Hinoki Village 桧意森活村

About Hinoki Village

Hinoki Village preserves former forestry residences near Beimen in Chiayi City. Its timber buildings belong to the wider history of the Alishan logging industry, whose railway brought wood down to Chiayi for storage, processing and trade. The neighbourhood helps explain why forestry became so important to the city's modern development.

The restored complex contains 29 historic wooden buildings, with staff accommodation arranged on both sides of Linsen East Road. Differences between the former junior employees' quarters and higher-ranking officials' residences reflect the organisation of the forestry service. Cypress construction, low rooflines and the spacing between houses create an intimate residential scale.

The village's current shops and cultural uses sit within that inherited layout. Look at joints, verandas and the relationship between houses and planted spaces, as well as the goods on display. Restoration has kept the buildings useful, but a retail interior should not automatically be read as an unchanged historical room. Nearby railway and sawmill sites add separate pieces to the forestry story and deserve their own stops.

What to look for

• The group of restored Japanese-era wooden forestry residences.
• Differences in the scale and placement of staff housing.
• The connection with Beimen Station and Chiayi's timber industry.

Location & getting there

Getting to Hinoki Village

Search for 檜意森活村 at Gonghe Road, East District, Chiayi City. Follow the public paths between buildings and distinguish shop access from neighbouring residential or administrative premises.

• Search for 桧意森活村 with 东区.