Zhútián Yìyuán Introduction
Built in 1940, the Zhuqiao Station is the only remaining wooden train station on the Fangliao Line of the Southern Link Railway. It features a Western-style architectural design. Due to a declining number of passengers, Taiwan Railway Administration initially planned to demolish the station. However, thanks to the efforts of local residents and cultural activists, it was eventually preserved. After renovations, it was incorporated into the surrounding historic buildings to form a cultural preservation area named "Zhuqiao Yiyuan." The facilities preserved at Zhuqiao Yiyuan include the wooden train station, wooden oil warehouse, station building, waiting room, granary, rice mill, public bathhouse, and old well. Additionally, it houses the Photography Memorial Hall of Mr. Li Xiuyun, the Ichiro Chisato Doctorate Library, the Zhuqiao Cultural Center, the Dexing Rice Mill, the Spring Ecological Pool, and the Train-themed Café, all of which exude a rich rustic charm. The Photography Memorial Hall of Mr. Li Xiuyun was originally an abandoned railway warehouse, which has been renovated into a photography theme hall, showcasing many old photos and exhibits related to the photographer Li Xiuyun, preserving significant historical records. Ichiro Chisato was a Japanese military doctor who treated impoverished villagers for free, and as a token of gratitude, the local residents established the Ichiro Chisato Doctorate Library in his honor, which contains over 5,000 books across ten categories, all in Japanese. The Zhuqiao Cultural Center was also an old railway warehouse that has been transformed into an art classroom and serves as an exhibition space for traditional farming tools and periodic art exhibits, allowing visitors and locals to better understand the history of Zhuqiao. Built in 1942, the Dexing Rice Mill features a unique wooden pipeline system. Given that early Zhuqiao was a rice distribution center, rice mills were widespread, reflecting the agricultural prosperity of that time. The Spring Ecological Pool is planted with beautiful lotus flowers and is home to various aquatic animals such as frogs, turtles, small fish, and tadpoles, making it a great spot for children and adults to relax or observe the local ecology. The Train-themed Café, converted from employee dormitories, offers a variety of light meals, coffee, and tea, and is surrounded by facilities such as a Japanese bathhouse, old well, station house, warehouse, and water tower, complemented by the occasional passing train, which makes it the main recreational area of Zhuqiao Yiyuan. (Visitors are advised not to walk or linger on the tracks.)
