Chiayi Lumber Factory Introduction
The Chiayi Lumber Mill will temporarily close for facility and landscape improvement works starting from December 30, 2024. The construction is expected to take about 15 months, and the actual reopening date will be announced later. We apologize for any inconvenience caused. The Chiayi Lumber Mill was established in the third year of the Taisho era (1914) during the Japanese colonial period. It was the largest government-run timber industry park governed by the Japanese, responsible for storing wood cut from Alishan and processing it into lumber. At the time, its scale and production were claimed to be the largest in the Orient. The space planning of the lumber mill includes the power room, sawdust room, office, machinery workshop, drying room, and manual weaving workshop. Notably, the power room on the left side of the entrance is the first steel-reinforced concrete structure in Chiayi and also the earliest thermal power plant in the city. A hundred years ago, Chiayi was renowned for its mechanized timber industry, which required electrical power for machine operations. At that time, only a few areas in Taiwan had electricity. The Chiayi Electric Light Company was established in 1911, using gas engines to supply electricity for street lights and some households. The lumber mill's operations of sawing, large and small saw tables, and the movable cable cranes for the wood pool required even more electricity, leading to the establishment of the power room for self-generation. Adjacent to the machinery workshop, the power room reflects the historical transformation of the space, revealing the rise and fall of the forestry industry over the past century. The first generation of the lumber factory began operating in 1914. The building comprised three floors, while the remaining two floors were made of reinforced concrete, equipped with the most advanced machinery imported from the United States, showcasing the factory's grandeur and high work efficiency. The Japanese imperial family and various dignitaries often visited, bringing great fame to the factory; unfortunately, it was destroyed in the earthquake of 1941. The second-generation lumber factory, built after the earthquake, features large-span timber construction entirely made of Alishan cypress, making it highly distinctive. With the changing government forestry policies and the rise of conservation awareness, logging ceased at Alishan, leading the Chiayi lumber industry, which once made Chiayi a national center for timber production and sales, into a decline. Although its former glory has faded, the factory structure remains intact, holding cultural heritage value. The Chiayi Forest District Office plans to develop the "Alishan Forestry Village," connecting Huai Yi Forest Village, Chiayi Garage Park, the lumber mill, and the Song of the Forest, creating a tourist attraction that embodies local historical and cultural characteristics, promoting the development of the timber culture tourism industry.
