We woke up super early this morning and arrived at the train station at around 5 am. Shortly, there was a long queue behind us.
We bought the tickets from Klook in advance. We were here to redeem the actual tickets from the counter. The train was scheduled to depart at 5:50 a.m. There is only one train per day for this sunrise view activity.
The platform was filled with people shortly.
We were lucky to be in front of a line.
The train arrived at around 5.15 am, and the staff were inspecting it.
Here comes our train.
Managed to get seats as the ride was about 30 minutes.
A few stalls were opened at Zhushan.
This morning was super cloudy. This was the best picture we got. We did not manage to see the sun rise.
It was disappointing, but there was nothing we could do against the weather.
Our hotel booking came with a morning buffet breakfast at this restaurant
Nothing much to shout about except that it was hot and fresh
After checking out of the hotel, we drove about an hour to Fen Chi Hu (奋起湖), a popular tourist stop.
There were many stalls here.
It’s Taiwan’s highest old street, set along sloping terrain and lined with nostalgic wooden shops selling local specialties
—railway bags, tofu burgers, tea, and Alishan pastries.
We bought some pastry from this popular stall to try. It tasted normal.
Then we joined the ever-present queue for this donut stall. It tasted much better, and people were buying it by the boxes. We just bought 2 to try.
We then decided to have Railway Bento from the most highly internet-recommended restaurant.
It was worth it as the portion was quite big compared to other stalls. It tasted delicious too. There are nature trails around here, but we did not have the time to venture into them.
From Fen Chi Hu (奋起湖), we drove towards Eryanping (二延平).
This 1.1 km mountain trail (approx. 60 min round‑trip) winds through serene bamboo groves, scenic tea plantations, and unique rock formations.
To save time, we tried our luck and managed to drive our car to the summit lookout point. Saved us a lot of time and walking. Due to the unfavorable weather, we did not manage to see the sea of clouds here.
Please note that the roads are so narrow that they only fit one car at a time, so please watch your speed and drive carefully.
Next was Hinoki Village at Chiayi.
It’s the largest cluster of preserved Japanese-era wooden dormitories in the country. Once housing forestry bureau staff dating back to 1914, the 28 cypress-wood buildings have been revitalized into craft shops, cafés, exhibition halls, and immersive spaces for kimono rentals and storytelling
Our hotel for the night, Hsin Hotel, was a short drive away.
The hotel has an outdoor Carousel, a Wedding area, a playground, and a kids’ driving area..
Adults can rent a bicycle or an electric scooter from the front desk.
They also have a big and nicely decorated reception area. The Black Bear is their mascot. From afar, you can see a big yellow bear on the top of the hotel too.
Next to the reception, there is a Starbucks coffee outlet.
As we entered the room, the bathroom was on our immediate right.
It was spacious and nicely decorated.
As with the other hotels, we usually book a room with 2 double beds.
After settling down, we proceeded to Smart Fish (林聪明沙锅鱼头).
We were given a number and asked to wait outside.
Our food arrived shortly after we were assigned a table.
After dinner, we took a walk at Wenhua Road Night Market. As we had eaten, we did not try any street food there.
Back at the hotel, we managed to find a vacant lot in the underground parking. There is also a big open parking space beside the hotel. There is no issue with space for this hotel.
