President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) attended the Alishan Forest Railway reopening event on Friday, saying in his speech that he will continue to promote the tourism industry in Chiayi City and County.
The Alishan Forest Railway was suspended for 15 years and finally resumed full operation on July 6. President Lai pointed out that during his Cabinet tenure, he encouraged efforts to repair the railway and maintain safe operations as trains on the line often derailed or broke down in the past.
In his speech, he said that he has admired Alishan since he was a child because of the song "High Mountain Green," and now passengers can participate in a complete mountain railway journey in beautiful scenery, rich culture, and pleasant climate. Lai also called on tourism industry operators to bring more foreign tourists to Taiwan to visit Alishan.
Before boarding a train to enjoy the beauty of Alishan himself, the president added that the government will continue to promote further construction plans in the hopes of attracting more tourists which will benefit local industry.