Courtesy of Chia-Jung Huang and Editorial Office
Back in the 1940s, Japanese settlers living in Hualien Port once said: “Hualien Port is the most beautiful city closest to our homeland.” These settlers braved turbulent seas in search of a new life, but after World War II, they were forced to return to Japan. Despite their departure, Hualien City still preserves many historic Japanese-era buildings, each a silent witness to history and an ideal place for cultural exploration.
Recommended Exploration Route: Jiang Jun Fu 1936 Park → Hualien Forestry Bureau Park (temporarily closed, but exterior can be viewed) → Taiwan Fertilizer Guesthouse (not open to the public, but exterior can be viewed) → Taiwan Fertilizer Hualien Deep Seawater Park
Hualien’s New Cultural Hotspot｜Jiang Jun Fu 1936 Park
Nestled along the banks of Meilun River, this cluster of Japanese-style dormitories sits beside Zhongzheng Bridge. During the Japanese era, it served as an officers’ residence for Karenkō Prefecture Hall, commonly referred to as Yasurato(dormitory complex). Legend has it that Colonel Mitsuo Nakamura of the Hualien Port Army Military Department once resided here, which is how it came to be known as Jiang Jun Fu, or “General’s Residence”. However, historical records show that after the war, the house was occupied by General Chih-Cheng Shan, then principal of the Army Engineering School. In the 1990s, the county government planned to redevelop the site into an apartment complex. Local advocates fought to preserve the historic buildings, successfully applying to the Cultural Affairs Bureau for its designation as a historic site under the name “Meilun Riverside Japanese Residences” in 2005. After extensive restoration work beginning in 2020, it officially reopened in April 2024 as Jiang Jun Fu 1936 Park—a vibrant cultural hub where history blends seamlessly with modern businesses.
INFO｜ Jiang Jun Fu 1936 Park
Address: No. 6, Ln. 622, Zhongzheng Rd., Hualien City
Telephone: 03-8316272
Business hours: 10:00-23:30
Lavatory: Yes
Historic Buildings Encircling Hualien Port｜Hualien Forestry Bureau Park & Taiwan Fertilizer’s Architectural Heritage
At the end of Jinghua Road lies Jinghua Forest Garden, once the residential quarters of the Hualien Port Timber Company during the Japanese era. In 2001, it was designated a historical building under the same name. Adjacent to it stands a unique blend of Japanese and Western architectural styles—the Hualien Forestry Bureau Park. With its tiled roof, terrazzo exterior walls, symmetrical geometric design, and Roman-style arch columns, the building has undergone careful restoration by the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency’s Hualien Branch for over two years, with the project scheduled for completion in 2024.
Continuing along Zhongmei Road, you’ll find a serene Japanese-style mansion with a deep-set courtyard. Originally serving as the UACJ Corporation’s guesthouse, it later became Taiwan Fertilizer’s official guesthouse after the war. This residence, with its traditional Japanese tiled roof and towering ancient pines, remains an elegant landmark, though it is not open to the public. Further along County Highway No. 193, you’ll reach the Taiwan Fertilizer Hualien Deep Seawater Park, formerly the UACJ Corporation’s aluminum factory at Hualien Port. Through heritage revitalization efforts, the site has been transformed into Asia’s largest—and Taiwan’s only—marine deep-seawater-themed tourism and leisure park. The surrounding area still retains several Japanese-era tiled buildings, and the square-shaped administrative office and the brick-built air-raid shelter serve as historical witnesses to the bustling operations of the aluminum factory during the Japanese era and the tense atmosphere of World War II.
INFO｜ Taiwan Fertilizer Hualien Deep Seawater Park
Address: No. 15, Huadong, Hualien City, Hualien County
Telephone: 03-8236168
Business hours: 09:00-17:00
Lavatory: Yes
Ticket price: Free Admission