Some Taiwan Logging History
A good way to get between the National Center for Traditional
Arts and the Luodong Forestry Cultural Garden and vice versa is to use the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle. My experience with the
Tourist Shuttles is that you need to flag them down to get on board and press
the button on the bus before your stop to get off or chances are the driver won’t
stop.
Logging of cypress trees off Taiwan’s mountains was a big
operation that got started under Taiwan’s Japanese occupation. Those trees from
Taipingshan’s forests were brought to Luodong for processing and ultimately for
transport to Japan. The harvesting lasted 68 years and trickled to a stop in
the early 80s. In 2004, the Taiwan Forestry
Bureau unveiled a plan to create the Luodong Forestry Culture Park. In 2009,
the park was officially opened to the
public.
Within the park, the log storage pond, Zhulin Station,
wood-dragging tracks, forestry agency office, Japanese-style dormitories, and
segments of old train tracks are all well preserved. The site is further divided into the forestry exhibition
area, old dormitory area, art and culture area, administration and management
area, nature and ecology area, green area, hiking trails, and parking space.
When I was there, many
locals were using the boardwalk to walk around the wetland. I saw only one shop open in
the art and culture area. It may be a
work in progress and probably busier on weekends.
The old leftover twisted logs leave you with the
impression of how large these trees were.
In all a nice place to visit but probably appeals more to
locals than to tourists.
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