The century-old tree grove at the Rende Sugar Factory in Tainan, China, leaving a patch of green for the future
Long ago, there were rumors that in the south of Tainan City, there was a dormitory area surrounded by woods, and in that dormitory area there was a special elementary school, nicknamed: Tainan City's forest elementary school.
I occasionally come here to stroll around, ride a bike, or go into the woods to pick up fallen leaves, or go to the sugar factory ice shop for ice cream. This is an important stop on the bike route. Starting from the Cultural Center, passing through Barclay Memorial Park and Cherry Blossom Park, connecting to the shaded avenue on Shengchan Road, passing through the alleys of Er Kong, and soon entering a large area of Taiwan Sugar Corporation forest, then passing Hutou Elementary School, you arrive at the Rende Sugar Factory dormitory area. People who want light leisure and do not want to get too tired can take a good rest here, take a walk, draw, take photos, eat ice cream, chat, and then turn back.
This is a beautiful place with large trees standing everywhere. The sugar factory was built in 1909 and has a history of 102 years so far. Trees nearly a hundred years old can be found everywhere. Both the landscape and the terrain have historical significance, and they are an important asset for the people of Tainan. In conjunction with the development project of Tainan Metropolitan Park, this place will certainly change in the future. Now that the main road has already been built alongside it, I especially hope that the city government and Taiwan Sugar Corporation can adopt more progressive thinking, not only developing but also creating the landscape and historical value here, leaving the memory of the land to the children. Relatively speaking, this will also have a bonus effect on the value of the surrounding land.
Imagine a park community where large trees are everywhere, and the main road passes by the side, so there are not many cars in the community. It is very suitable for living, walking, and leisure. This is the kind of place many people dream of. Unlike the concrete jungle of a modern city, this should be the living character that the people of Tainan ought to have.
Most of the houses in the dormitory area have been demolished, but century-old large trees are everywhere and are extremely precious. A simple schematic diagram shows everyone the locations of the old trees. Different trees are in different locations.
This is one of the large camphor trees here. Measured at breast height, its trunk circumference is 282 cm. If it were in the old urban area of Tainan, it could rank among the top 10 large camphor trees!
This is another large camphor tree after entering the entrance. Measured at breast height, its trunk circumference is 315 cm. Even thicker!
This is another one. There really are large trees everywhere.
Even the frangipani (plumeria) is very thick.
This is something I also greatly admire: such a large Buddhist pine (Podocarpus macrophyllus)! Measured at breast height, the trunk circumferences are 167 cm and 137 cm. None of the Buddhist pines in the old urban area of Tainan are this large. There are currently three remaining here, and they are extremely precious!
There are many old longan trees here, and every one of them is very old.
This is an old building here, already reused as a cafe. The large banyan tree beside it is so beautiful!
For those who want to keep riding from the Rende Sugar Factory dormitory area, after resting and eating ice cream, they can enter Tainan Metropolitan Park, cross Provincial Highway 1, and enter the farm paths at the southern end of the airport. Here, if the timing is right, you can see huge airplanes passing overhead. On the paths, you will see many field birds, and occasionally quail appear. Following the paths, you can connect to the Erren River embankment, pass the estuary, the horse ranch, and get onto the Golden Coast embankment top bike and walking path, all the way to the Longgang Elementary School landscape bridge. Then there are three choices: go to the Anping Port embankment to watch ships enter and leave the port, or pass through the community and head east along the Bamboo Creek, passing the Shueijiaoshe Cultural Park and the stadium, and return to the Cultural Center; another route is to pass through the community, enter the mangrove bike path, pass Xishu Dashan and enter the Xishu area, where there are the famous Huocheng noodles, Wanli Wetland Park, and then return to the farm area at the southern end of the airport, and go back to the Cultural Center along the original route.
Each area has its own characteristics, but each area also requires care. Some may disappear if we are not careful, such as the area near Rende Sugar Factory. Urban planning must be carried out first, with a vision of the future, coordination among various departments, and development moving in a consistent direction.
On this ring, from Shueijiaoshe Cultural Park or the stadium, it is easy to connect to the alley system of the old urban area and link to every scenic spot in the old city of Tainan.
In addition, can we also try the possibility of a blue highway on the Erren River and the sea?
Tainan City is full of possibilities, with various interesting rings, different scenery and pleasures, waiting for you to take part.
