Tieji Road Park Introduction
The "Tiezhilu Park" in Puzi City, Chiayi County, is a linear park developed through the collaboration of the Chiayi County Government and Puzi City, stretching a total of 1,250 meters. Some sections of this park were originally a garbage dump during the Japanese colonial period and were transformed in 1911 into a railway that carried sugarcane and citizens from the Suantou Sugar Factory. When the Taiwan Sugar Corporation railway was fully operational, it transported not only goods but also coastal catches and agricultural products from the Chianan Plain into Chiayi City, significantly influencing the economy of Taiwan and contributing to the agricultural and industrial development of the island. It was not until the early 1960s that passenger services were reduced, and the train service was shortened to terminate at Puzi. From then on, the segment west of Puzi Train Station to Gangqian Road was used solely for transporting sugarcane. Finally, in March 1999, the small train service was retired and subsequently dismantled by the Suantou Sugar Factory. After the dismantling, the railway not only lost its tracks and ties but also its functional value, leading to its abandonment and neglect. The area became one where locals would indiscriminately cultivate crops or dump garbage and discarded furniture, resulting in severe environmental pollution. It was only after the Chiayi County remediation project that it was transformed into the beautiful "Puzi Tiezhilu Park." This beautiful park has undergone extensive greening reforms along its route, featuring more than a kilometer of parkway trees, landscaping, pedestrian walkways, benches, and night lighting, officially completed in September 2004. The beautified Tiezhilu Park not only allows the citizens of Puzi City to reminisce about the nostalgic days of chasing the sugarcane train but has also become an important recreational space and tourist attraction in the area.
