Chiayi Lumber Company Introduction
Chiayi Lumber Factory will suspend its opening from December 30, 2024, due to facility and landscape improvement works, which are expected to take about 15 months. The actual reopening date will be announced later. We apologize for any inconvenience caused. The Chiayi Lumber Factory was established in the Taisho era (1914) during Japanese rule and was the largest government-operated lumber industry park in Taiwan at that time, responsible for storing logs cut down from Alishan and processing them into lumber. The factory was known for its significant production scale, reputed to be the largest in the Orient. The space within the lumber factory includes a power room, sawdust room, office, machinery workshop, drying room, and handwork workshop. Notably, the power room on the left side of the entrance is the first reinforced concrete structure in Chiayi and also the earliest thermal power plant in the city. A century ago, Chiayi was renowned for its mechanized lumber industry, which required electricity to operate machinery; however, only a few areas in Taiwan had electricity supply at that time. In 1911, Chiayi City established a privately-owned "Chiayi Electric Company," which used gas engines to supply street lights and electricity for some households. The lumber factory's demands for lumber processing, large saw tables, and mobile wire rope cranes required even more electricity, leading to the establishment of the power room. The machinery workshop and power room are adjacent, allowing visitors to understand the historical transformation of the industry and the rise and fall of forestry over the past century. The first-generation lumber factory began operations in 1914, with part of the building being three stories high, while the remaining two stories were constructed from reinforced concrete, equipped with the most advanced machinery imported from the United States, demonstrating the factory's grandeur and high operational efficiency. At that time, it attracted the Japanese royal family and visitors from around the world. Unfortunately, the factory was destroyed in the earthquake of 1941. A second-generation lumber factory was built after the earthquake, featuring a large-span wooden structure entirely made of Alishan cypress, which is quite distinctive. With changes in government forestry policies and a rising consciousness for conservation, logging at Alishan ceased. The Chiayi lumber industry once boosted Chiayi City to become a national center for lumber production and sales, earning it the title of "Lumber City." Although the glory has faded, the factory's structure remains intact and possesses cultural asset value. The Chiayi Forest District Office plans to create an "Alishan Forestry Village" that connects Cypress Eco Village, Chiayi Garage Park, the lumber factory, and the Song of the Forest, promoting tourism that embodies local historical and cultural characteristics, as well as unique attractions, to foster the development of the lumber culture tourism industry.
