Taiwan’s highest altitude museum opened Aug. 15 in a century-old building inside the Alishan National Forest Recreation Area in the southern county of Chiayi.
 
Located 2,200 meters above sea level, the 1913 Antique Office of Alishan House-Local Cultural Building exhibits artifacts from the Japanese colonial (1895-1945) and post-World War II eras, the Chiayi County Government said.
 
The museum showcases the area’s logging history, Japanese traditions and period architecture and is part of a local government initiative to highlight the history of the region and boost tourism, according to the CCG.
 
Chiayi Deputy Magistrate Wu Fang-ming said the museum offers visitors the chance to take a journey back in time and learn about important developments in Taiwan’s history over the last 100 years.
 
Built in 1913, the structure was originally designed as a dormitory for Japanese military officers. It was later used as a social club for the local forestry agency and after 1945 became a guesthouse for overseas heads of state and high-level dignitaries.
 
The museum is the largest cypress wooden structure in the 1,400 hectare recreation area, the county government said. Located on the same property as historic hotel Alishan House, it is open every day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (KWS-E)