Jiao Ban Mountain Pavilion Introduction
The Jiaoban Mountain Villa Park is located along the Northern Cross-Island Highway, blending history, culture, and natural ecology. The park includes unique sites such as the wartime tunnel, the Jiaoban Mountain Villa, a plum garden, and the camphor storage office. By the end of 2024, the site will undergo structural restoration, landscape optimization, and improvements to recreational facilities, incorporating modern technology and art displays. The first exhibition post-renovation will be titled "Traveling Jiaoban Mountain," aimed at reinterpreting the history and natural beauty of Jiaoban Mountain through the perspectives of travelers or artists who have visited the area. The wartime tunnel, built in 1963, was originally used for wartime command and evacuation purposes. The tunnel extends 20 meters underground and is 100 meters long, featuring interactive 3D murals that recreate historical military scenarios and slogans, making it an educational and entertaining attraction. Following the evacuation trail leads to the Jiaoban Mountain Villa, where exhibits focus on "Chiang Kai-shek's Travel Diaries," emphasizing the stories of Chiang Kai-shek and his wife visiting Jiaoban Mountain for tourism, as well as Soong Mei-ling's experiences in learning painting. Historical photos are displayed on-site, such as images of the Chiang couple at the bamboo pavilion in Jiaoban Mountain and their picnic at the Jiaoban Mountain suspension bridge. Through the connection of travel and aesthetics, visitors can gain insights into different aspects of them, enhanced by new media interactive art. Exiting the villa, one can view the Dahan River and the Naketsu Mountain terrain from the Siqinting Pavilion, which offers a broad, scenic view reminiscent of Chiang Kai-shek's memories of his hometown, Xikou, Zhejiang. The sculpture park integrates installation art with the natural environment, featuring trees such as pine, cypress, plum, and bamboo. During the plum blossom season, it attracts visitors for plum viewing, tea tasting, and outdoor activities, allowing them to experience the vibrant flower season atmosphere. The camphor storage office is the last remaining Japanese-style camphor hall in Taiwan, previously serving as a hub for camphor concentration and transportation. Inside, it showcases the history and extraction process of the camphor industry. The northern entrance square retains the traces of the original buildings and combines landscape paving, tea house facilities, and a resting platform, deepening the cultural experience. The nearby ecological pond is built around a wooden boardwalk and plants various aquatic plants like irises and water lilies, along with diverse flora such as golden-haired rhododendrons and orange jasmine, making it a favorite habitat for tree frogs and fireflies. To promote nighttime tourism, outdoor art sculptures in the park will be illuminated, creating a tranquil atmosphere where nature and light intermingle. The park will extend its opening hours to 8 PM, becoming a new destination for the public to stroll and appreciate art under the night sky.
