202510/17
During the Japanese colonial period, the Sanrinka of the Taiwan Government-General was responsible for surveying forest resources. It led to the launch of the “Forest Management Project” in 1925, which had a profound impact on Taiwan’s forests. A century later, the former personnel dormitory of the Sanrinka, located on Jinshan South Road in Taipei City, has now been transformed into the “Conservation Station” of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FANCA). To recreate this little-known chapter of history, the FANCA invited Professor Hung Kuang-Chi’s team from National Taiwan University to curate a special exhibition, titled “0km: Revisiting the Sanrinka.” For the first time, the exhibition unveils to the public precious hand-drawn maps, archives, and survey records of the Sanrinka personnel during the Japanese colonial period. It guides visitors back to the personnel dormitory of the Sanrinka, offering a glimpse into how Japanese forestry personnel managed Taiwan’s forests using scientific methods brought back from the West a century ago. The special exhibition officially opened today (10/17) at the Conservation Station.
The FANCA stated that after the Meiji Restoration, the personnel of the Sanrinka of the Taiwan Government-General integrated traditional Japanese forestry practices with the latest German forestry concepts, gradually introducing Western scientific forestry management techniques into Taiwan. The “Forest Management Project” launched in 1925, was Taiwan’s first top-down comprehensive and long-term forestry management policy. Using rudimentary surveying equipment, forestry personnel traversed towering mountain ranges and spent over a decade establishing the first comprehensive forest resource inventory record in Taiwan. Based on findings regarding topography and forest conditions, they divided Taiwan’s mountains and forests into different divisions and formulated management plans for each, laying down the foundation for the current forestry system. This project also influenced the land use, forest ecology, and economic development of Taiwan’s indigenous peoples, and continues to this day. Named “0km,” this exhibition symbolizes the starting point of forestry resources inventory. It also reminds us to return to our original purpose, contemplate the relationship between humans and nature, and put into practice the values of sustainable forests.
The “0km: Revisiting the Sanrinka” exhibition is divided into four themes: “The Birth of the Sanrinka,” “Mapping the Forest,” “The Daily Life of Sanrinka Personnel,” and “Forest Utilization and Management from Wartime to Postwar.” Through hand-drawn maps, forest registration ledgers, surveying instruments, historical images, and rare documents, visitors can catch a glimpse on how forestry workers measured the mountains and forests on foot, transforming forests into maps and data to create sustainable management models. Following Japan’s defeat in World War II, Sanrinka personnel offered some parting advice prior to departing Taiwan. They recommended adopting the diversified forestry management methods for Southern Taiwan Forestry, as it was counterproductive for Taiwan’s abundant forest resources to be managed using the simple forestry management methods for Northern Taiwan Forestry. After decades of continuous work and transformation, the forestry management policies of today’s FANCA subtly echo and implement this vision of Southern Taiwan Forestry, emphasizing sustainable and diversified forestry development, and further demonstrating a vision of coexistence and mutual prosperity through local collaboration.
The FANCA pointed out that since 2017, it has actively collected and compiled historical materials on forestry in Taiwan, hoping to share these valuable historical archives with the world. The Conservation Station was formerly the Sanrinka personnel dormitory under the Taiwan Government-General. It’s hoped that by hosting this special exhibition here that visitors can rediscover a century of Taiwan’s forest memories within this space steeped in history. In addition, next year, the FANCA will collaborate with SMC Books to publish a reprint of the Forestry Project Forest Division Survey Atlas and Forestry Survey Book from the Japanese colonial period. This will allow more people to discover the historical memories of Taiwan’s mountains and forests.
The FANCA also stated that this special exhibition faithfully presents historical materials, inviting the public to reflect on the power dynamics behind forest planning and undertakings. It also hopes to deepen society’s understanding of the intricate relationship between humans and nature in Taiwan’s forestry development history, prompting consideration of future directions for forest governance. The exhibition “0km: Revisiting the Sanrinka” is now open at the Conservation Station. The public is invited to come experience the passion of foresters from a century ago and hear the historical echoes of the mountains and forests.