Checheng Visitor Center Introduction
Background: Checheng Elementary School was established in 1957 and relocated to its current site in May 1987 in conjunction with the Ming-Tan Power Plant. Affected by the declining birthrate in recent years, Checheng Elementary School, which has a history of nearly 60 years, experienced consolidation and was officially closed in August 2015. To revitalize the idle campus after the school's closure, the Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area Administration negotiated with the Nantou County Government for the paid transfer of the school land. Starting from June 2017 to September 2018, the transfer process was completed, and the theme of a railway tourism elementary school was adopted to carry out the overall planning of the campus, officially opening on September 18, 2019. Design Description: The original auditorium, "Xuehai Hall," has been converted into the Checheng Visitor Center and management office, providing tourists with travel consultation services, as well as breastfeeding rooms, Muslim prayer rooms, and public restrooms. Collaboration with the Taiwan Railways Administration to relocate and display old locomotives (R100 type - R114) and old passenger carriages (35SPK32700 type) in the park. The design of the railway tourism elementary school and the entrance corridor of the southern Checheng area incorporates train imagery, becoming a new photography hotspot in the Checheng area. The original command platform and school gate are preserved as waiting areas and an entrance. The original playground area is repurposed into pedestrian pathways, a temporary parking area for small vehicles, a turnaround area for large buses, and a temporary loading area to alleviate space constraints in the Checheng recreational area. Results and Benefits: The idle campus space of the closed Checheng Elementary School has been revitalized as a railway tourism elementary school, transforming the former educational campus into a new tourism attraction. Coupled with railway facilities such as the Checheng recreational area station, signal tower, transfer vehicle, tracks, and switches, it strengthens the "railway tourism" theme of the Checheng recreational area. Led by the government in preserving railway cultural heritage and promoting tourism development, it stimulates private investment and creativity, contributing to the revival of the Checheng community. In the future, the administration will continue to collaborate with the Taiwan Railways Administration and relevant units to promote railway tourism and low-carbon travel, integrating themes such as Checheng's forestry history, Jiji Line railway tourism, and low-carbon bicycle tours to present a diverse recreational style.
