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Rescued from disaster: Hualien's Songyuan Villa finds new life

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • Hualien's Songyuan Villa, a historic building, has been revitalized after suffering significant tourism losses following the April 3rd earthquake.
  • The managing authority reduced rental fees by two-thirds to help a new team take over and renovate the site, preventing its abandonment.
  • The villa is implementing popular activities like tarot readings and offering free entry to local residents, while also battling threats to its century-old pine trees from pests.

Hualien's historic Songyuan Villa, managed by the Taitung Farm under the Veterans Affairs Council, is experiencing a rebirth after a devastating blow to tourism from the April 3rd earthquake. The quake caused severe damage, leading the original operating team to terminate their contract early and leaving the popular site in limbo for about 10 months.

The main purpose is to prevent this historically significant and tourist-valuable site from being abandoned.

— Gao GuoshuThe farm director explained the motivation behind supporting the new management team at Songyuan Villa.

To ensure the venue's swift recovery and prevent its historical significance and tourism value from being lost, the Taitung Farm drastically reduced the required premium to one-third of its original amount. This financial support enabled a new team, experienced in exhibition planning, to take over the management. Key staff members, including the director, were retained, and the villa underwent extensive renovations before reopening.

We repaired it very quickly, and they also spent a lot of money.

— Gao GuoshuThe farm director commented on the rapid renovation efforts following the earthquake.

The revitalized villa now employs seven to eight staff members and hosts regular weekly activities. A tarot card reading experience in the small wooden houses has proven particularly popular, drawing visitors even on weekdays and outside of group tour times. The site also maintains a policy of free admission for Hualien county residents and farmers, a practice described as unique among Veterans Affairs Council venues. This aims to ensure local access while encouraging outside tourists.

Only we don't charge farmers. This is to ensure that outsourcing operations do not affect local residents' right to use the park.

— Gao GuoshuThe farm director highlighted the unique free admission policy for local farmers.

Despite the positive momentum, Songyuan Villa faces ongoing challenges. Its famed century-old Ryukyu pine trees are under attack from pine wood nematodes and termites. The operating team is using intensive treatments, including directly infusing medicine into high branches via crane, to save the trees. This contrasts with the fate of pine forests in Taroko Gorge, where similar infestations have led to widespread tree death due to access difficulties for treatment equipment. The villa is also implementing a strategy of replanting one new pine for every old one removed to manage density and root system interference.

The tree doctor said it not only has scoliosis but is also twisted.

— Operating teamStaff described the condition of an old pine tree affected by pests and wind.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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