Tiger Valley Spring Introduction
Taiwan. Baseball. Dreams – Chiayi is the birthplace of baseball in Taiwan. The Chiayi Municipal Baseball Stadium was completed in the 7th year of the Taisho period (1918) and was the best baseball field of its time. It was later rebuilt in September 1998 and reopened, with its stands designed to mimic the Roman Colosseum, providing an excellent view with a wraparound seating arrangement! On the left side of the baseball stadium's main gate, there are bronze sculptures of "Qihu Yao Zhu Luo" and "Wei Zhen Jia Zi Yuan," as well as water features, symbolizing the inheritance of baseball and the importance of remembering the source of one’s talent. Bronze Sculpture Encyclopedia: "Qihu Yao Zhu Luo" - This bronze sculpture commemorates the champions of the Chiayi Little League Championship in 1968. It was later sponsored and managed by enthusiastic individuals from Taichung, representing the Jinlong Little League team. They participated in the 23rd Little League World Series held in William Porter, USA, in 1969 and won the championship, causing a nationwide celebration. In 1970, the Chiayi Little League team again won the National Little League Championship, and the Chiayi soldiers, known as the Qihu Little League team, won the Far East Championship and advanced to the World Series, sparking a baseball frenzy across the island. "Wei Zhen Jia Zi Yuan" - This bronze sculpture is located in front of what is now National Chiayi University, which was formerly known as National Chiayi Institute of Technology during the Japanese colonial period, abbreviated as "Jianong." In 1931, during the 6th year of the Showa era, the Jianong baseball team went on an expedition to Japan and competed at Koshien Stadium in Osaka, winning second place in the 17th National High School Baseball Championship of Japan, thus gaining widespread fame and enduring popularity. The "Wei Zhen Jia Zi Yuan" bronze sculpture commemorates this team, which opened a brilliant chapter in the history of Taiwanese baseball.
