In 1899, the great cypress forests of Mt. Ali were discovered, and in 1912, the Japanese colonial government began large-scale logging there. Everywhere the Alishan Mountain Railway passes at higher elevations was once cypress forest.
一八九九年，阿里山檜木大森林被揭開面紗，一九一二年日本殖民政府正式伐木集材，凡鐵路所經之處都是檜木林區，緊接著太平山、八仙山林場一一開發，檜木源源不絕出山，跨海送往日本，成為一根根神社支柱。