Shuling Pagoda Introduction
The creation of the Tree Spirit Tower was due to the development of the Alishan forestry by the Japanese, who engaged in large-scale logging, including the felling of trees that were over a thousand years old. The Japanese believed that all things have spirits, thus they built the Tree Spirit Tower to honor the tree spirits and to provide psychological comfort to the forestry workers. The construction of the Tree Spirit Tower reflects the Japanese respect for nature, which was rare at that time. The design of the Tree Spirit Tower is based on a deformed pagoda, consisting of a base and a tower body with a pinnacle. The base is a six-tier circular structure, where each circular step symbolizes tree rings, with one step representing five hundred years, and the six tiers representing the significance of three thousand years of divine tree spirits. The tower body represents a thick tree trunk, symbolizing solidity, and it directly inscribes "Tree Spirit Tower" without any additional inscriptions. The base of the tower features three low columns radiating in different directions, representing the gaps formed by the felled trees, emphasizing the pain of the trees being cut down. The belief that all things have spirits cannot be overlooked, which was rare at that time, leading to its designation as a county-designated historical site.
