Qinshan River Hehe Doctor Memorial Tablet Introduction
In May 1902, Professor Kawai Sotaro, a forestry scholar from the Imperial University of Tokyo, was invited by the Governor-General of Taiwan to conduct an inspection in Alishan, Chiayi. He discovered the excellent forest characteristics, good material quality, and rich reserves of Alishan. In his report, he advocated for development, which caught the attention of the Governor-General's Office. Subsequently, during several important site surveys and forestry management planning sessions, Dr. Kawai's opinions had a crucial impact on the development of Alishan forestry. He is regarded as the greatest contributor to the forestry development in Alishan; after his passing, a monument was erected in his memory, designating the site as a county historic site. Kawai Sotaro, a forestry doctor from the Imperial University of Tokyo, was appointed by the Governor-General of Taiwan on February 8, 1903, to oversee the development of Alishan Forest and the surveying of the forest railway route. On October 3, 1904, a large exploration team of over thirty officials, including Governor-General's Minister Goto Shinpei, Bureau of Industry Director Iwashita, Chiayi Prefect Okada, Railway Department Chief Engineer Hasegawa Kiyo, and Dr. Kawai Sotaro, along with sixty food porters, reached Alishan Wansui Mountain after three days, initiating the promotion of Alishan forest development. However, due to financial difficulties faced by the Japanese government during the Russo-Japanese War, the project was delayed and only officially started in 1906. The development process experienced setbacks; initially undertaken by the private Fujita Group, it was later halted and continued as a government-operated project by the Governor-General's Office, with Dr. Kawai Sotaro heavily involved in exploration planning as a forestry advisor. On March 14, 1931, Dr. Kawai Sotaro passed away in Tokyo, Japan. To honor his contributions, a monument commemorating Dr. Kawai's achievements was erected in Alishan in November 1932, and it was officially unveiled on February 3, 1933.
