Tiezhilu Park Introduction
Tiezhi Road Park in Puzi City, Chiayi County, is a linear park planned by the Chiayi County Government and Puzi City, stretching 1,250 meters in length. Some sections of the road were originally a landfill during the Japanese colonial period, and in 1911, it was constructed as a railway for a five-minute train that transported sugar and passengers, starting from the garlic sugar factory. When the Taiwan Sugar Corporation railway line was fully operational, it was used to transport goods, coastal fishery catches, and agricultural products from the Chianan Plain into Chiayi City, significantly impacting the economy of Taiwan and playing an important role in the economic rise of the island. Until the early 1960s, with a reduction in passenger and freight transport, the small train's route was shortened to terminate in Puzi. After that, the section west of Puzi Station to Gangqian Road was only used for transporting sugar. It was not until March 1999 that the small train finally became part of history and was subsequently dismantled by the garlic sugar factory. After the railway was removed, it lost both its tracks and sleepers, as well as its value for use, leading to neglect and abandonment. Eventually, the area became a place where locals would randomly cultivate vegetables or dump garbage and discarded furniture, resulting in severe environmental pollution. It wasn't until after Chiayi County's rehabilitation project that it transformed into the beautiful Tiezhi Road Park we see today. This lovely park has undergone comprehensive greening reform along its length, featuring a tree-lined path over a kilometer long, as well as extensive planting, walking paths, benches, and night lighting. It was officially completed in September 2004. The beautified Tiezhi Road Park not only allows the residents of Puzi City to reminisce about chasing the small train while extracting sugarcane but has also become an important space for leisure, recreation, and tourism in the area.
