A cedar-forest school with a tiny beginning.
Shanlin Elementary opened on April 1, 1922, as "杉林公學校杉林分教場," with just 10 boys and 8 girls in a single class. Located in a community officially designated "neither mountain-remote nor urban-adjacent" (非山非市), the school today integrates aesthetic education with local food-culture and textile-craft courses.
杉林國小創立於1922年（民國11年）4月1日，最初名為「杉林公學校杉林分教場」，首屆僅18名學生（10男8女）、單一班級。學校位於官方認定「非山非市」的社區，如今結合美感教育與在地食農文化、織品工藝課程。
What makes this school worth knowing.
🌲 From "Nanzi Mountain" to "Cedar Forest"
從「楠梓山」到「杉林」
Shanlin District was renamed in 1901 from "楠梓山" (Nanzi Mountain) to "杉林" (cedar forest) for its dense original cedar woodland — a history the school's own name carries.
👦👧 A Tiny First Class
首屆僅18人
The school opened in 1922 with just 10 boys and 8 girls in a single class, a modest beginning for what is now an established community school.
🎨 Weaving Local Culture into Class
融入在地文化課程
Located in a "neither remote nor urban" designated community, the school integrates aesthetic education with local food-culture and textile-craft courses.
The district's own name, in cedar and wood.
Shanlin District takes its own name from a Japanese-era renaming in 1901 — previously called "楠梓山" (Nanzi Mountain), it was renamed "杉林" ("cedar forest") for its dense original cedar woodland, a history the elementary school shares in its own name. See the Kaohsiung County/City page for more on the region.
Find the school.
No. 41, Hesen Ln., Shanlin Village, Shanlin District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
高雄市杉林區杉林里合森巷41號
School's Official Website (Chinese) ↗
Last updated: July 2026 · Content adapted and condensed from the school's official Chinese-language website by the Taiwan Bilingual Hub team, not yet reviewed by the school. If you're from Shanlin Elementary School and would like to correct or expand this page, please contact us.