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Once the Alishan Forest Railway departs Chiayi Station, it's first official station on the Alishan line is Beimen Station in Chiayi City. Years ago, timber was a booming industry. Trees were brought down from the mountains by this line and stored in the Shanchi area near what is now the Cultural Bureau. As a legacy of the timber industry during the Japanese era, Japanese-style houses made from Taiwan cypress still remain. In 2014, Taiwan's first forest cultural and creative park, Hinoki Village, was built. This is the largest complex of Japanese-era buildings in Taiwan. Each house has a different design, and is home to many elements of cultural and creative interest. The park also includes a bazaar and other items of environmental, forestry and cultural interest.
The Alishan Forest Railway is one of the world's alpine railways. Beimen Station, the starting point, was a distribution center for goods coming down from the mountains. The station was opened in December 1912, and covered 20,000 square meters. Constructed of Taiwan cypress, the aroma of this wood fills the air. In addition to selling tickets for the Alishan line, an exhibition area for railway cultural relics is being developed. Several pieces of public art have already been installed in the square in front of the station and the surrounding area.
Built in 1914, the Chiayi Sawmill was a major timber processing facility during the Japanese era. It was responsible for storing the timber brought down from Alishan and processing this raw material into useful wood products. In those days, it was the largest producer of processed lumber in East Asia. Its facilities include a power room, sawdust room, machine tool workshop and drying room. The power room was the first steel-framed reinforced concrete building in Chiayi. It was also the first thermal power plant in Chiayi. The electricity was used to power the rest of the mill.
Construction of the Chiayi Municipal Museum was completed in 2020. This is a multi-functional exhibition venue with a rich collection of materials. The first three floors serve as a museum for Chiayi City. One exhibition hall displays the most popular cultural relics of Chiayi. A permanent exhibition hall on the second floor features geological, fossil and artistic items. The Cochin Pottery Hall on the third floor displays a broad array of rich cultural and historical relics related to Cochin ware in Chiayi City, which is an important area for this type of pottery.
In its early days, Chiayi was known as the "Hometown of Baijiu.” Baijiu is a clear form of alcohol. The park is built on the site of the old Chiayi Distillery, which produced sorghum liquor Taiwan. The park's buildings are a mixture of old and new. Seven of the buildings are from the Japanese era. Each has unique characteristics, and all are registered as historical buildings. The former winery has been transformed into a cultural and creative base. It serves as a venue for high-quality art performances and other events. Visitors can observe exhibits and participate in educational activities. The park is a source of cultural innovation and beautiful aesthetics in Chiayi.
The main building of the Chiayi Art Museum is architecturally interesting and distinctive. It was built during the Japanese era in 1936, and served as the offices for the Chiayi Branch of the Taiwan Tobacco and Wine Monopoly Bureau. This was a government-owned entity under the auspices of Japan's Governor-General in Taiwan. The building is an interesting witness to those times. Its exterior corners are round and the entrance is concave, providing a symmetrical, harmonious and elegant design. The facade is covered in horizontal-striped bricks, giving it a rustic beauty.
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