TAIPEI, TAIWAN (Merxwire) – The Tourism Administration’s annual Solar Festival in Taiwan, a summer-themed event, usually spanning from Jun. to Sep., features a series of recreational activities across the country.

Now in its 10th year, the festival will highlight five themes: “Sticky Rice Dumplings and Dragon Boats,” “Summer Solstice 235,” “Iced Tea and Shaved Ice,” “Taiwan Culinary Exhibition,” and “Railway Travel Fun.” The event will connect 13 national scenic areas and 22 counties and cities.

Railway Travel Fun

This theme features railway tours with special trains, including the Summer Formosa and Alishan’s Formosensis.

• Formosensis

The Alishan Forest Railway, fully restored after a 15-year project, reopened in July 2024. The Formosensis train, crafted from native Taiwanese cypress, offers a luxurious experience with personalized dining, exclusive bento boxes, and Indigenous cultural performances.

The Formosensis train features warm, natural wood interiors and soft lighting, creating a cozy atmosphere. Passengers can enjoy panoramic views through large windows as they journey through the mountains.
An art car features 10 significant paintings of Alishan from the Japanese colonial era to the early post-war period. Each painting includes a digital guide exploring the area’s forestry and railway history.
The full journey on the Alishan Forest Railway from Beimen Station to Alishan Station takes about five hours. A segmented package tour with cruise-like travel experience aboard the luxurious train is offered.

• Summer Formosa

The Summer Formosa train only runs at certain times, usually weekends in July and August. This vintage CT273 steam-engine train only stops at Yuli, Fuli, Chihshang, Shanli and Taitung stations, where travelers can explore these popular tourist attractions and enjoy complimentary refreshments on board, such as honey-scented black tea, daylily-infused beverages and herbal teas.

Summer Solstice 235

The event highlights the Tropic of Cancer, which passes through Taiwan. Ten southern Taiwan cultural institutions have created the “Smiling South Bay” intellectual journey, offering educational and cultural experiences.
The institutions include the Southern Branch of National Palace Museum, Chimei Museum, National Museum of Taiwan Literature, National Science and Technology Museum, National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying), Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum, National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, National Museum of Prehistory, and the National Human Rights Museum, promoting the nation’s rich cultural heritage.

Iced Tea and Shaved Ice

Taiwan’s famous high mountain tea and award-winning coffee, coupled with the unique flavors of ice cream from all over the world, will always leave visitors unable to stop eating once they start. Every summer after the fruit harvest, businesses start to get creative and develop various flavors of ice cream. If you have the chance to travel to Taiwan, don’t miss the mango, pineapple, black tea or cactus flavored ice cream!

Taiwan Culinary Exhibition

Interested in learning more about Taiwan’s Indigenous cultures? Welcome to the tribes of Hualien and Taitung, where you can experience the wisdom of Indigenous life. Every year, the “East Longitudinal Valley Tour” is held in the East Longitudinal Valley, featuring Indigenous groups such as the Amis, Bunun, Seediq, Truku, and Puyuma. From tribal cuisine, music, and crafts to wilderness survival skills, this journey will offer you a deeper understanding of Taiwan through local food.

Media Contacts:
Alishan National Scenic Area Headquarters, Tourism Administration, MOTC
LI , Man Ying
886-5-2593900
https://www.ali-nsa.net/en/

SOURCE: Alishan National Scenic Area Headquarters, Tourism Administration, MOTC