Beimen Station Introduction
Beimen Station is the former starting point of the Alishan Forest Railway steam train and also a hub for freight distribution on the Alishan Railway, where daily necessities along the railway were transported up the mountain, making it a place of great importance. The Alishan Forest Railway is one of the world's civilizational mountain railways, possessing unique charm. Beimen Station of the Alishan Forest Railway was built using Taiwan's hinoki wood and completed before the entire Alishan Railway was opened in 1912. After the new station was constructed twenty years ago, the old Beimen station was repurposed for the office of the train car maintenance staff. The station occupies an area of about 28 ping, mainly divided into offices, ticket counters, and waiting rooms. The Alishan Forest Railway is internationally known for its rare features such as "spiral railway," "Z-shaped ascent," and "62.5‰ incline." Beimen Station serves as the starting point of the Alishan Railway, with its building constructed entirely from high-quality hinoki wood from Alishan, showcasing a classic and simple design. During the Japanese colonial period, forestry development was the most important economic source, and nearby Beimen Station were established institutions like the Forestry Office, lumber storage pools, sawmills, train maintenance shops, and forest clubs, allowing the timber industry to fully function, making Beimen Station the distribution center for logging in Alishan, thus holding critical significance. Before the war, it was managed by the Taiwan Colonial Development Company and was later transferred to the Forestry Bureau after the war. In October of the 62nd year of the Republic of China, the new Beimen Station was completed, and the old station gracefully retired. The Alishan Forest Railway transported timber down to Beimen Station, leading to a surge in lumber yards, lumber trades, sawmills, and wood production factories, stimulating opportunities for hotels, restaurants, theaters, and a rapid population increase. The cargo industry thrived, and various trades flourished. The Alishan Forest Railway is one of only three remaining mountain railways in the world, showcasing its unique charm. Although the old station lost its function in March of the 63rd year of the Republic of China due to the construction of the new station, its simple exterior and facilities hold significant cultural asset value, and it has been designated as a historical monument by the Chiayi City Government. Beimen Station, designed in a Japanese style with wooden construction, has an area of 95.15 square meters, mainly divided into a ticket counter, waiting room, and office. It is currently planned to be transformed into a railway relic exhibition hall, with public art installations such as "Landmarks of Call," "Time-Space Corridor," and "Ecological Art Wall" set up in the square in front of the station and surrounding areas, in order to foster a collective consciousness of railway culture.
