Tiezhi Road Park Introduction
Tiezhi Road Park in Puzi City, Chiayi County, is a linear park that has been planned and constructed by the Chiayi County Government and Puzi City. It stretches 1,250 meters in length. Some sections of the road were originally a garbage dump during the Japanese colonial period, and in 1911, it was transformed into a railway that transported sugar cane and passengers starting from the Suantou Sugar Factory. When the Taiwan Sugar Corporation railway was fully operational, it carried goods, coastal catches, and agricultural products from the Chianan Plains into Chiayi City, significantly affecting transportation throughout Taiwan and playing a crucial role in the economic growth of Taiwan. By the early 1960s, as passenger and freight services were reduced, the small train's route was shortened to terminate at Puzi. From then on, the section west of Puzi Station to Gangqian Road was only used for transporting sugar cane. It wasn't until March 1999 that the small train finally became part of history, after which it was dismantled by the Suantou Sugar Factory, completing its mission. After the railway's removal, it lost its tracks and ties, as well as its utility value, and was left neglected and overgrown. This area became a place where locals casually planted vegetables or dumped garbage and discarded furniture, leading to significant environmental pollution. It wasn’t until the Chiayi County’s renovation project that it transformed into the beautiful Tiezhi Road Park we see today. The park has undergone comprehensive greening efforts along its 1-kilometer length, featuring numerous trees, extensive planting, walking paths, benches, and nighttime lighting facilities, officially completing its renovation in September 2004. The beautified Tiezhi Road Park not only provides the residents of Puzi City with nostalgic memories of chasing the small train and pulling sugar cane but has also become an important recreational area and tourist attraction in the region.
