Lintianshan Forestry Culture Park


The Lintianshan Forestry Culture Park is a forest in Fenglin Township, Hualien County, Taiwan.

History

Empire of Japan

Forestry began in the area since 1918 with a name of Molisaka. The park was originally the ground for logs processing area from Mount Da'an during the Japanese rule of Taiwan. Felling works were done by Hualien Harbor Timber. In 1925, the area was declared by the Japanese government as the Lintianshan logging area. In 1939, Hualien Harbor Timber was renamed to Taiwan Kougyou Kabusiki Gaisya and established the Taiwan Xingye Company Lintianshan Logging Office. Since then, several railways, dormitories and buildings were established to support the business there.

Republic of China

After the handover of Taiwan from Japan to the Republic of China in 1945, the Resource Management Committee of the Ministry of Economic Affairs took over the site and it was named Senrong. The management of the site was then assigned to Taiwan Paper Company. In 1954, the site was transferred to private company. The logging activities reached their peak in 1960. In the same year, a fire destroyed the log mill, water pipes and hydrants at the area. In 1972, the site was transferred to Zhongxing Paper Company operated by Taiwan Provincial Government. In the same year, a month-long wildfire destroyed 1.2 km2 of the forest area. In 1973, the logging industries were in decline and the control of the site was assumed by the Forestry Bureau. In 1988, the logging activities at the site were completely halted.
The bureau then merged the two sites at Guangfu and Fenglin under the Wanrong Work Station of the Hualien Forest District Office. Soon after that, a plan to establish the Lintianshan Forestry Culture Park at the site was put into the discussion. In 2006, the site was declared a historical village by the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Hualien County Government.

Architecture

The forest consists of former offices and residential buildings, dormitories, logging tools and machines, rail tracks, elementary school and a church. Currently the site is divided into the forestry exhibition area, early settlement buildings and the remains of Kangle New Village, administration and management area and hiking trails.

Transportation

The forest is accessible west of Wanrong Station of Taiwan Railways.