Погода: Гаосюн, декабрь

December at Alishan is a different climate from the rest of Taiwan: the mountain runs 10 to 15C colder than sea level, so a 12 to 17C day in the cities is around 10C or below up here, and mornings and evenings are properly cold. The packing list regulars give is long trousers, layers, a jacket and a scarf, with gloves if you are going up for the sunrise. That sunrise is why most people come - the train from Alishan station up to Zhushan - and the honest warning attached is that the mountain is shrouded in cloud most mornings, so a good many visitors see nothing. The record: 13.3C days that feel like 12C, 6.5C nights, 16.6 precipitation days carrying 71.3mm and 8.6 hours of sun.

Forum posters describe August in Kaohsiung as basically a daily heatwave, with one local citing temperatures around 30-38C, and posters generally naming July and August as Taiwan's hottest months overall, typically 33-36C with high humidity. Posters consistently flag August through October as typhoon season, a real factor to track for any Kaohsiung trip this time of year. Posters describe rain as occurring periodically rather than daily, though June through August sees the heaviest rainfall totals of the year. Posters are direct that August isn't the ideal weather month, but note millions of visitors still come to Taiwan every summer regardless. Posters generally rate August as hot, humid and typhoon-watchful, but still genuinely travel-friendly for Kaohsiung.

Forum posters describe Kaohsiung in February as warm and dry enough that jackets weren't needed day or night on at least one recent visit, consistent with the broader pattern posters give for southern Taiwan generally - mild winters, typically 15-20C, not the rainy season though a stray shower is always possible. The one scheduling wrinkle worth planning around: Chinese New Year (early-to-mid February) brings sold-out public transport and higher accommodation rates, but posters call it worth the hassle for the festive atmosphere, which they say isn't matched at any other time of year.