Checheng Wood Industry Museum Introduction
Checheng thrived during the Japanese colonial period due to the transportation and trade of sugar, camphor, and timber, as well as the manpower and resources brought in by the Japanese for the construction of the Sun Moon Lake Hydroelectric Power Project. In 1958, Mr. Sun Hai, the chairman of the forestry giant Zhenchang Industry, acquired the logging rights in the Nantou Danda Forest District, taking advantage of the convenient transportation. He purchased land in Checheng to establish a factory, engaging in wood production for domestic and export markets. At its peak, over 2,000 jobs were created, leading to a second flourishing of Checheng, which earned the nickname "Little Taipei" in the area around Shui Li. After the 1970s, forestry policies shifted focus towards reforestation and land conservation, making it difficult for the sawmilling industry to continue under government logging bans, which led many firms to face closure or transformation. Zhenchang Industry was primarily focused on exporting raw timber, making the sawmill redundant, and it was left to decline after shutting down. To enhance the tourism and recreational resources in the Checheng area and to help visitors understand the wood industry’s past, the old factory building, originally regarded as a precious industrial relic, was rebuilt into the Checheng Wood Industry Exhibition Hall. Opened in June 2008, the exhibition hall allows visitors to learn about the glorious past of Taiwan's timber industry. Notably, the wooden frame of the old factory was an early 20th-century product and was considered a rather advanced design in the 1950s. Therefore, during the reconstruction of the wood industry exhibition hall, the design concept of “overlapping old and new” was adopted. The old framework has been restored as an exhibit in the Wood Industry Creative Hall, while a new wooden frame was added above the old one, creating an interesting blend of new and old wooden structures within the same space. The intricate supports bring diversity and unique aesthetic appeal to the space, allowing visitors to witness the evolution of history and progress over time. At the exhibition hall, in addition to visiting the regenerated factory and returning to the timber processing scene of the 1950s, there are various wood displays. Upon entering the exhibition area, visitors can smell the unique aromas of different types of wood, as if stepping into a forest to enjoy the cleansing presence of phytoncides; exploring the Wood Industry Exhibition Hall offers a deeper understanding of the development of Taiwan's forestry industry.
