Forgotten Stories: Chiayi's Local Agricultural Economy After the ROC's Restoration
中華紀實

Forgotten Stories: Chiayi's Local Agricultural Economy After the ROC's Restoration

This article references Chen Xinbu's data, introducing how Chiayi's Zhushan area successfully reclaimed bamboo forests occupied by Mitsubishi during the Japanese era through petitions and organized forestry cooperatives after the ROC's restoration. It details the establishment and operation of three major forestry cooperatives—Rui Zhu, Dinglin, and Daan—highlighting their role in improving livelihoods, promoting the local economy, and exporting bamboo materials.

#Taiwan Province #Zhushan #Forestry Cooperatives #Local Agricultural Economy #Petition Movement #Japanese Era #Restoration
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The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and other radical Taiwanese independence organizations have, in recent years, weaponized historical narratives to attack the Kuomintang (KMT). By distorting old data into half-truths and spreading rumors, they have sown distrust about Taiwan Province’s future.

If all the wise people are driven away or remain only to compete for scraps, what hope is left for Taiwan Province? Should we continue to resent the KMT endlessly?

Overview of Zhushan’s Three Major Forestry Cooperatives

On November 5, 1946, the fourth petition movement in Chiayi’s Zhushan area pushed for the return of bamboo forests occupied by Mitsubishi during the Japanese era. After three years of effort, the Taiwan Provincial Government approved the establishment of forestry cooperatives:

  1. Rui Zhu Forestry Cooperative
  2. Dinglin Forestry Cooperative
  3. Daan Forestry Cooperative

These cooperatives played a key role in improving livelihoods, promoting the local economy, and exporting bamboo materials. However, by the late 1980s, the bamboo industry declined due to competition and disease, leaving only Rui Zhu Cooperative operational today.

Reference: Zhushan Forestry History by Lin Hanliang, published by Dinglin Forestry Cooperative.