserved the Tripool because I value the confirmation that there will be a vehicle there when I need but, if it taxis really are possible to arrange day-of / day-before and that much cheaper, I’ll just cancel the Tripool. What do you think? Thanks!
The information about hotels charging 1000 comes from one person in my Facebook group who mentioned it. I haven’t personally confirmed this information. I would also say that most likely not all hotels in Fenqihu or Alishan offer this service. Therefore, the best thing to do would be to ask your hotel in Fenqihu or just book the Tripool for a guaranteed ride.
We’re going next month and decided to spend one night in Fengqihu and the next in Alishan. Bus and train options seem complicated and limited. Would it be better to rent a car in Chiayi for two days, and if so would parking be a problem? Also, I read in one of your posts that drivers over 70 are excluded, or is that just certain rental company? Thanks.
I think most of them don’t allow over 70, but I’ve heard of people managing to find some. Unfortunately I don’t know where. Try contacting IWS, I’m renting a car from them soon and they have someone who can reply to emails in English iwsservice588@gmail.com As for whether it’s a good idea, I feel that yes, it’s a great idea to drive in the Alishan region, then you don’t have to worry about the bus complications. There are two large paid parking lots at Fenqihu village. You can’t park right at Fenqihu Hotel because the streets in the village are two narrow. The lots are just a few minutes walk from the hotel and they are indicated on GoogleMaps. The hotel should also provide information about the parking when you book. At Alishan, there’s a TWD 100 fee for parking, on top of the 300/adult entrance fee.
Hi Nick, I’m looking to spend 1.5 days in either Shizhuo or Fenquihu in early April. I would be catching public transport (no car or scooter), and just hoping to explore some of the trails/restaurants nearby. Which would you recommened for such a short time? Thank you!
That’s a tough choice, as both are worthwhile. Fenqihu’s trails are mostly bamboo forest. Shizhuo’s trails are mostly tea plantation views, but some have bamboo forest also. Fenqihu has better food options on the old street. Shizhuo has beautiful sunsets. For me, if I could only choose one, I would probably choose Shizhuo. But it’s quite possible to do both in your time frame. Take the train or bus from Chiayi to Fenqihu. Put your luggage in lockers at the train station for a few hours. Do Fenqi Trail (my favorite), have lunch, get luggage, then proceed to Shizhuo and spend the night there. Enjoy the sunset, and do some more trails the next morning before leaving. The weather is usually clearer in the morning. Hope this helps!
Hi Nick! Thank you so much for your detailed report! I am a little confused about your description of Fenrui Historic Trail; the average walking pace is 12 minutes a kilometer, meaning that 12 kilometers, with a half hour break, should take about 3 hours. Is it very steep? Thanks!
Yes, there’s definitely some uphill on this trail, that’s why. The AllTrails page (where it is called Rueili Historic Trail) puts it at 2 hr 45 min (one-way, 6 km), so that would be 5.5 hours return. I indicated 3-4 hours each way because I think my friends and I took it at a pretty slow pace, with lots of chatting and photo taking.
Hi Nick, thank you for your posts and details about traveling within Taiwan. Would you say it is possible to visit Xiding, Fengihu, and Alishan all in one day? I would be traveling from Chiayi. I am allocating ~ 2 days for this area of Taiwan, and was wondering how to best spend my time, and would it be recommended to stay in Chiayi or Fenqihu/Shizuo instead. Thank you!
The big question is: would you be driving or going by public transportation. If you drive and start early, you could definitely do all three as a day trip. You can budget 1.5 hours for Eryanping trail, 1 hour for having lunch at Fenqihu (or make it 2-3 hours if you want to do some hikes in the bamboo forest), and 3-4 hours for walking the main trails and riding the small train at Alishan. If you can spend the night at Alishan, even better, so you can enjoy the famous sunrise there. By public transportation, this all becomes more complicated. You can’t really stop at Xiding if you have luggage. Fenqihu is possible because there are luggage lockers in the train station. All the buses to Alishan pass Xiding on the way, but only a few pass Fenqihu, so you really have to check the bus times carefully. It’s theoretically possible to do all three in one day by bus, but you’d want to catch one of the first buses of the day to start, and you’d want to plan the whole day out carefully. If you can, staying overnight somewhere will be a nicer experience.
ty! I’m trying to sort out my 2 nights in the area (and lol, I saw your blog post a month ago but then procrastinated on booking, so pickings are slim)…
I think I’m not too concerned with sunrise, but boy sure are a lot of logistics to sort out – I think i will try staying in Fenqihu one night, then Chiayi the next night before heading back to Taipei – hoping to only use public transport.
I was able to get two train tickets from Chiayi to Alishan, and Alishan back to Chiayi. It’s a little easier to find tickets for the way back. I’m not entirely sure, but I think they only release new tickets on Friday and Saturday too. I was booking for Mon-Tues, and when I checked on Mon two weeks before nothing was available until Fri and Sat when tickets were probably released. I checked every day for two weeks to try to figure out their system because it just seemed really odd. I also would log in exactly at 6am and it would be sold out. However, payment has to be completed within 24 hours I believe. So when I checked the next day at 6am I was able to get tickets. I think someone must have not paid and the tickets were released. So people should definitely keep checking even if it says sold out the first time.
Also, it’s a very rocky train. People need to bring anti-nausea medicine if they’re prone to motion sickness!
Hi Nick, for the bus from Fenqihu to Alishan I’m wondering if I could find a schedule anywhere? I’m planning on going on the 28th this month. Also, wondering if where I could store my luggage in Fenqihu for a couple hours while visiting. I will be taking bus 7322 from Chiayi to Fenqihu
Hi Nick,
thank you for the great information regarding the whole region.
would love your advice on something.
I have 3 nights to spend and looking to spend 1 night each at Fenqihu, Shizhuo, and Alishan. so that I can experience fireflies, sunset and sunrise respectively.
how would you arrange the order of cities to minimize transportation waiting times if I am coming from TPE airport the first day (flight arrives 06.40am), and on the last day will be heading to Chiayi HSR in the morning to transfer to Taitung?
the trip will be in 21/12 to 24/12 (3 nights) would that be considered peak period and hard to book seats on the buses?
Good luck with your trip – they do make it very complicated!
I’ve shared a table with all the bus times here: https://www.taiwanobsessed.com/chiayi-to-alishan-bus-schedule/ You can also find more info about the bus stops in Fenqihu and link to the schedule by reading the article you commented on.
hi Nick, where do you reckon makes a better ‘base’ to stay at for 2-3 nights, shizhuo or fenqihu? I’m travelling with 2 elderly folks plus 2 toddlers who are only 2 and 5, not great walkers, and still need their afternoon naps
(to add- we will have our own transport)
Hi Nick,
My friend and I are planning to visit Alishan/Fenqihu/Shizuo over 2 days. These will coincide with the Mid-Autumn festival on the 6-7th of October. I note that you say cherry blossom season the buses/trains can be full with bookings, do you know if this will be similar for Mid-Autumn festival? Looking online it seems that Alishan typically stays open during this time, but please let me know if this is not the case or if it is perhaps a bad time to go.
Thanks!
Thanks for sharing your experience!
December is the busiest month for international tourism in Taiwan. But still, because the bus booking system is complicated and many visitors don’t know about it, as long as you try early, it shouldn’t be difficult to reserve bus seats (reserving seats for the train from Chiayi to Alishan is much more difficult). As for how to plan your itinerary, I don’t think it makes a big difference which order your choose. With 6:40 arrival time, I would look at booking at HSR from Taoyuan to Chiayi at 9:10 AM, which arrives at Chiayi HSR at 10:13. Then take the 11:00 AM bus from Chiayi HSR to Fenqihu. You can get there in time for lunch, hiking, and then fireflies at night. Please note, Fenqihu has the most fireflies in May. It’s true it’s still possible still see them in other months throughout the year, but there won’t be many. The next day, it’s easy to take the bus from Fenqihu to Shizhuo. Some Shizhuo hotels will even pick you up in Fenqihu if you ask. Spend the day hiking. The next day to Alishan. And final day, bus from Alishan back to Chiayi HSR, ride HSR to Zuoying, then you’ll need to transfer to a regular train from Xinzuoying to Taitung. Important – the train station connected to Zuoying HSR station is called “Xinzuoying”. There’s also a regular train station called “Zuoying” which is confusingly NOT there, but beside Lotus Pond.
Both would be possible, but there are several factors to consider. A pro of Fenqihu is that the village is very small and everything is close together. You can walk from Fenqihu Hotel’s front door to many lunchbox restaurants and food stalls just down the street, and it is literally connected to a 711. Another pro is that Fenqihu at least has one trail that isn’t too steep (the Cedar Boardwalk). Fenqihu con is that it’s not possible to park right at the hotel. You could drop people off or pick them up at the hotel, but the parking lot is located up a small hill from the hotel, and need to pay for parking there. Another con of Fenqihu is that there’s no sunrise or sunset viewpoint. Yet another is that, even though it has lots of lunchbox restaurants and food stalls, it actually doesn’t have many normal restaurants.
Now to Shizhuo. Shizhuo is not really a village but more like a spread out, rural farming area. The restaurants and convenience stores are along the highway, but many hotels are far away from the highway, mostly on the steep hill beside the town. Since you’re driving, that’s fine, but it would mean that anytime you want to leave your hotel, like to buy food or visit the convenience store, you’d have to drive there. Walking would take 15-45 minutes, depending on which hotel, with some steep parts. A pro of Shizhuo is nice sunsets and sunrises. Shizhuo doesn’t have an old street with food stall snacks like Fenqihu, but it does have several normal restaurants with tables. Shizhuo’s hikes are mostly all very steep, but you can drive the car to some lookout points like Dingshizhao, and your hotel might even have a nice view. Shizhuo has many guesthouses to choose from, some with view nice views or tea farms, while Fenqihu only has like 2 hotels to choose from.
Hope this helps!
Hi Nick
thanks a lot for all your tipps and suggestions! it made my travel planing in Taiwan so much easyer!
I’m at the moment in Fenqihu and I did the Fenqi Trail (blue) and added the Logging Track (red). officially the Fenqi Trail is closed after crossing the street to go down to the end of the trail or like me to continue with the Logging track which is totally closed!
this morning I also saw that at least part of the Cedar Boardwalk are also closed.
thanks again for all your tipps!
kind regards
Alex
Everything will be open, but generally speaking, tourist places across Taiwan get quite busy on long weekends. This means it could be harder to get train tickets, bus tickets, and hotel reservations, and many hotels increase their prices. However, if that’s the time that’s best for your schedule, you can still do it. You will just need to be a little vigilant with booking everything. Book your hotel in Alishan as early as possible. You can start to check now. But one annoying thing is that some hotels there don’t released their rooms until 2-3 months in advance. So if there’s nothing now, just keep check back again and again in the coming months. You can see how far ahead a hotel has released their rooms by using the date/calendar function on their booking page. Fenqihu only has a couple hotels so also try early. Shizhuo has more, so it should be easier to find something there. For train/HSR, make sure to book as soon as tickets are released. All tickets for every day of Mid Autumn long weekend will be released all at once on Sept 4 12 AM (midnight at night of Sept 3), Taiwan time.
Hi Nick
Thanks for all the detailed information. I’m thinking to stay a night at Fenqiru, and continue to Alishan the next morning. I’ve decided to use tripool to get a private transfer from Chiayi to Fenqiru. It’s too complicated & troublesome to take the train or bus to Alishan from Fenqiru. Therefore, I’m thinking is there any private hire transport to Alishan from Fenqiru & return back to Fenqiru later that day?
Thanks for the update. In your comment you said the Logging trail is closed, but you also said you did it. Can you clarify? Hopefully they will get these trails reopened soon!
You could use Tripool again for this. Another option is to ask your hotel in Fenqihu if they can arrange a driver. There are no taxis based in Fenqihu because it’s too small.