| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立臺北藝術大學 === 建築與文化資產研究所 === 103 === Numerous saltworks used to scatter along the southwest coast of Taiwan. However, with the market opening policies, rise of cost, and aging of salt workers, the salt industry of Taiwan has gradually declined, and the saltworks were shutting down one by one. In 2002, the Council for Cultural Affairs initiated an Industrial Cultural Heritage Investigation Plan, and it once again attracted attention to the unique natural and cultural landscapes of saltworks. But due to the huge quantity and complexity of saltworks landscapes, along with the lack of relevant laws and regulations as well as supporting measures, many saltworks landscapes were merely preserved by designating or listing a single building. In this way, it is hard to make consideration and plans with integrity and is prone to cause problems.
Locating in Yantian Village, Yungan District, Kaohsiung City, Wushulin Saltworks was managed by Wusulin Salt Company founded by Chen Chung-Ho in the Japanese Colonial Period. Latter it was run by the Taiwan Salt Production Company. After the war, it became a state-run saltworks. Before stop salt making in 1984, it was always the main edible salt supply for Kaohsiung and Pingtung areas. Having the only existing tile salt crystallizing ponds, the saltworks is highly representative. After being abandoned for decades, the discarded saltworks developed a rich wetland ecology. The saltworks premises and salt worker villages have been preserved. Besides, the previous one has been recognized as a City-designated Historic Site. The 133 hectares of land has also been designated as the Yongan Wetland Park. It combines rich natural and cultural connotations.
Although the saltworks has been preserved, due to lack of the land ownership restrictions and regulations, people still have concerns regarding the planning of saltworks landscape and salt industry culture. Besides, the reasons for being listed as a cultural heritage site still need to be amended to specify and highlight the characteristics of being a cultural heritage. By reviewing its history and discovering the issues of reasons for being listed, using archival analysis as the supplements for missing parts, along with fieldworks, this study aims to demonstrate features of the Wushulin Saltworks as a cultural heritage.
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