Dalu Community Introduction
Dalu Community is located on the west side of the Shueishang Interchange of the Zhongshan Highway, specifically 500 meters towards Chiayi County Government along the Jia-Pu Highway (County Road 168). It represents a rural community that lies between urban areas and traditional agricultural settlements. The residents' relationship with the land is based not on material economic needs but on emotional attachment, reflecting a deep sense of local pride. Consequently, community leaders actively engage in community work to foster a high cultural standard, prioritize environmental ecology, and emphasize health and vitality, with the goal of creating a beautiful community environment and an organic eco-home to ensure sustainable community development. The community's environmental features include a "water reservoir," a necessary irrigation facility from the past when water resources were underdeveloped. Currently, there are still two large public ponds within the community. The public land beside these ponds has been transformed into a beautiful community nursery garden and the Dalu No. 3 Eco-Park by community volunteers in 2003 and 2004. The "Community Nursery Garden," initiated by the community team, pioneered the "Garden Mutual Assistance Association," inspired by the ancient concept of "work exchange" for mutual support. Over six weekends, they created a community nursery garden spanning more than 100 square meters. The community team has since expanded beyond the original women's group, with many husbands, fathers, and sons joining the efforts, establishing a solid human resource foundation for community building. This strong community consensus has made various community activities highly successful. The "Dalu No. 3 Eco-Park" focuses on ecological methods, providing spaces for rest, pavilions, and environmentally friendly surfaces, while also featuring composting bins to demonstrate home-based organic composting methods, aiming for the space to educate and entertain visitors. Additionally, the "Dalu Sugar Station Park" is another significant feature of the Dalu Community. The term "sugar station" refers to a facility for transferring sugarcane, which has a vital place in Taiwan's sugar industry history. In the past, the Taiwan Sugar Corporation’s "Five-Minute Train" transported raw sugarcane to the Nanjing Sugar Factory, passing through Dalu Village, where the Dalu Sugar Station was established. After the train service ceased, the sugar station fell into disrepair. In 2004, with the community's collaborative efforts, the "Dalu Sugar Station Community Exchange Center Project" received a grant of NT$850,000 from the Council for Cultural Affairs. Utilizing ecological methods, community participation, and employing labor for materials, they cleared the tracks buried for over 20 years, reconstructed a standard five-minute train platform, completed ecological greening and visual beautification, and restored a rare foot-powered water pump. To showcase the history of the sugar station, they purchased a "raw sugarcane cart" and a "molasses cart" from the Taiwan Sugar Corporation, placing them in Sugar Station Park. This lush and ecologically rich cultural space combines spatial regeneration and cultural revival, adding a multi-functional community recreation park covering 1,200 square meters to Chiayi County's plains. Dalu Community serves as a large natural park exclusive to its residents. The community team adheres to the vision of development: "Green fullness at the pond's edge, Dalu Garden, water hometown," following three main principles for garden creation: cooperation through work exchange, ecological methods, and waste reuse, personally crafting every beautiful corner of the community. When you visit, please take time to enjoy the butterfly-filled Dalu Garden that thrives in greenery!
