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Sanyi Township (traditional Chinese: 三義鄉) is a township in southern Miaoli County, Taiwan. It is famous for its mudiao (woodcarving) industry earning it the name the woodcarving kingdom of Taiwan (台灣木雕王國).

[edit] Geography

Sanyi is located in the mountains of northwestern Taiwan. On its northeastern boundary is Sanjiao Mountain at 567 meters, and to the east lies Huoyan Mountain at 602 meters.

[edit] Economy

Early exploitation of the Sanyi township area was for timber and hides. Later tung oil was extracted from the abundant tung trees and camphor from the camphor trees. Concurrently the wood carving industry developed. At one point over 80% of local families were employed in wood carving.^[1] At the end of the twentieth century Sanyi began developing a tourist industry.

[edit] Scenic Spots

The Sheng-hsing Train Station (勝興車站) was completed in 1905 and was the highest station (402 m.) in Taiwan built along the "Old Mountain Railway". It was built entirely of wood, using wooden pegs and no nails and took five years to complete. The last train stopped at Sheng-hsing Station on 23 September 1987, because the steep route of the "Old Mountain Railway" could not accommodate the newer, larger trains.^[2] Nearby is a 726 meter train tunnel built in 1905. It has successfully withstood a large number of earthquakes, including the quake of 21 September 1999 (921). At the tunnel entrance are some old troop barracks where during World War II local troops were stationed to protect the railway.^[2]
Sanyi Old Street and Mudiao
The Museum of Wood Sculpture, opened in 1995, shows the development of local wood carving from a craft in the late 1800s to a contemporary art of the 21st century.^[1]
The Huoyan Mountain Eco-Museum displays detailed information about the geological formation of Huoyan Mountain, as well as the flora and fauna of the area.
The Tung tree festival is held each year when the tung trees bloom in late April.