Dou-Nan Station Introduction
The last Japanese-post era railway station, Dou-Nan Station, was established in the 36th year of Meiji, known as Taliwu Station. It was reconstructed into a brick building at the end of World War II, making it the last railway station remodeled during the Japanese rule in Taiwan. In its early years, sugar produced by the Huwei Sugar Factory was transported to Dou-Nan via the sugar railway and then distributed to ports through the trunk line for export. Originally named Taliwu, the station was opened on December 15, 1903 (the 9th year of the Republic Era) when the railway between Chiayi and Taliwu was operational, featuring a wooden and simple station building. On October 1, 1920, with the local system reform, "Taliwu" was renamed "Dou-Nan." In March 1945 (the 34th year of the Republic Era), it was rebuilt into a brick palace-style station with a sloping roof. The main body of the station features a long space with sloping roofs of different heights, while the lobby has a heavy overhanging eaves, complemented by four sloping roofs above and an overhanging eaves below creating a corridor. In the later period of Japanese rule, reinforced brick buildings became a common characteristic, and due to the lack of materials during wartime, the number of constructions decreased, leading to a simplification of decorative facades. Therefore, the architectural style of Dou-Nan Station is marked by simplified decorations, clean geometric lines, and a straightforward cornice. The building is simple and significantly differs from the styles of other periods. The station lobby adopts a heavy eaves design, characterized by four sloping roofs above and overhanging eaves below, strongly expressing Japanese architectural style, making it worth preserving.
