Ⅰ. Summary of Dalin’s Development
Dalin county is located in the northern end of the Chiayi County, with Meishan at its east, Sikou at its west, and Minsyong at its south. Located at the south and north transportation passageways, its area measures more than 64 square kilometers, with a population of 33,994.
Ⅱ. Dalin’s Tourist Destinations
Dalin’s tourist destinations, with the train station as the center point, include Anxia Temple, Zhongshan Road old street, Minghua Wetlands Park, Zhaoqing Buddhist Temple, Paizi Road air quality purifying zone and more on the west. Also included is the train station’s east side parking lot public space, Dapulin sports park, green bikeway on the east and the Dalin railway-turned bike route which stretches across the east and west sides.
Among the destinations of the Dalin Railway Station is a magnificent piece of architectural work, ranked the most beautiful third class station by railway fans. More importantly, the new train station is a platform on its own and through this platform the distance between Dalin’s western and eastern parts shrinks and connects surrounding districts and products. This brings in a crowd, promoting Dalin’s medicine, tourism, leisure, agriculture and other industries. It also inspired town developments to assemble a new look for Dalin.
The Dalin railway-turned bike route which stretches across the eastern and western sides runs from the Dalin sugar factory to Sanjiao Village, measuring approximately 8 kilometers. It connects four communities along its route: Datang Village, Hubei Village, Sancun Village and Sanjiao Village. The route provides residents and visitors with a sensual tour of rural ecological energy and farm zone features. Along the sides of the route are various types of trees and flowers, flourishing and colorful. Century-old trees, Rhacophorus arvalis (a species of frog) and Bambusa eduis (Odashima) Keng (a type of bamboo shoot) are the 3 treasures of the Dalin bikeway.
Presently the Tourism and Travel Bureau is planning the “railway + bike” tour, where riders can take the train to the Dalin train station and arrive at this green and beautiful bike route for an in-depth tour of nature and ecology. During the trip riders can also enjoy the nostalgia of the sugar factory’s old Japanese-styled buildings, indulge in the music of natural ecology by listening to the singing of the Rhacophorus arvalis and admire the “Dapulin town/arts wheel axle”, co-created by local residents and artists. Dalin bikeway integrates life, arts and ecology, making it all the more unique and charming.
Ⅲ. Dalin’s Featured Agricultural Products
Dalin is a farm town, producing paddy rice, bamboo shoots, oranges, tangerines, pineapples and orchids among others. I Hsin Biotechnology Incorporated grow orchids; it is the largest provider of Taiwan’s Dahtyan Orchids Nursery (flask). Even the flower capital of the world, Holland has come to visit; it promoted Taiwan’s orchid exports.
Dalin’s orange production and marketing sector owns the country’s first production and marketing continuation strategy, when the market’s price for oranges is weak, Dalin’s oranges still sell for a good price. The oranges are marked with the “green home” brand label, it is so safe that even the orange skins are edible, and are also marketed to Japan
Dalin’s agricultural products are fresh, delicious and of high quality, popular among consumers. In future we will work hard to market Dalin’s agricultural products so that more people can enjoy our high quality fruits, vegetables and flowers.
Ⅳ. Dalin’s Cultural Features
Dalin people are honest and traditional. Currently, with the public sector’s promotion and participation from residents, many places have started to display cultural features. For example, since the establishment of the Chiayi Beishi Cultural Development Association, it has held events and published a community periodical, the Beishi Tsai Feng. They have engaged in community development to grow local culture and have done research on the ecology of the Rhacophorus arvalis, thereby increasing the community’s ecological awareness.
The Minghua Community Development Association has also flourished under the joint effort of the neighborhood’s Magistrate and the community’s Director-General. They recruited a group of enthusiastic volunteers to create new life functions for the Minghua community. Benefits for the neighborhood included cleaning and maintaining a spotlessly beautiful community environment, providing residents with a place for holding health seminars and having fun while learning.
Dalin Tzuchi Hospital has taken responsibility for the local community healthcare center to promote active participation from residents in a joint effort to pursue health and happiness. The Dalin Community Healthcare Center was established to provide people with knowledge and skills in healthcare and to get consensus on promoting community health. From medical services to community care, Dalin Tzuchi Hospital’s spirit of caring for humanity is slowly influencing Dalin’s local cultural vitality
Ⅴ. Conclusion
Although Dalin is a small township on the Chianan Plains it holds two of the largest military camps: Zhongkeng and Qiding. They are filled with memories of the many men who served there. In recent years NanHua University and Tzuchi Hospital have been established, increasing Dalin’s popularity. Previously Dalin was a typical farm town, now it is also a town for environmentally friendly leisure activities. It is a beautiful countryside with abundant community resources and a nostalgic atmosphere; it also boasts new, modern architecture. Dalin is still developing and improving and will continue to grow with the community’s effort to give Dalin a new face and soar.
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