Checheng Visitor Center Introduction
Background Introduction: Checheng Elementary School was founded in 1957 and was relocated to its current site in May 1987 in conjunction with the establishment of the Ming Tan Power Plant. Due to the population decline in recent years, Checheng Elementary School, with a history of nearly 60 years, underwent consolidation and closure, officially closing in August 2015. In order to revitalize the idle campus after the school's closure, the Sun Moon Lake Management Office coordinated with the Nantou County Government to initiate the paid transfer of the school site. From June 2017 to September 2018, the transfer process was completed, and the campus was overall planned around the theme of a railway-themed tourist schoolhouse, which officially opened on September 18, 2019. Design Description: The original auditorium, "Xuehai Hall," was repurposed as the Checheng Visitor Center and management office, providing tourist consultation services along with facilities like a nursing room, a Muslim prayer room, and public restrooms. Collaboration with the Taiwan Railway Administration led to the relocation of old locomotives (R100-R114) and vintage passenger carriages (35SPK32700) for display in the park. A railway-themed tourist school and a corridor leading to the south entrance of Checheng were created, introducing railway imagery and becoming a new photography hotspot in the area. The original command platform and school gate were preserved as waiting areas and an entrance. The former playground space was converted into pedestrian pathways, a small car drop-off area, a bus turnaround, and a passenger drop-off zone, alleviating the limited road space issues within the recreation area. Outcomes and Benefits: The idle campus space of Checheng Elementary School was transformed into a railway-themed tourist school, turning a historically educational site into a new tourist attraction. Coupled with railway facilities such as the Checheng Recreation Area station, signal tower, transportation cars, tracks, and switches, the railway tourism theme was strengthened. The government is leading efforts to preserve railway cultural heritage and promote tourism development, encouraging private investment and creativity to revitalize the Checheng community. In the future, the management office will continue to collaborate with the Taiwan Railway Administration and relevant units to promote railway tourism and low-carbon travel, integrating themes such as the forestry history of Checheng, railway tourism along the Jiji line, and low-carbon bicycle tourism to present a diverse recreational style.
