Story

玉山旅社位在嘉義市古老的北門車站（北門驛）旁邊。在日治時代，北門驛是日人運送阿里山木材的森林鐵路車站，玉山旅社佇立在此已經超過60年，也曾經迎接攜來人往的旅客。

然而，充滿歷史痕跡的老房子未必能成為決策者看重的寶貝，老旅社歇業數年，一度面臨拆除的命運。2009年，洪雅文化協會帶頭爭取讓玉山旅社留下來，一開始試圖參與政府的老屋拉皮計畫，卻因資格不符被打回票。於是改由人民自己來，幾位有情有義的「傻子股東」集資、出力，不僅讓玉山旅社重新開張，也讓嘉義市的文化資產守護史上留下一頁動人的故事。

現在玉山旅社天天接待來自四方的背包客，旅社一樓的咖啡廳每一、三、四、五和六日都開張，由服務人員或洪雅書房房主用心為客人煮一杯溫柔的咖啡。如果你喜歡懷舊、慢活、喝咖啡聽故事或是背包旅行，不妨抽空到玉山旅社坐坐，認識嘉義的朋友、嘉義的人文和嘉義的老房子。

更多旅社的故事，請見：https://yushaninn.wordpress.com/2012/04/02/host-diary/

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Yushan Inn started its business way back in 1966 by the founder Chen Zuon-Ming, a retired train master living right in front of the old train station. The old train station used to be a transport center of logs cut from the famous A-Li mountain under the governance of the Japanese colonists. The colonial history left its trace on both the train station (which is no longer in use and only for sightseeing) and Yushan Inn building. Visitors nowadays find them elegant and nostalgic under their wooden appearance and their Japanese-style design.

2009 was a turning point of this old inn. The host at that time had to face multiple difficulties, especially the trend to replace traditional inns with modern hotels. When Yushan Inn was finally sentenced to be torn down, a group of  culture activists stood out and saved it from the excavator. The “renaissance" of Yushan Inn was led by Chia-Yi Hon-ya Cultural Institute, who started its own social movement a decade ago by opening an independent bookstore in the city. These activists furbished the old inn and introduced new element to it. They kept its Japanese taste, turned it into a delicate backpacker inn, and well used the space to promote social changing ideas such as fair trade, no nuke or labor rights. If visitors feel like no sleeps, they are welcomed to have a cup of fair-trade coffee and a nice talk with people in the Inn.

The Yushan Cafe now opens every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and weekend. The inn, however, receives guests every day. Backpackers looking for a slow life, an interesting story or a cheap and simple place to stay are recommended to come here.