A breathtaking multidisciplinary performance, Musical Travelogue on Echoes Along the Alishan Forest Railway, was presented on May 8 at the multifunction hall of Taipei Biotechnology Park in Taipei, Taiwan. Organized by the Taiwan Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency in collaboration with the Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Office (AFRCHO) and Chiayi-based Chiasong Ensemble, the production combined live music, documentary imagery, narration, and storytelling to highlight the natural beauty and cultural heritage of Taiwan’s historic Alishan Forest Railway.
Inspired by the sounds and stories of Alishan
The production was inspired by the 2024 publication Echoes Along the 2,421m Ascent: Travelogue of the Alishan Forest Railway. Chiasong Ensemble Executive Director and composer Yuensuo Yang, together with film director Tsai Ming-Hsiao, spent nearly a year conducting extensive fieldwork along the railway line.
During their journey, they documented the landscapes, ecology, and daily life of mountain communities while carefully recording the railway’s unique “soundscapes” — the rhythmic clanking of train wheels, the hum of mountain insects, birdsong, and the subtle echoes of village life. These authentic sounds later became the foundation of a 60-minute immersive musical and visual performance.
Transforming railway soundscapes into music
Yuensuo Yang said he had long been fascinated by railway cultures in North America, Europe, and Japan, yet the Alishan Forest Railway touched him most deeply.
After traveling through the Alishan mountains with the creative team, he became inspired by the railway’s distinctive blend of mechanical rhythms and natural sounds. He transformed these field recordings into musical compositions that tell the story of the century-old railway and the communities connected to it.
An immersive journey through forests by railway
Film director Tsai Ming-Hsiao described the project as an attempt to turn the original book into “a journey that could be both seen and heard.” Through moving imagery, live music, and narration, audiences felt as though they were riding a mountain train through the forests of Alishan.
Storyteller Ku Ting-Wei further guided audiences throughout the performance, deepening the emotional connection to the railway’s history, people, and environment.
Sharing Alishan with the world
Speaking after the event, Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency Director-General Lin Hua-Ching emphasized that the Alishan Forest Railway is far more than a transportation route. It is a cultural link connecting mountain communities, history, and nature. He noted that music and visual arts serve as a universal language, helping international audiences better appreciate the railway’s cultural significance.
Wang Chao-pao, Director of AFRCHO, added that by integrating railway culture with local educational resources through music, the project reflects a spirit of community collaboration. It transforms the railway from a means of transportation into a living vessel of local stories and cultural memory.
Yuensuo Yang also noted that since the documentary premiered last September, the production has already been performed in Germany and is scheduled to be presented in Japan next. He hopes the project will inspire more international visitors to experience Alishan’s forests, railway heritage, and mountain culture, while further strengthening the railway’s reputation as one of Taiwan’s most iconic cultural tourism landmarks.
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