A remote mountain town connected to the Alishan Forest Railway, Fenqihu has to be one of our favourite places in Taiwan for forest walks, fantastic food and a peaceful time after all the tourists have left.
Famous for its bento boxes, railway heritage and old street, you’ll also find some more fun things to do here including square bamboo, decadent donuts plus some charming cafes – talk about brews with views. And if you time it right, you might see fireflies too.
The main town area of Fenqihu is relatively small, plus pretty much everywhere (accept 7-Eleven) closes after 7pm so we’d recommend maybe spending 1 to 2 nights here maximum.
From incredible scenery to interesting snacks (fish-head ice-cream anyone), here is our guide to Fenqihu in Chiayi County, Taiwan. We last visited in Fenqihu in February 2026 for 3 nights, staying at the Fenqihu Hotel.
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How to get to Fenqihu
There are 3 main ways to get to Fenqihu:
- Car hire / private driver
- Taiwan tourist shuttle bus (the Chiayi to Alishan line)
- The historic Alishan Forest Railway train (the Chiayi to Alishan line)
On our visit to Fenqihu in February 2026 we took the Alishan Forest Railway train from Chiayi to Fenqihu, and then we hired a private driver to pick us up and return us back to Chiayi (via a few scenic stops).
Many visitors combine a visit to Fenqihu with a visit to nearby Alishan National Forest Recreation Area. Alishan is located a 45 minute drive away (45 minutes by bus and 2 hours by train).
Below we will go through all the different options to get to Fenqihu from both Chiayi and Alishan:
By Car
You can rent your own vehicle, or hire a private driver to take you to Fenqihu. However parking in Fenqihu is difficult due to very limited space.
We booked a private driver for 8 hours to pick us up from Fenqihu and take us to Chiayi via the Eryanping Trail, a teahouse in Shizhuo and YUYUPAS Cultural Park.
Check out our guide to private drivers >
By Alishan Forest Railway
A ride along the historic Alishan Forest Railway is a highly sought after Taiwan travel experience with epic scenery!
Built in 1912 by the Japanese to transport cypress down the mountain, its zig-zag switchbacks and spirals are feats of historic engineering.
The train journey both starts and ends in Chiayi and Alishan, with a stop in Fenqihu.
These are the train times (correct as of July 2026). The full timetable can be viewed here >
| Chiayi to Fenqihu (NT$384) | 2 trains at 9am and 10am (2 hours 15 mins to 2 hours 30 mins) |
| Fenqihu to Chiayi (NT$384) | 2 trains at 1.29pm and 2:31pm (2 hours 20 mins) |
| Alishan to Fenqihu (NT$203) | 1 train at 11.50am (1 hour 20 mins) |
| Fenqihu to Alishan (NT$203) | 1 train at 1:21pm (1 hour 35 mins) |
Tickets sell out really quickly. You can purchase Alishan Forest Railway tickets the following ways:
- The official Alishan Forest Railway website afrch.forest.gov.tw (14 days before your weekday travel dates, 15 days before for Saturday travel dates and 16 days before for Sunday travel dates).
- Using a Taiwan Pass (60 days before your travel date) – limited spaces available.
- In person at Alishan Forest Railway counters (12 days before your travel date).
You can also visit Fenqihu aboard the more expensive and more luxurious Formosensis train.
The themed Formosensis trains that stop at Fenqihu include:
- Forest Melody – Alishan station to Fenqihu station (Monday morning at 8.55am).
- Forest Tea Ritual – Fenqihu station to Beimen/North Gate station in Chiayi (Monday afternoon at 12.40pm, plus additional journeys on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 2.20pm).
Read more about how to book the Formosensis train in our guide >
By Taiwan tourist shuttle bus
If you are unsuccessful in purchasing train tickets, then the next best public transport option is to take the Taiwan tourist shuttle bus.
Journeys start/end in Chiayi and Alishan. Only a few of these buses go via Fenqihu so make sure you board the correct bus (look for the ‘A’ or ‘D’ buses, or ones marked ‘via Fenqihu’).
In Chiayi, the bus makes pick ups from both Chiayi train station and Chiayi High Speed Rail station.
You can pay onboard the bus using your EasyCard or there is an option to buy tickets online up to 31 days in advance on this website or this website.
We tried to book a ticket to go to Feniqhu but they only offer complete Chiayi to Alishan (and vice versa) journeys. But you can always book this whole journey and then jump off the bus at whatever bus stop you want!
Bus reservations can only be made for journeys that start or end in either Chiayi or Alishan. You cannot use a bus reservation to board at Fenqihu.
Note you can no longer purchase tickets in FamilyMart stores as of spring 2026.
These are the following Chiayi to Fenqihu (and vice versa) bus times as of July 2026:
| Chiayi train station to Fenqihu (bus 7322D) | 9.40am and 12.10pm |
| Chiayi HSR train station to Fenqihu (bus 7329A) | 11am |
| Fenqihu to Chiayi train station (bus 7322A) | 10am and 3.10pm |
| Fenqihu to Chiayi HSR train station (bus 7329A) | 11.10am |
These are the following Alishan to Fenqihu (and vice versa) bus times as of July 2026:
| Alishan to Fenqihu (buses 7322A or 7329A) | 9.10am, 10.10am, 2.10pm |
| Fenqihu to Alishan (buses 7322D or 7329A) | 11.30am, 12.50pm, 2pm |
The full Chiayi station to Alishan timetable can be viewed here >
The full Chiayi HSR station to Alishan timetable can be viewed here >
Fenqihu accommodation
To be honest, good central accommodation in Fenqihu is quite scarce and many travellers choose to stay at the Fenqihu Hotel.
Fenchihu Hotel 奮起湖大飯店
We picked this hotel for its convenient location next to the train station, its affordable price and its multiple good reviews on Google.
The location is fantastic with so much on our doorstep. The hotel is also home to one of the best bento box restaurants in town and we ate their bento every day during our 3 night stay – they were so delicious!
Room rates includes breakfast which is a $NT100 voucher to spend in the 7-Eleven convenience store located next door.
The deluxe double room we booked was a little dated and small, but sufficient (please note there are no refridgerators in the rooms).
The hotel also offers Japanese-style rooms with tatami mats.
We walked past one of the empty bigger rooms (deluxe quadruple room) which had the door wide open and it looked so much better with lots of windows and a huge amount of space so we think we might book this room-type next time!
There is a rooftop dining area in the hotel which is lovely to use (although it closes around 1-2pm), plus Fenqihu hotel also offers a set evening dinner meal which you need to book and pay for before 5pm on the day. Guest luggage storage is available for free.
Check rates and availabilty on booking.com, agoda.com (use the Agoda code TAIWANDERERS for a discount) and expedia.com
There are also several other small guesthouses on or around Fenqihu Old Street which you can see here >
A little further out and a 25 minute drive from Fenqihu, Applause in the Mountain is a 3 star mountainside B&B with stunning views and delicious hotpot dinners.
Things to do in Fenqihu
Fenqihu trails
Most travelers visit Fenqihu for a tranquil time and to get back to nature – although it can get busy with tourists and scenic trains in the afternoon, the trails can can be so quiet and peaceful first thing in the morning or at dusk.
Several times, we had some incredible walks all to ourselves and it was kind of a pinch me moment.
Some of our favourite Fenqihu trails included:
Fenqihu Cedar Boardwalk Trail (奮起湖杉林步道)
Difficulty: Easy
This is probably the most popular / easy trail in Fenqihu, a 3km circular loop trail to and from the station through forests, flowers and back through the lower Old Street.
The whole loop is via wooden boardwalks with handrails and there are toilet stops in the woods – if you only have a few hours in Fenqihu, this is the best trail to see the forest area.
Fenqihu Logging Track
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Our favourite trail with incredible scenic bamboo forests! This trail was originally a path for lumberjacks to transport logs down from the mountains to the Alishan Forest Railway.
A steep but short 860 meter trail one way, we only met two other hikers the whole of the time we were there.
The Logging Trail in Fenqihu took us 45 minutes to complete including many photo pit-stops.
Fenqi Trail
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
This short trail has a small observation deck at the very start of the track, offering one of best views of Fenqihu and the train station.
The trail takes around 40 minutes and starts just 2 to 3 minutes up from Good Point coffee shop and Kiyota Alley cafe.
You’ll take in more bamboo forests, plus the Luding Sacred Tree and the remnants of a Japanese Shinto Shrine.
Fenqihu Firefly Trail
Difficulty: Easy
Sadly we stayed in Fenqihu out of firefly season (which is April to June) so we never saw any fireflies – a few metres away from the end of the old street, the trail is very dark and a little isolated at night so do take a torch.
Fenqihu (and Alishan) is one of the best places to see fireflies in Taiwan – see some Fenqihu firefly pictures from our Taiwan Travel Tips TTT group here >
Fenqihu Hotel offer evening firefly tours during firefly season from Thursday until Monday (they are 40 minute long tours conducted in Chinese).
Fenrui Ruili Historic Trail
Difficulty: Moderate to hard
This trail is 3.5 to 4 hours one way and a steep 6.4km trail (you can take a bus back). We didn’t do this as we only had limited time in Fenqihu.
Fenqihu Station 1912 Loco shed / Fenqihu railway museum
The Alishan Forest Railway is one of Taiwan’s most scenic rail journeys and at the Fenqihu Railway museum, you can learn about how the line has transformed from carrying timber to transporting tourists.
Fenqihu Railway Station sits over 1,400 meters above sea level and is likely your first port of call if arriving by train.
Fenqihu was always an important service and maintenance hub for the Alishan Forest Railway and the museum here details the human and mechanical aspects.
Here at the 1912 Fenqihu Train Garage (1912奮起湖機關車庫), you can collect free Taiwan souvenir ink stamps, see old engines and trains, plus see the (not so good) Fenqihu Loco Shed light show every half hour or so.
You might like our Taiwan train lovers guide including themed trains, railway museums and more >
You might like – Our 2-3 day Alishan itinerary >
Fenqihu Station Cafe and unusual ice-creams
We also really liked the Fenqihu Station cafe and gift shop here and indulged in a special Alishan Forest Railway beer which contained honey, scented black tea and rose flower (3.5% ABV) – $NT150 a bottle.
The cafe has an indoor seating area looking out over the museum plus you can buy nice gifts in the souvenir store including Lavender Forest products which we discovered in the shop at Adagio Jinguashi hotel.
In the Fenqihu Station 1912 Loco shed, you can also find the famous flavored Fenqihu ice-cream stall selling unusual flavors for NT$100 a cone – how about fish head casserole flavored ice-cream or a wonderful wasabi whippy?
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Fenqihu bento boxes
Possibly the most famous food item from Fenqihu, the bento box here is so iconic that there has even been a supercute miniature EasyCard version produced in recent years to commemorate it.
But how did it come about? Fenqihu is the main midpoint of the Alishan Forest Railway and most trains going up and down the mountain used to reach Fenqihu at lunchtime – so the old steam locomotives would be refuelled with coal and water here, whilst passengers were given ‘Fenqihu boxed meals’ which are now famously associated with the town.
There are several Fenqihu bento box / biang dang places (some of which are only open certain days of the week) – we really liked the Fenqihu Hotel bento boxes served in metal tins complete with an embossed top.
The Fenchihu Hotel lunchboxes have several varieties, costing between NT$200 and NT$300 -three meat bentos (tender roast pork with grilled chicken leg, braised grill chicken leg or flame grilled t-bone pork), and one vegetarian bento box which was super tasty.
All are served with vegetables like the local Dragon Beard leaves (龍鬚菜), unlimited soup and are on sale from mid morning until 7pm (although some varieties – usually the pork often sell out earlier).
I asked the Fenqihu hotel receptionist how many bento boxes they sell and I was astonished to find out it was 500 to 600 EVERY DAY.
Guests can eat them in the downstairs dining area or on the rooftop looking out over the mountains (although the latter is usually only open until early afternoon). Plastic takeaway lunch boxes are available too.
You might like our guide to Taiwan bento boxes (biang dang) >
Other Fenqihu Bento Places
Tie dao shan Cheng 鐵道山城懷舊鐵路便當
Talk about bad bento timing – 鐵道山城懷舊鐵路便當, a famous Fenqihu bento box store was closed most days during our February 2026 stay so we never got to eat here ourselves.
It was recommended to us by a local coffee shop owner and it has a nice outdoor terrace with amazing views.
We were told queues can be long so it is best to go around or before 12pm. Recommended lunchboxes here include pork chop, chicken drumsticks and Dongpo pork bentos, plus they have vegetarian bentos (vegan if you remove the egg).
It is cheaper than Hotel Fenqihu’s lunchboxes (starting from NT$120) and free soup is available with your bento.
FenChiHu EKIBEN 奮起湖登山食堂便當
Popular with train travellers as it is located right next to the Alishan Forest Railway tracks, this is a train themed bento booth at Fenqihu station.
FenChiHu EKIBEN bentos start from NT$140 for a fried pork ribs lunchbox and other varieties include wild boar meat, camellia oil chicken and vegetarian.
It seemed to be closed most of the days we visited despite Google Maps saying it was open every day.
Fenqihu Old Street
The most characterful part of town, Fenqihu Old Street is a treasure trove of local products, tasty Taiwan treats plus gifts and local liquor.
Dating back over a hundred years, Fenqihu Old Street is right next to the railway station and an interesting introduction to the local area.
Whilst one section is quite dark and damp in places, there are also outdoor sections and the whole shopping area is a mix of the old and the new, like coffee shops vs traditional Taiwan tea house.
We didn’t love it at first (especially the ‘touty’ behaviour of the liquor stores) but we learned to love it over several days and tried everything from fresh juices to fried donuts.
This is the place to find stores selling street food or packaged local foods. We spotted stalls selling tea eggs, wasabi products, tea, mochi, jelly drinks, millet donuts, souvenirs, bottles of alcohol, aiyu jelly, goat milk products, egg rolls, nuts and dried fruits.
We also found a cute railway themed gift shop run by an old couple where we bought a Mikan the cat themed Kaohsiung LRT tram – it also sold lots of model trains and Alishan Forest Railway miniatures.
One thing on the old street that wasn’t so fun was the “immersive” theater called Path of Light / Alishan experience space. Whilst free, it is basically a room with light projections showing things like fireflies and not worth spending more than a minute in.
Fenqihu Square Bamboo
We learned about this incredible discovery from the lady who ran Songyue Manor Coffee (which we mention below).
Just across from the Fenqihiu Station platforms and next to 竹崎鄉中和村奮起湖社區活動中心暨村辦公處 Community Center, if you head across the tracks away from the station, there is a small square bamboo grove you can explore and take pictures in.
Sadly when we visited in February 2026, the Fenqihu square bamboo section was closed off for maintenance.
Fenqihu Food and Drink
We spent three nights in Fenqihu in February 2026 – as well as eating bento boxes daily, we tried several Fenqihu food stalls and cafes including:
Songyue Manor Coffee Below Shan Lan amazing house BB
We came here to Songyue Manor Coffee for the cherry blossom views combined with Alishan coffee brews. The owner had just moved here from Taipei and took time to explain the menu, pluswas very warm and friendly giving us lots of Taiwan travel tips.
Their own locally sourced world champion coffee starts from $260NT a cup. We also tried their Alishan star puff with pink ayu jelly for NT$160, plus a latte for NT$160.
Fenqihu Donut stall / 奮起湖現烤甜甜圈.百年檜木甜甜圈
See all those people carrying pink boxes around Fenqihu? Well, that will be these decadent donuts!
Wow, this had to be the most popular foodie find in town and one very famous Fenqihu donut stall – watch out for a few copycat stalls too.
奮起湖現烤甜甜圈.百年檜木甜甜圈 has almost 2,500 reviews on Google and it is open from 8.30am (8am on holidays) until they have sold out – which is usually around 4pm. We know this as we went twice on two separate days to find it sold out!
They cost NT$30 per donut, or you can buy a box of 10 and get 1 free for NT$300.
We also went to this donut stall on Fenqihu Old Street next to the station but didn’t like it as much – donut flavors include cheese, chocolate and maple sugar.
Ari Breakfast 阿蕊早餐店
Looking for a traditional Taiwanese breakfast in Fenqihu? Well, to be honest, there are next to no options apart from this mom and pop stall – so it was a good job we loved it. So much so, we went twice.
Both times, we joined the long line of locals and got a scallion pancake ($50), pancakes with egg ($30) and radish cake ($45). We sat in their small dining area watching local Taiwan news and ordered using a laminated English menu available.
阿蕊早餐店 is only open for a few hours each morning and they have just 2 medium sized tables in the back so you might want to get a takeaway. Most locals seemed to either get breakfast from there or grab something from 7-Eleven.
Rice dumpling stall (Grandma’s Grass Cakes) 街仔尾阿嬤草仔粿
Super popular and hidden away from Fenqihu Old Street, there are 8 different chewy rice dumplings to devour here – 4 meat savoury, 1 veggie and 3 sweet options. They are served hot but some flavors sell out early due to the long lines.
An English laminated menu is available so we opted to try the shredded taro meaty one for N$40 – a rather nice snack before starting the nearby hiking trails.
Aiyu jelly drink stalls
We visited a couple of Fenqihu Aiju jelly juice stalls. The first drink stall was located across from Fenqihu hotel where we got a brown sugar lemon aiyu drink (small $NT40, medium NT$50 and large for NT$60).
We also drank another one at the other end of the old street, slurping a aiyu with wild starch pearl and basil seed / brown sugar smoothie for NT$50.
They offer you a spoon or straw to drink it (they say spoon is best but we opted for a straw) for $50. The owner was super friendly and spoke good English.
7-Eleven Fenqihu 奮起湖門市
Open from 7am to 10pm, this the best place if you want an easy dinner after 7pm.
It has a small selection of ready meals, plenty of drinks and instant noodles and snacks plus cold beers. There is a hot coffee counter, plus in case you run out of every day essentials, a small selection toiletries and small electronics.
To note some days the chilled shelves were pretty empty by the end of the day so often sandwiches and ready meals were sold out – luckily Fenqihu Hotel next door does bento boxes until around 7pm.
Fenqihu Cafes
There are many coffee shops and tea rooms in Fenqihu including:
Kiyota Alley
This was our favourite Fenqihu coffee shop find and a super cafe and lunch spot with an outdoor dining area (so many flowers!). It is open from 12.30pm-4pm on weekdays, and 8.30am to 6pm on the weekends.
They also do tasty noodle dishes for NT$80 and sexy AF coffee, served in interesting cups – their cold brew is legendary. The coffee kiosk is also handily next to the cleanest and newest public toilets in Fenqihu.
Rise and Shine / 奮起 日晃
A cheap and cheerful coffee kiosk right next to the station with a tiny terrace overlooking the train platform – we sat here drinking coffee watching the tourist trains arrive.
Good Point Coffee Shop / 奮起湖 好望角咖啡
We so wanted to go here for a drink as it has an amazing alfresco terrace but it was closed all 3 days we stayed in Fenqihu. We will try again next time we go…
Our final things to do in Fenqihu
Fenqi Hu Lao Lower Old Street / Starry Starry Night Cabin
Towards the lower end of town, there is a second Fenqihu Fenqi Hu Lao Lower Old Street which seems very quiet, which only had 1 or 2 shops when we strolled down it plus a hairdressing salon.
Whilst photogenic and peaceful, it was just a couple of stalls selling coffee beans and sesame seeds but you can loop back into the town this way if walking the Fenqihu Cedar Boardwalk Trail loop from the station to town through the forest.
Nearby, you can (sort of) visit the bright blue Starry Starry Night cabin, a recreation of a home featured in the 2011 Taiwanese movie of the same name based on the works of illustrator Jimmy Lao.
However, on our 2026 visit, the house was all boarded up and seemingly in a state of disrepair. It was not open to the public – we aren’t sure if this is a permanent or temporary measure.
Other Fenqihu things to know
- Lockers are available at Fenqihu Station for NT$60 for 3 hours.
- Fenqihu is very VERY quiet at night and the last restaurant usually closes around 7pm – after that the Fenqihu 7-Eleven is your best friend!
- Many Fenqihu businesses are closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays and reopen from Thursdays (but not all).
- A lot of restaurants and bento box places in Fenqihu serve up the Dragon Beard vegetable (龍鬚菜), a green shoot that is really nice and full of nutrients.
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