Alishan National Scenic Area is a nature preserve in the mountains of Chiayi County in southern Taiwan. Occupying about 415 km2 in area, it is the home of a wide variety of plants, animals and landscapes. Unparalleled sunrise and sunset sceneries, sea of clouds, starry sky, as well as the production of high mountain Alishan tea and wasabi are specials that make Alishan become one of the major landmarks in Taiwan and popular among both local and international travelers.
Topography
Alishan is surrounded by high mountains with lushly forested slopes, steep terrain and precipitous cliffs and is formed by a natural valley and basin. The elevation ranges from 300 to 2600 meters, with the elevation higher in the east. The mountains in the east are part of the north-south Alishan chain which is made up of 18 mountain including Data Mountain, Shishui Mountain, Dou Mountain, Wanshui Mountain, Ta Mountain, Zhu Mountain and Jian Mountain;Data Mountain is the highest in the scenic area, reaching 2663 meters.The western part is lower and gently sloping, the mountain range lying south-north, with mainly east and north facing slopes.
Climate
Because it is surrounded by high mountains the climate is cool, with the average temperature around 10C, the average low 8C and average high 15.7C;it is very humid and has ample rainfall (April to September is the rainy season, October to the following March is the dry season) with annual rainfall of over 2500mm. With its relatively high elevation and surrounded by mountains, Alishan also has fog an average of 111 days a year.