TAIPEI: Fifty-four people took a two-day volunteer holiday during the week-end to help clean up Alishan (Mountain), in Chiayi County. The tourist area remains littered with debris and the ecological environment still is in need of repair in the wake of Taiphoon Morakot more than two months ago.

The group was the first organized jointly by the Tourism Bureau of Chiayi County, Alishan National Scenic Area Administration and Chiayi Forest District Office under the concept of volunteer holidays.

Volunteers have the opportunity to tour scenic spots in the area and work on special projects, the organizers said.

The 54 weekend volunteers on Alishan paid their own costs for their Alishan tour, which began at the Fenchifu Station on the Alishan Forest Railway system. The rail system has been closed since it was damaged by massive flooding and landslides during the typhoon season.

The volunteers were divided into three teams, with the first one going to Shih Jhao, one of the major tea-growing areas on Alishan, to help clean up tea gardens and popular hiking trails in the area.

The second team went to Kuanghua village to assist in restoring the habitat of local flora and fauna, including white-faced flying squirrels, fireflies and fluorescent mushrooms.

The third team was assigned to clean up an antique locomotive in Fenchihu that operated on the popular forest railway, according to the organizers.

"It is a very meaningful experience," said one couple surnamed Wang. "Fenchihu is where we spent our honeymoon. Now we are here to clean the locomotive, which brings back so many memories."

The organizers have recruited two more volunteer holiday groups to help with the clean up work on Alishan, ahead of the planned reopening of the popular mountain resort at the end of October. The next group will being work on October 17.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 10/13/2009 page2)