Chiayi Park covers a wide area of 26.8 hectares, whose fountains, gardens, arcades, pavilions, and playgrounds are easily found throughout the park. While you sauntering along the creek or strolling through a green pathway, you can also enjoy the centuries-old historical and cultural treasures, to start a journey of dialogue between nature and humanity.
Chiayi Park
by Ageratum
Upon Old Blackbead’s invitation,
little scarab beetles come to the park
for a sweet picnic.
How they scuttle and fight!
The strawberry doughnut,
a whole morning’s making,
was gone in a sec.
Next to them,
Incense-cedar whispers secrets
into his neighbor Sweet gum’s ears.
How she blushes!
Black pine on the side
stands with his eyes half-open,
perhaps listening in,
or perhaps daydreaming.
Before the 20th century, gardens in Taiwan were generally private properties of the gentry class. During the Japanese rule, the Japanese government re-planned and modernized the layout of several cities, including Chiayi, introducing the idea of urban parks. In 1910, construction of the Chiayi Park began, and after a year, the Park officially opened its door to the public.
When designing the park and the adjacent arboretum, the Japanese incorporated the natural landscape into their design, thus allowing the ups-and-downs of the terrain to merge seamlessly with the architecture.
The entire park covers a wide area of 26.8 hectares. Whether sauntering along the creek or strolling through a green pathway, one will readily spot the usual fountains, gardens, arcades, pavilions, and playgrounds. They are more than the usual park facilities, however—a monument or a cannon might have been the witness of some uprisings during the Qing rule while the entire shrine complex tells the modern history of Taiwan, from the Japanese rule up to the Republican government. With the more recently-installed Sun-Shooting Tower as its crowning summit, it also appropriately represents the complex, diverse making of modern Taiwan.
Precious Old Trees in Chiayi Park and Chiayi Arboretum
In the Japanese tradition, after a shrine is built, trees are often planted around it as its sacred grove. The Chiayi Shrine was no exception. As a result, many trees in the park are as old as the shrine complex. Species include Manila Tamarind, Taiwan incense-cedar, Formosan sweet gum, and Japanese black pine.
Directly adjacent to the park, the Chiayi Arboretum was built in 1908. In view of Chiayi’s tropical climate (the Tropic of Cancer directly passes through Chiayi), the Japanese also used it as a research center for evaluation of the adaptability and economic values of imported tropical plants, such as rubber trees, hoop pines, palm trees, mahogany, and narra. The trees were planted according to the group planting method, but otherwise no specific classification system was adopted, creating a more tropical-forest-like environment. Up till this day, the arboretum still offers its visitors a refreshing verdant oasis in midst of the city.
Content / Photos: Ageratum --- The author of "A Day In Chiayi"
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