Sleeping Moon Stone Monkey (Currently Closed) Introduction
The Alishan Forest Railway Mienyue Line is 9.2 kilometers long and was opened in 1983. It winds its way through towering mountains reaching over 2,000 meters above sea level. Its terminus is the once-famous "Shih Monkey Recreation Area." The name "Shih Monkey" comes from a small hill next to the Mienyue Line's terminal, which had a pile of giant stones approximately 31 meters high and 9 meters in diameter. This pile of stones resembled a monkey crouching and gazing into the distance, thus it was called "Shih Monkey." From another angle, it also resembles Bodhidharma in meditation, so it was also referred to as "Dharma Rock." Since the Alishan sacred tree was artificially felled in 1997, the Shih Monkey area, with its beautiful and representative scenery, was chosen as a landmark of Alishan. The Directorate General of Posts even designated Shih Monkey as the postage stamp for the Alishan Scenic Area in August 1999. However, less than two months later, the Mienyue Line was heavily damaged during the 921 earthquake, and it has not been fully repaired since. The head of the Shih Monkey was also knocked off, reducing its height by three to four meters. The landmark's appearance has completely changed, and it is no longer recognizable. The Shih Monkey Recreation Area has previously faced forest fires, which burnt away the smaller plants, leaving only the tall, dead trunks of pines and cedars. These scorched trees gradually turned white from prolonged exposure to wind and sunlight, creating a striking "White Wood Forest" spectacle. The recreation area also used to have traditional camphor houses, bamboo shoot stoves, and charcoal kilns, making it suitable for a visit of about an hour. Currently, the Chiayi Forest District Office is repairing the Mienyue Line section by section, and the Shih Monkey Recreation Area has been largely closed to the public. At present, the only accessible spot is the Tashan Trail, which offers distant views of the Shih Monkey, but what can be seen is no longer the vivid appearance it once had.
