When Qishan Old Street at Kaohsiung was not completed with its restoration, no one but unknowing sightseers would come to visit: strange shop signs in bright color were hanged over the old buildings and shops sold the snacks and accessories could be found everywhere in Taiwan. The overcrowded streets and lack of parking lots were devastating drawbacks for interested visitors. Though it is rare to find a old street in Kaohsiung, at that moment, the place was still one of several examples in Taiwan that discouraging people to pay it a revisit.
Later on, Qishan banana is becoming more famous, banana-based cakes and snacks are derived from it as well. Plus the background story of Qishan Station, this old street finally become a bit more attractive. After the restoration of rice mill was completed, the place is then having one more attraction to mention, providing an opportunity to people knowing this agricultural center of Kaohsiung in the past.
Since indoor space of the mill is not big and the place is just starting to open for public, for now, visitors are required to perform an on-site registration and guided by professional staff. In this restored building, you could see the ancestors’ wise to overcome the lack of manpower and energy source by designing a mechanical system for repetitive and massive transportation, grinding and storage procedure. They adapted natural gravity force and assistance of machinery to shell the harvested grains. Leaving from rice mill, you could compare the height of this 3-storeys building with the surrounding, as it is the tallest structure in Qishan region before the economic-boom. In that time, vision could reach Meinong from top of the mill on a cloudless day. The extraordinary scale of the building clearly implies its past importance to farmers and economy of Kaohsiung. The area around the rice mill is used for sightseeing exhibition and events. Occasionally, small holiday market would also be held here, though they are less attractive than building itself.
