Chiayi Park

Beautiful Chiayi - Chiayi Centennial Park! Covering approximately 268,000 square meters, Chiayi Centennial Park is adorned with ancient trees reaching for the sky, elegant pavilions overlooking tranquil waters, serene rockeries and fish ponds, and winding paths leading to secluded spots. Its picturesque and refined scenery, born from the utilization of natural landscapes, truly makes it a leisurely paradise. Within the park, visitors can find historical sites such as the Historical Relics Museum, Sun-Shooting Tower, Confucius Temple, Fukangan Monument, and the Earthquake Memorial Monument, establishing it as an ideal destination for public leisure and recreation. Chiayi Centennial Park holds rich and rare cultural and historical treasures, offering insights into the diverse cultural characteristics of multiple ethnic groups and dynasties; it is well worth exploring and savoring. Furthermore, the Forestry and Agriculture Research Stations, located on the park's northeast side, feature a wide variety of tropical plants. Their dense shade provides a refreshing escape from the summer heat, and their green leaves sway gracefully in the breeze, making them another worthwhile stop. Historical Snippet: The park was founded in the 43rd year of Meiji (1910) during the Japanese colonial period. Over the past four centuries, Taiwan has experienced successive shifts in power, involving indigenous peoples, the Dutch, the Zheng regime, the Qing Dynasty, the Japanese, and finally the Nationalist Government. Zhulo (Chiayi's ancient name), strategically located as a vital north-south transportation hub, was directly impacted by these diverse influences. Consequently, numerous historical sites and materials remain scattered throughout Chiayi Park. These include: the altar ruins of indigenous (Pingpu) peoples; Wangtian (Royal Field) built by the Dutch; a Manchu-Han bilingual stele personally inscribed by Emperor Qianlong; naval cannons from the Jiaqing era; Taiwan's first earthquake memorial; auxiliary facilities of a Japanese Shinto shrine from the Japanese colonial period; an Alishan steam locomotive manufactured in the early 19th century in the United States; and the Yijiangshan Martyrs' Monument erected after the Nationalist Government relocated to Taiwan, among many others.