Dou-Nan Station Introduction
The last post station during the Japanese rule, Dou-nan Station, was established in the 36th year of the Meiji era (1903) and was originally named Taliwu Station. Toward the end of World War II, it was rebuilt into a brick station building, making it the last train station remodeled during the Japanese era 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 the port for export via the mainline. Dou-nan Station was originally called Taliwu. The railway between Chiayi and Taliwu officially opened on December 15, 1903, with a simple wooden station building at its current location. On October 1, 1920, due to changes in local administrative systems, "Taliwu" was renamed "Dou-nan." In March 1945, it was remodeled into a brick palace-style station building with a sloped roof. The main body of the station features a long space with different ridge heights of the sloped roof, a heavy eave above, supported by a structure of four sloped roofs, and an extended lower eave forming a corridor. Toward the end of the Japanese era, reinforced concrete became a common feature, and due to scarcity of resources during the war, the number of buildings declined, leading to a simplification of architectural decoration. As a result, the architectural style of Dou-nan Station is characterized by simplified decoration, clean geometric lines, and a clear base. The simple construction of Dou-nan Station is quite different from other architectural styles of different eras. The main hall is designed with a heavy eave structure, supported by four sloped roofs above, with a protruding lower eave that forms a corridor, strongly expressing a Japanese style that is worth preserving.
