Halun is a microcosm of Taiwan’s forestry industry.

At 2,000m above sea level,

Halun was a valuable source of high-quality timber

throughout much of the 20th century.

At a time when government logging operations

were falling ever shorter of national needs,

Halun ramped up production

to meet the demand of manufacturing and commerce.

While a source of income for many Taiwanese families,

forestry work also cut short the lives of many workers.

In 2015, researchers took to the mountains

to visit abandoned Halun Station.

Although logging is now in the past, their journey may give us all

a better perspective on the present and future

of Taiwan’s high-mountain forests.

Director Statement

Halun is a microcosm of Taiwan’s forestry industry.

Logging, Skidding, Transport, and Reforesting.

26 years after it was shut down, a research team makes the arduous hike to Halun Station.

This two-year investigation and 1-1/2 year documentary film project investigated Halun’s former cableways, rail network, and workstations.

Today, we look to our forests as places of conservation, education, and respect for life.It is a new age for forestry. But are we doing what is best?

Reflecting on the past, considering the present, and pondering the future.