Seeing Taiwan by Train

In the past few years, vacationers in Taiwan have discovered the pleasures of train travel, and indeed, few countries have more "rail holiday" options than Taiwan. The Taiwan Rail system has introduced new, more comfortable trains for tourists, and it has upgraded services on its three branch lines serving the scenic interior. There is also the one-of-a-kind Alishan Forest Railway, which carries passengers deep into the heart of Taiwan's central mountain range. Finally, there is the brand-new Taiwan High Speed Rail, a high-tech marvel that opened earlier this year. There has never been a better time to see Taiwan by train.

The Taiwan Rail system introduced its "tourist trains" in 2000. Dedicated to sightseers, the trains have new carriages equipped with 34-seat "business class" cars rather than the 52 seats on standard trains, and all tickets have assigned seat numbers. The tourist trains also have simple dining cars that serve drinks and snacks, along with karaoke cars, colorfully dressed attendants, and announcements - in Chinese - about the attractions that pass by outside the windows.