Qinshan River He Yinong Doctor Memorial Tablet Introduction
In May 1902, Dr. Kawai Soritaro, a professor of forestry at the Imperial University of Tokyo, was invited by the Taiwan Governor-General's Office to survey the Alishan area in Chiayi. He discovered that the forest ecosystem of Alishan was exceptional, with high-quality timber and abundant treasures. He advocated for development in his survey report, which caught the attention of the Governor-General's Office. Subsequently, during several important inspections and forestry management plans, Dr. Kawai's opinions had a crucial impact on the development of Alishan forestry. He is regarded as the greatest contributor to its development, and after his death, a monument was erected in his honor, designating the site as a county-designated historic site. Dr. Kawai Soritaro, a forestry PhD from the Imperial University of Tokyo, was appointed by the Taiwan Governor-General's Office on February 8, 1903, to oversee the development of Alishan Forest and the survey of the forest railway route. On October 3, 1904, Governor-General Goto Shinpei, Minister of Agriculture and Commerce Shuku, Superintendent of Chiayi Prefecture Okada, Chief Engineer of the Railway Department Hase Kiyoshi, Dr. Kawai Soritaro, and more than thirty other officials, along with sixty porters, formed a large exploration team that reached Banhua Mountain in Alishan after three days. This marked the beginning of the promotion of Alishan forest development; however, due to financial difficulties during the Russo-Japanese War, the development was delayed until 1906. The development process faced many setbacks; it was initially undertaken by the private Fujita Group, but was later halted and continued under government management by the Governor-General's Office. Dr. Kawai Soritaro, serving as a forestry advisor to the Taiwan Governor-General's Office, was deeply involved in exploration and planning, playing a significant role in developing Alishan forestry. He passed away in Tokyo, Japan, on March 14, 1931. In recognition of his contributions, a memorial tablet was erected in Alishan in honor of Dr. Kawai Soritaro in November 1932, and it was officially unveiled on February 3, 1933.
