Text by Li Xinyi, compiled and reported by MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network
The Forestry Club is a municipal historic site in Chiayi City. Constructed in 1914 (the 3rd year of the Taishō era) during the Japanese colonial period as a leisure facility for the Taiwan Governor-General's Forestry Bureau, it is closely tied to the development history of Alishan’s forests. Its distinctive and exquisitely crafted British Tudor-style architecture is a rare building style in Taiwan. The Chiayi Forest District Office restored the building in 1999 (Year 98 in the Republic of China calendar) using original materials and methods to revive this important structure representing Chiayi’s forestry history. It was damaged in an earthquake in 2010 (Year 99), but has now been restored to its original state, and is hosting the “Stories of Alishan Forest Workers Exhibition.”
The Forestry Club features a rare British Tudor-style architectural style in Taiwan. (Photo provided by Chiayi Forest District Office, Forestry Bureau)
The “Stories of Alishan Forest Workers Exhibition” held at the Forestry Club showcases the area known as the forest site to older residents of Chiayi, including its brief history, organization, operations, and the lives of surrounding people, through old photographs, documents, objects, and artifacts. By paying tribute to time, it invites visitors to look back on the century-long transformation of the Alishan Forest. To enrich the exhibition, multiple films related to Alishan are also being screened, among which the most special is the Japanese colonial-era documentary film about Taiwan, “Nanjin Taiwan” (Southern Advance to Taiwan), provided by the National Museum of Taiwanese History. ⟦
The organizers compiled footage of the lush Yushan forests, the Alishan Forest Railway, cherry blossoms, the timber yard operated by the Taiwan Governor-General's Forestry Bureau, and the then-largest timber mill in Asia (now the Chiayi Cultural Center) into a precious black-and-white historical film with Japanese narration and Chinese subtitles. The "Stories of Alishan Lumberjacks Exhibition" runs from May 11 to December 31, 2012.
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