Fongshan - natural beauty behind mountains

Fongshan (豐山) is a village in the Alishan township of Chiayi (嘉義) County, southern Taiwan. It lies at the northern end of County Highway 169, the only village inside the Alishan National Scenic Area proper, and this secluded location has kept it off the beaten track for visitors to Alishan.

At an elevation of 750 meters, Fongshan is Taiwan’s highest flatland village. The high mountains ringing the town, some towering over 2,000 meters, have imposed a seclusion that has largely spared the village of commercial contamination and over-development. Visitors may feel as if they have stumbled into a place forgotten by time. The large degree to which age-old traditions have been preserved here is evident in the use of local materials for building and daily use items.

In former times Fongshan was known as Shihgupan (石谷盤), or “stone drum plate,” in reference to the flat rocky terrain that made cultivation an arduous task for the early settlers to this area. Landslides have also been frequent dangers, fostering in the villagers an appreciation of the transitory nature of life.

Today the unusual rocks and landslide-scarred areas are no less a reminder of nature’s power, but they have also become one of Fongshan’s distinctive tourism draws. Although Fongshan has overcome its fair share of natural disasters in recent years, the paradise-like setting of the village has in no way suffered.

Visitors will discover here a land steeped in the full majesty and vitality of nature, with towering peaks, boldly jutting rock formations, unusually shaped trees and cascading waterfalls.

In order to meet the needs of an increasing number of visitors, some modern hostels and homestays have been built in recent years. These hotels and homestays not only provide overnight stay and meals, but also take visitors to travel to the nearby scenic spots by using their four-wheel vans. My travel guide, Liu Chia-chi, who is also the owner of the Fong Chi Hostel, told me that a high-powered four-wheel drive car is the basic transportation tool to take a sight-seeing in the mountainous area of Fongshan.

At Fongshan, you will not only be able to see beautiful scenery, but also have the chance to enjoy special local food. Liu said most of the food they provide to guests are locally grown or raised, such as bamboo shoots, vegetables, mushrooms, chicken and pork.

The first stop Liu showed us was the Shihpangu (石谷盤) Waterfall, about 10 minutes drive from Liu’s hostel. The Shihpangu Waterfall is composed of a group of six falls at the upper course of the Gankeng River. Viewpoints a short distance past the small bridge and at the rest pavilion near a trailhead offer the best vantages of the falls. The first of these is the most impressive, diving 18 meters down a sheer rock face into a deep green plunge pool. Dayanbi (Big Rock Cliff) is also visible in the distance from here.

Past the first waterfall the trail hugs a steep cliff wall with a forest of subcostate crape myrtles lining the other side. There are guide ropes to help visitors safely navigate across this section. The smooth-barked crape myrtles grow in every manner of sculptural shape, earning this area the nickname of “Crape Myrtle Art Forest."

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