Daxi Wood Art Ecological Museum - No. 1 Hall Introduction
Originating from the Nordic concept of "Eco-Museum," this museum emphasizes that "residents" are the core players, subverting the conventional stereotype of museums. It is not only the first museum in Taiwan to bear the term "eco," but also the first wall-less museum established in the western region of Taiwan, apart from Yilan and Kinmen. In Daxi, one can find reflections of over two hundred years of history; the woodworking industry has been rooted here since the 1810s. After two centuries of development, many woodworking shops and lumber mills line the streets of Heping Old Street, Kangzhuang Road, Xinyi Road, and Yunlin Road, making Daxi a vital center of Taiwan's woodworking industry. On the other hand, the Daxi Branch Office, established in 1901, is located here, and the police dormitory buildings constructed along Puji Road have formed a unique police community, witnessing a century of police development in Daxi. The Wood Craft Eco-Museum operates on the principles of preserving cultural heritage and integrating local communities, featuring two core themes: "Daxi Woodworking Industry" and "Daxi Everyday Life." The museum has been renovated, covering the Wude Hall and a group of 22 Japanese-style dormitories, which are opened in phases by year, connecting various historic buildings in Daxi and transforming the entire area into a cultural museum. The first publicly opened building is named "Building No. 1," a Japanese-style raised bungalow built in the 1920s, which once served as the residence for the principal of Daxi Elementary School. The previous owner was an English teacher at Daxi Junior High School, Mr. Chen Maolin, and his wife, Ms. Chen Wang Cuiwu, once taught sewing inside the house, with a sign for the "Xiguan Sewing Tutorial Class" hanging at the entrance, evoking many shared memories for Daxi women. This transformation from a private living space to a public area has breathed new life into the old house. To recreate the woodworking glory of Daxi, Building No. 1 retains its wooden Japanese exterior and showcases displays centered on "woodcraft," covering aspects of daily cultural life such as woodworking, food, and religion. Outdoors, a long wooden bench in the shape of the Daxi Old Street archway, designed by "Xinyuqing Woodcraft," welcomes visitors, while indoors, new wooden tables and chairs crafted by "Hsu University Woodcraft" complement the vibrant audiovisual guides, narrating the historical and cultural journey of Daxi. Beyond exploring the museum's cultural history, visitors are encouraged to step outside and visit the corner museums in the alleys. These 15 corner museums collaborate with the museum to guide tourists through the beauty of local crafts in Daxi, with each corner museum representing a themed sub-venue, such as the Da Vinci Gua Cultural Museum, Xinyuqing Woodcraft, Hsu University Woodcraft, No. 40 Downstreet Studio, and Hsusheng Woodcraft, all found along Heping Old Street. Furthermore, at the end of Daxi Old Street lies Daxi Zhongzheng Park, which has a hundred-year history and preserves the ruins of the Daxi Shrine from the Japanese colonial period. Crossing to the other side of the park leads to the Daxi Cultural and Arts Center (Chiang Kai-shek Residence), which features architectural highlights from the Japanese occupation, such as the "Public Hall" and the "Chiang Kai-shek Residence." Through an in-depth exploration of Daxi's streets and alleys, the former splendor is rediscovered. For details about the guided service, please visit the official website of the Daxi Wood Craft Eco-Museum.
