Alishan’s Dawn Train – Into the clouds to meet the first light.

Before dawn, the Alishan Forest Railway hums to life. You sit by the window as the train begins to climb through darkness. The air grows cool; the scent of cedar fills the carriage. The first light appears—a faint blush through the trees. The train winds higher, above the clouds, until the world below disappears in mist. At the summit, you step onto a wooden platform surrounded by silence. Then, the sun breaks through—rays piercing the sea of cloud, gilding every pine, every breath. The passengers gasp, but you only smile. It feels less like sunrise and more like awakening. The mountains stretch endless, the sky reborn. In that moment, Taiwan lives up to its name once whispered by explorers—Ilha Formosa, the Beautiful Island—where dawn itself seems to have found its first home.