aeeble

Camphor, along with sugar and tea, was one of Taiwan's three treasures during the Qing dynasty. The initial prosperity of JiJi Street was closely tied to the mining of camphor. "Dispatch" originally meant a business trip in Japanese. During the Japanese rule in the Showa period, the Japanese government implemented a camphor monopoly system and established the "JiJi Camphor Dispatch Office" in 1898 to handle camphor production and sales within the designated area. At that time, camphor production primarily involved a "brain cauldron" method, where camphor tree wood was distilled over柴火 (firewood) for about 24 hours. After cooling, the camphor steam condensed into white solid camphor grains and camphor oil. The camphor was then transported to the dispatch office, and later sent to Taipei's main factory for refining into the final product. After the Nationalist government moved to Taiwan, the camphor industry declined, and the JiJi Camphor Dispatch Office lost its original function. It was once used as employee quarters for the Forestry and Nature Conservation Bureau. The building has stood for over a century and is currently the only remaining camphor dispatch office in Taiwan, making it an architecturally and historically valuable site. The JiJi Camphor Dispatch Office consists of three parts: the office building on the right and the staff quarters or office on the left, both traditional Japanese wooden buildings. The symmetrical and simple main entrance, with its entrance porch, or "rain庇," features a two-pillar wooden roof structure. The large gate is a double-opening gate, and the architectural style is simple and sleek. The left quarters are Japanese-style office buildings. These buildings are connected, forming a Japanese architectural style that emphasizes the connection between indoor and outdoor spaces. This design creates a simple, bright, and open space. The JiJi Camphor Dispatch Office is currently managed by the National Property Bureau and the JiJi Township Office. The office plans to restore the site in phases and has already transformed it into the "JiJi Cultural Industry Park." Various cultural activities are held there irregularly, and artists are encouraged to move in to revitalize the site through culture and art.