Alishan is traditional territory of the headhunting Tsou people, whose rich oral histories describe the migrations of each ancient clans' ancestors into the area between Yushan and the Chianan Plain.

Ethnologists have attempted to reconstruct the development of Tfuya, proposing that each stage of clan migration could be equivalent to three or four generations of family.

The township comprises 12 villages: Chashan, Dabang, Fongshan, Laiji, Leye, Lijia, Shanmei, Shihzih, Sianglin, Sinmei, Jhongshan and Jhongjheng.

Chu Shan, though lower, is more accessible and climbed by most visitors to the region, which is extremely popular with Taiwanese tourists.

The highland region in which Alishan is situated also contains a number of notable rock formations from the continuing uplift of the island.