One of Taiwan's most iconic cherry blossom spots is back in season, this time with a special view. Visitors to the Alishan Forest Railway can get limited access to a 100-year-old steam train to view the blossoms. The locomotive has been restored and will make three trips during the season.
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00:00All aboard the Alishan Express. This 100-year-old train is chugging along the scenic railway
00:08in southern Taiwan, giving passengers a special view of the mountain's iconic cherry blossoms.
00:14The Alishan Express is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country, but the
00:39view from the tracks is not something everyone gets to experience. The cherry blossom train
00:44will only run three times this season, and it's a six-hour journey up the mountain, but
00:49tourists say every second is worth it. The historic railway has been in operation since
01:17the Japanese colonial era. The carriages are made from cypress wood, and the steam
01:21locomotive was originally powered by coal, now modified to run on diesel instead. But
01:27maintaining the train is still difficult. A relic of Taiwan's history, these trains
01:51have survived for over a century, and they're still running. And as time passes, they've
01:57outlasted those who built them, and carried generations of passengers who have come to
02:02admire the view.