Camphor Office. Camphor, along with sugarcane and tea, was known as one of the three treasures of Taiwan during the Qing Dynasty. The initial prosperity of Jiji Street was also closely related to camphor extraction. Camphor, along with sugarcane and tea, was known as one of the three treasures of Taiwan during the Qing Dynasty. The initial prosperity of Jiji Street was also closely related to camphor extraction. "Chōjō" originally meant business trip in Japanese. During the Showa era of Japanese rule, the Japanese government enacted a camphor monopoly system and established the "Jiji Camphor Office" in 1898 (Meiji 31) to handle the extraction, processing, and sale of camphor in the region. At that time, camphor manufacturing primarily used the "brain stove" method, distilling camphor trees with firewood, which took about 24 hours. After cooling, the camphor wood steam formed white solidified camphor crystals and camphor oil, which were then transported by porters to the office for collection and subsequently shipped via the Jiji Line to the main factory in Taipei for refinement into the final product. After the relocation of the Nationalist government to Taiwan, the camphor industry gradually declined, and the Camphor Office lost its original function. It was once also used as dormitory for the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency staff. With over a hundred years of history, it is the only remaining Camphor Office in Taiwan and a building of great historical and cultural value. The Camphor Office building can be divided into three parts: the office building on the right and the dormitory or hall on the left, both of which are traditional Japanese wooden structures. The symmetrical and simple main entrance features an entrance porch, or "rain shelter," which is a pavilion-style entrance structure with a wooden roof supported by double pillars. The main gate is a double-opening door, and the architectural style...
Address: 南投縣集集鎮民生路57號
Hours: 00:00–23:59
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