Chiang Kai-shek Park Introduction
Zhongzheng Park, the best outdoor performance venue in the city center, was originally the site of the public office of the Pingpu Hongya tribe's Zhu Luo Mountain community. During the Qing Dynasty, it was developed as a foreign teaching area, and in the Japanese colonial period, it was established as a public hall, which included the largest restaurant in Taiwan at the time, capable of accommodating more than a thousand people. After World War II, it was renamed Zhongshan Hall and transformed into a recreation area with an attached sports field and library. The "Kangle Evening Drum" was once considered one of the Eight Sights of Chiayi. Although the park is not large, its distinctive feature lies in the many statues of famous people, with the statue of the former mayor, Shih-Hsien, known as the "Mazu of Chiayi," being the most notable. Zhongzheng Park was completed in 1989 and features an outdoor music stage designed in an open arch type. The stage has a width of 2000 cm and a depth of 1670 cm, with a seating capacity of 600. The underground area includes actor dressing rooms and a paid parking lot, solving parking pressure for visitors, making it the best outdoor performance venue in the city center. The small exhibition hall within the park serves as a venue for artistic and cultural events, frequently hosting various activities that are lively and joyful. The scenery and facilities are rich in cultural and artistic charm, especially at night when it is brightly lit, radiating a European artistic atmosphere.
