Forestry and forest land management have influenced Taiwan’s environmental, social, and economic development over the past century. The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FANCA), in collaboration with a team comprising Professor Hung Kuang-Chi of National Taiwan University and SMC Books, has spent seven years sorting and organizing the Historical Materials of the Forest Management Project Surveys. Their efforts have resulted in the compilation and publication of the complete reproductions of the “Forestry Atlas” and “Forest Registration Ledger.” The book launch was held today (06/15), where these precious forestry archives, sealed away for nearly a century, were made public for the first time, unveiling the mysteries of Formosa’s forests a hundred years ago. This archival collection comprehensively records key results of forest surveys conducted by the Sanrinka (Forestry Section) of the Taiwan Government-General in 1925, during the Japanese colonial era. It enables readers to explore how the Japanese colonial government understood and managed forests at that time, in turn, consider the sustainable future of Taiwan’s forests. The FANCA stated that in 1925, the colonial Government-General launched a Forest Management Project in Taiwan. With Western scientific training and equipped with surveying instruments, forestry staff traveled deep into the mountains and forests across Taiwan. By carrying out long-term surveys, they gradually accumulated a wealth of forest resource data, which allowed them to produce a large number of “forest maps” and to compile a detailed “Forest Registration Ledger.” These records fully documented the forest conditions, geology, vegetation, and utilization status across Taiwan, opening up a modern scientific forestry perspective in Taiwan and laying an important foundation for Taiwan’s forest management. In recent years, the FANCA has been actively promoting the inventory and preservation of historical data on forestry in Taiwan. Over the course of more than seven years, it has reorganized and restored a vast amount of precious historical materials in these archives. The FANCA also invited collaboration with scholars. In 2025, the “0km: Revisiting the Sanrinka” special exhibition was launched, where visitors got a glimpse of the former Sanrinka staff dormitory and were introduced to the pioneers who devoted themselves to forest surveys a century ago. Now, the newly published Historical Materials of the Forest Management Project Surveys goes further by researching and systematically organizing the survey results from a century ago, reconstructing historical milestones in Taiwan’s forestry development. The newly published Historical Materials of the Forest Management Project Surveys includes one volume of “Forestry Atlas” and three volumes of “Forest Registration Ledger.” In addition to being researched and organized by experts and scholars, a professional team was also commissioned to digitally restore and compile the original map files to achieve a complete reproduction. By comparing historical maps and textual records, not only will readers catch a glimpse of that era’s spatial distribution of forests, settlements, and land use, but will also learn about the historical context of Taiwan’s natural environment and forestry development. During the joint presentation, scholars Hung Kuang-Chi, Cheng An-Si, and Yap Ko-Hua, who participated in the research, pointed out that the “Forest Management Project” can be regarded as the starting point of scientific forestry management in Taiwan. It scientifically and systematically presented the forest resources, geographical environment, and indigenous living spaces that were little known at the time. It is worth mentioning that the atlas in this publication preserves a large number of original survey materials and markings, including the surveyors’ handwritten labels, handwritten annotations, and revision marks on the drawings. This allows readers to feel as if they are flipping through a working notebook from a hundred years ago and experience the atmosphere of forestry inventories at that time. Director General Lin Hwa-Ching of the FANCA said that this batch of historical materials is not only forest resource survey records, but also presents the thought process on the utilization and management of mountain and forest resources across different eras. From full state control to today’s emphasis on local participation, cultural respect, and sustainable development, Taiwan’s forestry has undergone a century-long transformation. The re-emergence of these precious historical archives allows us not only to review history but also to rethink the new blueprint for future forest management. These survey records, spanning a century, serve as a reminder that humans and forests have always been closely intertwined. We hope that through the release of historical materials and the sharing of knowledge, more people will learn about Taiwan’s forests and work together to protect the future of the mountains and forests for the next century. The “Forestry Atlas” and “Forest Registration Ledger” in the Historical Materials of the Forest Management Project Surveys collection contain over two hundred rare maps, weighing 17 kilograms and 8 kilograms respectively. To perfectly present the original artworks, the production team painstakingly carried out the replication processes, such as hand-drawing and precise inlays, and used top-quality paper and printing technology. Therefore, each set is priced at NT$70,000. Those who wish to study or collect the set can purchase it from the Government Books Store and Wunan Books. The FANCA will also provide the book collection to the National Central Library, the Parliamentary Library of the Legislative Yuan, the National Taiwan Library, the National Library of Public Information, the National Taiwan University Library, the National Dong Hwa University Library, and the libraries (main branches) of the various counties and cities. Members of the public are welcome peruse the collection at these libraries. The FANCA is also evaluating the possibility of converting the collection into an e-book format to provide more diversified channels for the public to access and use the publications.
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