Cypress Forest Life Village Introduction
The Alishan Forest Railway starts at Beimen Station in Chiayi City, making it the gateway to Alishan. In the early days, the railway was used to transport timber down the mountain, which gathered in Chiayi City, fostering a booming business for lumberyards and sawmills around Beimen Station, leading to a prosperous scene and encouraging commercial development in the area. The traditional Japanese houses built around that time used cypress wood as their main material, which is a significant feature of Japanese architecture and a testament to the history of forestry development in Alishan. The Cypress Living Village operates within the area along both sides of Linsen East Road, covering an area of 3.4 hectares. To the north lies the current "Yishin Er Ye Pavilion," which was originally a dormitory cluster for Japanese junior staff, while the southern area housed higher-ranking officials' quarters. After undergoing over sixty years of transformation, Cypress Town has been restored using traditional Japanese construction techniques and as many original materials as possible, preserving 29 wooden historical buildings. After four years of renovations, the former glory of Cypress Village has been revived. This site is not only the earliest forestry village in Taiwan but also features the most complete and extensive collection of Japanese official residences. The Forestry Club, designated as a historic site by the city, was built around 1914 and belonged to the recreational location of the Taiwan Governor-General's Forestry Bureau at that time. The architectural style is modeled after European Tudor-style architecture from the 17th century in England, with an indoor area of approximately 75 ping (about 248 square meters). In 1946, it served as a hall for the Forestry Bureau, and in 1948, it was changed to Zhongxiao Kindergarten. In 1984, it was borrowed by the Chiayi County Investigation Station of the Ministry of Justice for office use until it was returned in 1987, later becoming a dormitory for single employees of the Forestry Bureau. Today, it is listed as a designated historical site in Chiayi City, carrying the memories of forestry history. "Sen Market," transformed from the Yishin Er Ye Pavilion, collaborates with over 100 brands and agricultural associations across Taiwan to provide high-quality products directly from the source. It has also partnered with the "Country Road" agricultural lifestyle magazine, which has been around for over 40 years, to find captivating agricultural products that resonate with consumers. By curating displays using the magazine's content, consumers will first encounter tangible representations of the stories within the magazine upon entering the Yishin Er Ye Pavilion. This type of exhibition allows consumers to resonate more deeply with agricultural products and create an experience that connects them with the land!
