Next to the Alishan Highway, I heard the majestic sea of clouds. (Provided by Lintie and Cultural Resources Office)
[Reporter Lin Yizhang/Reported by Chiayi] The Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Assets Management Office (referred to as the Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Assets Office) of the Forestry and Conservation Department of the Ministry of Agriculture promotes the preservation of cultural assets. Hosted by the Forestry and Cultural Assets Office and implemented by Hefang Creative Co., Ltd., the "Alishan Forest Railway Soundscape" (Alishan Forest Railway Soundscape), which was collected and created by sound artist Wu Canzheng for a year, won the "International Sound Awards", the most authoritative international competition in the world of sound. 2026" and won the first prize of Winner in the "Soundscapes & Ambient Sound" category.
"Alishan Forestry Railway Soundscape" won the first prize at the "Oscar of the Sound Industry" ISA 2026. (Provided by Lin Tie and Cultural Resources Office) Sound artist Wu Canzheng collects Alishan Lin Tie’s sound. (Provided by Lintie and Cultural Resources Office)
The International Sound Awards (ISA), known as the "Oscars of the Sound Industry", is the world's most representative and influential professional sound award. The jury rated "Alishan Forestry Railway Soundscape" as a Winner, which represents the work's depth of concept, field collection technology and cultural interpretation. It was recognized by the judges as a top-tier work of excellence.
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Listen to the traces of history in the forest. (Provided by Lintie and Cultural Resources Office)
The Forestry Railway and Cultural Resources Office stated that the Alishan Forestry Railway is more than 70 kilometers long, climbing from Chiayi Station at an altitude of 30 meters to Zhushan Station at an altitude of 2,451 meters. In order to continue the oral history research results and promote the soundscape collection research project, teacher Wu Canzheng visited 8 stations including Beimen, Zhuqi, Zhanghaoliao, Independent Mountain, Shuisheliao, Fenqihu, Cross Road and Zhushan, and established 45 sound bases.
The collected content covers "natural sounds across altitudes", "community life reflecting local culture", "recreating the daily work of railway workers" and "humanistic stories passed down through life and history". From the sound of metal banging on the track repaired by the railway team in the early morning, to the footsteps of hikers at dawn, to the unique chirping of insects and birds in the forest and the laughter of the elderly, a three-dimensional cultural texture is delicately constructed.
Wu Canzheng said that this is the first time that the public sector has challenged the concept of a soundscape research survey project. It took one year to establish a sound database of this railway as a starting point to continuously record the Alishan Forestry Railway with different themes and aspects.
Wang Zhaobao, director of Lin Tie and the Cultural Resources Department, expressed his gratitude to Mr. Wu Canzheng, the Hefang creative team and review committee members in various fields for their long-term investment and dedication. This international award proves that "sound" is a common language around the world and a powerful medium for understanding places and connecting people and land. In addition to continuing to expand the sound database, the collection results will also be transformed into "sound books" suitable for parent-child reading, and five "sound-following journey" paths for on-site experience will be planned to lead the public to follow the sound track into the mountain village.
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