Daxi Wood Art Eco Museum - Hall 1 Introduction
Originating from the Nordic concept of "eco-museum," it advocates that "residents" are the core players, overturning the stereotypical impression of museums. It is not only the first museum in Taiwan to include the word "ecology" in its name, but also the first open-air museum in western Taiwan, aside from Yilan and Kinmen. In Daxi, one can discover a microcosm of over 200 years of history. The woodworking industry has been rooted here since the 1810s, and after two centuries of development, many woodworking shops and sawmills can still be found today along He Ping Old Street, Kang Chuang Road, Xin Yi Road, and Yuan Lin Road, making it a significant hub for Taiwan's woodworking industry. On the other hand, after restructuring in 1901, the Daxi Branch Office was established here, and the group of police dormitories built along Pu Ji Road formed a unique police living circle, witnessing a century of police development in Daxi. The Woodcraft Eco-Museum is dedicated to preserving cultural assets and integrating local communities, with two core themes: "Daxi Woodcraft Industry" and "Daxi Common People’s Life." The public facilities have been renovated to incorporate the Budokan and a group of 22 Japanese-style dormitories, with phased renovations planned for gradual openings. At the same time, it connects various historical houses in the area, transforming the entire Daxi into a cultural museum. Currently, the first facility opened to the public is called "Building No. 1," a Japanese-style elevated house built in the 1920s, which was once the residence of the principal of Daxi Elementary School. The former owner was Chen Mao-Lin, an English teacher at Daxi Junior High School, and his wife, Ms. Chen Wang-Tsui-Wu, taught sewing in the house, where a sign reading "Xi Guang Sewing Tutorial Class" evoked many shared memories among Daxi women; transforming a private living space into a public area has given new vitality to the old house. To recreate the charm of Daxi's woodworking, Building No. 1 retains its wooden Japanese exterior and showcases exhibits centered on "woodcraft," covering aspects of folk life culture such as woodworking, food, and religion. Outdoors, there is a long wooden bench styled like a Daxi Old Street arch designed by "New Yuqing Woodworks," and indoors, new wooden tables and chairs crafted by "National Chung Hsing University Woodworks," paired with vivid audio-visual guides that narrate the historical and cultural tales of Daxi. In addition to exploring the cultural history of the museum itself, if time permits, visitors might want to step outside and visit the Corner Houses located in the alleys. These 15 Corner Houses collaborate with the museum to guide tourists through the beauty of local crafts in Daxi, with each Corner House acting as a theme mini-museum, such as the Da Vinci Gourd Art Museum, New Yuqing Woodworks, National Chung Hsing University Woodworking Shop, No. 40 Down Street Workshop, and Hsieh-Sheng Woodworks, all located on He Ping Old Street. Furthermore, at the end of Daxi Old Street, there is Daxi Zhongzheng Park, which has a hundred-year history and preserves the remains of the Daxi Shrine from the Japanese era; crossing to the other side of the park leads to Daxi Cultural and Art Center (Chiang Kai-shek Villa), where the area features distinctive Japanese colonial buildings such as the "Public Hall" and "Chiang Kai-shek Villa," which are noteworthy. By deeply exploring the streets and alleys of Daxi, the past glory can be vividly brought back to life. For details about the guided services, please refer to the official website of the Daxi Woodcraft Eco-Museum.
