Forestry agency to hold preservation education camps in Taichung

林業保育署將於台中舉辦保育教育營

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency’s Taichung Branch announced Thursday that it will hold two activities at the Basianshan Forest Recreation Area to promote understanding of the forestry industry.

The branch said it will hold a family-oriented event Saturday and an adult-oriented event Sunday, per CNA. The activities will include demonstrations of maps and measurement tools used to document forest resources.

Saturday’s family event will focus on measuring, observing, and documenting forests, allowing visitors to experience the work of forestry professionals. Sunday’s event will allow participants to make their own handkerchiefs using plant-based dyes and create their own forest maps by incorporating map-inspired images into their artwork.

The name Basianshan was coined by the Japanese after they discovered that the mountain’s peak was nearly 8,000 Japanese feet high (2,439 meters), per the Taiwan Hakka Culture Development Center. Along with the Alishan and Taipingshan stations, the Basianshan Forest Station was recognized as one of three major logging bases during the Japanese colonial era.

The logging industry at Basianshan Forest Station attracted Hakka workers from Taichung, Miaoli County, and Hsinchu County, leading to the formation of immigrant communities near settlements of the local Atayal people. The forest station eventually closed in 1963, after which many Hakka immigrants turned to agriculture.

In related news, Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) announced in late July that he had secured NT$300 million (US$9.41 million) in funding to restore the former Basianshan Forest Station workers’ dormitory in Fengyuan District, per ETtoday. He said restoring the historic site would not only help preserve the district’s roots in the forestry industry but also promote it as a tourism destination.

The National Center of Photography and Images has also launched an online exhibition featuring historical photographs taken when Basianshan Forest Station was still in operation.