Sanyi Township () is a rural township in southern

Miaoli County Miaoli is a county (Taiwan), county in western Taiwan. Miaoli is bordered by Hsinchu County and Hsinchu City to the north, Taichung to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the west. Miaoli is Regions of Taiwan, classified as "central Taiwan" by t ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

. It is famous for its (woodcarving) industry, earning it the name the ''Woodcarving Kingdom of Taiwan''.

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. As of September 2023, its population was estimated to be 14,995.

Administrative divisions

The township comprises seven villages: Guangcheng, Liyutan, Longteng, Shengxing, Shuanghu, Shuangtan and Xihu.

Politics

The township is part of Miaoli County Constituency I

electoral district An electoral (congressional, legislative, etc.) district, sometimes called a constituency, riding, or ward, is a geographical portion of a political unit, such as a country, state or province, city, or administrative region, created to provi ...

for

Legislative Yuan The Legislative Yuan () is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of China (Taiwan) located in Taipei. The Legislative Yuan is composed of 113 members, who are directly elected for four-year terms by people of the Taiwan Area through a ...

Economy

Initially, the Sanyi area produced timber and hides. Later

tung oil Tung oil or China wood oil is a drying oil obtained by pressing the seed from the nut of the tung tree (''Vernicia fordii''). Tung oil hardens upon exposure to air (through polymerization), and the resulting coating is transparent and has a d ...

was extracted from the abundant

tung tree ''Vernicia fordii'' (usually known as the tung tree (, ''tóng'') and also as the tung-oil or tungoil tree (), the kalo nut tree, and the China wood-oil tree) is a species of flowering plant in the Euphorbiaceae, spurge family Euphorbiaceae. It i ...

s and

camphor Camphor () is a waxy, colorless solid with a strong aroma. It is classified as a terpenoid and a cyclic ketone. It is found in the wood of the camphor laurel (''Cinnamomum camphora''), a large evergreen tree found in East Asia; and in the kapu ...

from the camphor trees. Concurrently the wood carving industry developed. At one point, over 80% of local families were employed in wood carving."Treasures of Miaoli: The Museum of Wood Sculpture in Miaoli County" International Culture and Tourism Bureau, Miaoli County
In English At the end of the 20th century Sanyi began developing a tourist industry.

Tourist attractions

* Shengxing Station, completed in 1905, is the highest station (402 meters) in Taiwan built along the "Old Mountain Railway". It was built entirely of wood, using no nails, and took five years to complete. The last train stopped at the station on 23 September 1987, because the steep route of the "Old Mountain Railway" could not accommodate the newer, larger trains."Sheng-hsing Station" CTIN Taiwan Travel Network
In Chinese 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 World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

local troops were stationed to protect the railway. * Sanyi Old Street and Mudiao *

Sanyi Wood Sculpture Museum The Sanyi Wood Sculpture Museum () is a museum of wooden sculpture in Sanyi Township, Miaoli County, Taiwan. History The museum building was constructed in March 1990 by the Construction Department of the Taiwan Provincial Government. Original ...

, opened in 1995, shows the development of local wood carving from a craft in the late 19th century to contemporary art of the 21st century. * Huoyan Mountain Ecology 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. * Liyutan Dam * Longteng Bridge *

West Lake Resortopia The West Lake Resortopia () is a theme park in Sanyi, Miaoli, Sanyi Township, Miaoli County, Taiwan. History The theme park was established in 1989. Later on it was renovated to have a theme of Hans Christian Andersen. Architecture The theme pa ...

Transportation

TRA Tra or TRA may refer to: Biology * TRA (gene), in humans encodes the protein T-cell receptor alpha locus * Tra (gene), in ''Drosophila melanogaster'' encodes the protein female-specific protein transformer * Tra gene, a transfer gene * Triple rel ...

Sanyi Station *

Shengxing Station *

Yutengping Station

Notable natives

* Luo Shih-feng singer and television host

References

External links

*
"The Story of a Small Town: Sanyi" Wesley Girls' High School
in English {{Authority control Townships in Miaoli County