Chichi Station

　The name of this station, from which the name of the branch railway line takes its name, means "concentration" and is derived from the fact that an aboriginal tribe's population was originally concentrated here. The "mountain bananas" produced here are characterized by a fresh, sweet flavor.

　Chichi Station itself is a classically simple structure built entirely of Chinese cypress wood.

8. "Open the Vast Wildnerness" Stone Inscription
　This inscription on a large stone located below and to the left side of Chichi Bridge was written in 1874 by Chen Shih-lieh, who was responsible for developing the mountain areas and pacifying the aborigines. The four carved characters "Kai Pi Hung Huang" can still be seen clearly, but this historic relic is suffering damage from a gravel-extraction operation nearby.

9. Minghsin Academy
　This old academy is located beside Yungchang Primary School on Minsheng East Road, in the direction of Shuili. This was the first free private school in the area; built in 1885, it is now listed as a third-grade historic site. The academy, which at the end of the Ching dynasty concentrated mainly on instruction in Confucian studies, enshrines the God of Literature and the Father and Son of Tzuyang (the Sung dynasty Confucian scholar Chu Sung and his more famous son, Chu Hsi). It also contains a library with book shelves, tables, and chairs in antique style, giving it a rich flavor of the past. There are also displays of cultural artifacts of daily life on the farm.

　From the railway station, a bicycle ride of 15 minutes will bring you to Minghsin Academy.

10. Mt. Chichi
　This mountain is located at the border separating Chichi, Shuili, and Chungliao. The footpath to its 1, 390-meter peak begins at Yuchekeng; on top, a lookout provides a vast viewing area in all directions. From here you can see the Taiwan Straits to the west, Sun Moon Lake to the east, and all around the famous peaks of central Taiwan --Mt. Yu (Mt. Jade), Mt. Luanta, and Mt. Chunta--amid scenes of verdant slopes and blue waters. The walk up and down the mountain takes six to eight hours.

■Special Products

　The best-known local products of this area are bananas, oranges, and betel nuts.