Chasing cherry blossoms on an old steam train in Taiwan

ALISHAN: Nearly a hundred passengers hopped aboard an old steam train in Taiwan this week, as the annual cherry blossom season entered full swing in the island’s scenic mountains.

The special blossom-themed train chugged up Alishan, in the southern part of the island, for a scenic six-hour journey on a heritage line that dates from Japanese colonial times and was originally a logging railway.

“It’s quite novel and the cherry blossoms are really beautiful,” said train passenger Chang Ya-Jou.

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“When the steam train turns, the view out there is magnificent, especially when it passes by the snow-capped Yushan. It’s truly beautiful,” Ya-Jou said, referring to Taiwan’s highest peak which is nearby.

The narrow gauge railway is one of Taiwan’s most popular tourist attractions, and only fully re-opened last year following damage from typhoons and earthquakes.

This is the eighth time the special train has been organised.