Groups on volunteer holiday help to clean up Alishan

The group was the first of its kind organized jointly by the Tourism Bureau of Chiayi County, Alishan National Scenic Area Administration and Chiayi Forest District Office under the concept of volunteer holidays.

Volunteers would have the opportunity to tour scenic spots in the area and also work on special projects, the organizers said.

On the weekend, the 54 volunteers in the first group all paid the costs of their Alishan tour, which began at the Fenchifu Station of the Alishan Forest Railway system that has been closed since it was damaged by massive flooding and landslides during the typhoon.

The volunteers were divided into three teams, with the first one going to Shih Jhao, one of the major tea-growing areas on Alishan, to help clean up tea gardens and popular hiking trails in the area.

The second team went to Kuanghua village to assist in work of restoring the habitat of local flora and fauna, including white-faced flying squirrels, fireflies and fluorescent mushrooms.

The third team was assigned to clean up an antique locomotive in Fenchihu that operated on the popular forest railway, according to the organizers.

"It is a very meaningful experience," said one couple surnamed Wang. "Fenchihu is where we spent our honeymoon. Now we are here to clean the locomotive, which brings back so many memories."

The organizers have recruited two more volunteer holiday groups to help with the clean up work on Alishan, ahead of the planned reopening of the popular mountain resort at the end of October. The next group will being work on Oct. 17.

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