Bao'an Station (保安車站)

I’m a bit of a weirdo when it comes to organization, so when it comes to places that I want to visit, I have a map that I’m constantly updating, and, as I’ve mentioned on numerous occasions, the majority of spots that I have on my list are located somewhere in the south of Taiwan. Over the years, I’ve added so many places to visit on the map that I’d probably need months to visit all of them, but all that means is that whenever I do find the time to make my way down south, I always have a tight schedule of things to see and do with the little time that I have.

That being said, when I do find the time, my plans often end up being far too ambitious, and although I always try my best to get a lot of work done, something I’ve come to realize is that the pace of life down there is a lot more chill than it is up here in the north. Instead of running around trying to visit as many places as possible, a better idea might be to, instead, visit a few destinations while also remembering to spend time relaxing, enjoying the weather, eating great food, and enjoying some really cool coffee shops.

These decisions are, admittedly, made a lot easier when your trip is interrupted by a tropical storm that brings with it days of torrential rain. so, with few other options with such weather, a lot of the time during my most recent trip south was spent hanging out in some of the Tainan’s hip coffeeshops, where I enjoyed the tropical fruit-inspired coffee that the city has become known for. When the weather did clear up, I set off to check out some places on my list, but when the rain came back, I was off again in search of another seat at a coffee shop.

Even though I wasn’t as productive on this trip as I have been on others, I made the most of my time, despite the weather, and got to see a few places that I had on my list. Without a hint of irony, though, on the day that I was scheduled to head home, I woke up for breakfast, packed my bags, checked out of my hotel, and walked out into the kind of beautiful weather that Tainan is known for. With a few hours before my train was scheduled to depart, I decided to make the most of the little time I had and made my way to the historic Bao-An Station (保安車站), one of the locations that was pretty high up on my list.

If you’ve been following my blog for any period of time, you’re probably well-aware that one of my ongoing projects has been documenting Taiwan’s historic railway stations, especially those that date back to the Japanese-era, so this was one of the places on my list that I was really looking forward to visiting, and fortunately, I was able to check it out as it was on my way to the High Speed Rail Station that would eventually take me home.

View of the station from the train

Hopping on the train at Tainan Station and heading south on the commuter train, I couldn’t help but feel like I was back in Japan riding through the countryside. The scenery outside of the train, the bright natural light inside the carriage, and only the sound of the train seemed very Japan-like, but that’s probably because I’m more familiar with the trains up here in north where people are always chatting, playing on their phones and watching noisy videos. When the train stopped at Bao-an Station and I got off, that feeling of being in Japan became even stronger, because just across the platform was the small wooden station, which is architecturally identical to many of the older stations you’ll see in the countryside of Japan.

Amazingly, despite being one of the oldest of Taiwan’s remaining wooden train stations, and the amount of traffic that passes through on a daily basis, Bao-an Station remains in pretty good shape. Over the past century, a lot has changed in Taiwan, and the railway itself has been in a constant flux of modernization, but Bao-an Station has stayed the same, which I suppose you could say is credit to the architectural design that has allowed it to remain standing for so long. However, as an actively used heritage building, at some point it’s probably going to have to get a little love in the form of restoration in order to ensure that we’re able to enjoy it for many years to come.

As I usually do with these articles, I’ll start by introducing the history of the train station, its architectural design, and then give readers information about how to visit if they’re interested in checking out this little piece of Taiwanese history.   

Shiyaroken Station (車路墘驛 / しやろけんえき)

To start, I suppose I should talk about the name of the station, because, you might be a little confused with the discrepancy between with the title of the article and the name of the station provided above. Admittedly, this is something that I was quite confused about myself as well until I dug into my research process for this article.

Suffice to say, the name of the station was changed to ‘Bao-an’ (保安) in the 1960s, nearly two decades after the end of the Japanese-era. For the six decades prior, the station was named ‘Shiyaroken' Station in Japanese, which came from the Taiwanese word “Tshia-loo-kinn” (車路墘). The interesting thing about this specific name, and the reason why I was confused, is that there were several areas in Taiwan in the early years of the Japanese-era with this name, but the Chinese character ‘qian’ (墘) is an older word that is rarely used these days in Mandarin, and pretty much non-existent in Japanese.

In addition to Tainan, you could also find places named ‘Tshia-loo-kinn’ in both Taichung and Pingtung as well, and in each case, the names date back to the Qing Dynasty, and (although I haven’t found any credible source regarding the origin of the name) likely referred to ‘road-side stops’ that were once located along the safe trading routes of the time.

To better understand the name, I’ll break it down for you:

  1. 車 (Tshia) - vehicle; car;

  2. 路 (loo) - road; path;

  3. 墘 (kinn) - Taiwanese word for ‘beside’ (旁邊) or ‘nearby’ (附近)

Take from that what you will - The important thing is that after the arrival of the Japanese, the name stayed the same, but it was pronounced “Shiyaroken” (しやろけんえき / シヤロケンエキ) in Japanese, which is actually quite similar to the Taiwanese pronunciation.

Staying on the subject of the station’s name, when it was changed from ‘Shiyaroken’ (or Tshia-loo-kinn) to ‘Bao’an’ in the 1960s, the reason for doing so, if you’re asking me, was a little strange. The official reason for the name change isn’t well-documented, but they changed it to ‘Bao’an’ in honor of the local Bao’an Temple (車路墘保安宮). The reason why I’d argue that this was a bit odd was because the temple wasn't actually all that close to the station, and was in fact much closer to Rende Station (仁德車站), the next stop south. It’s possible that they just changed the name to something that was easier for the ‘newer’ residents of Taiwan, who had trouble speaking Taiwanese, or possibly because the ticket-making system that was used at the time wasn’t actually compatible with the characters.

If you read my article about Taichung’s Zhuifen Train Station (追分車站), the original name of the station in Japanese was ‘Oiwake Railway Station’ (追分驛 / おいわけえき), but given that the Chinese characters for “Oiwake” (追分) are an abbreviation for a much more auspicious meaning in Mandarin, which translates as “chasing your dreams” or “pursuing your destiny” (追到緣分), they made a similar name change to another station nearby. In that case, the next station over, originally named ‘Oda Station’ (王田驛) was officially renamed ‘Chenggong Station’ (成功車站) in the 1960s. This became a hit with the locals, who collected tickets with the stations ‘Zhuifen - Chenggong’ (追分 - 成功) as together the stations translate almost literally as “make your dreams come true” (zhui fen cheng gong / 追分成功).

Given the time frame of that particular name change, I figured the distance from the temple ultimately didn’t really make much of a difference to the Taiwan Rail Corporation at the time because a ticket from the newly re-named ‘Bao’an Station’ (保安車站) to the nearby ‘Yongkang Station’ (永康車站) became an instant hit with locals. The reason for this was similar to the situation above as the tickets employed a homophonic pun in Mandarin that read in a clockwise manner became ‘Yongbao Ankang’ (永保安康), or literally, ‘Peace and health forever!’

Even though my article about Zhuifen Station predates this one, it was only until I started my research for my article did I realize that the ‘auspicious ticket’ thing was initiated at Bao’an Station. I had always assumed it was a result of the name change between Zhuifen and Chenggong.

This is why I enjoy doing all this research for these articles. I learn a lot in the process!

Link: Auspicious train ticket | 吉祥語車票 (Wiki)

With regard to the history of this station, it actually got its start quite early. As I mentioned before in my article about Taiwan’s Remaining Japanese-era Train Stations (台鐵現存日治時期車站), the Jukan Tetsudo Project (ゅうかんてつどう / 縱貫鐵道), known in English as the ‘Taiwan Trunk Railway Project,’ quickly got underway shortly after the Japanese took control of Taiwan. The project, which sought to have a railway constructed from Keelung in the north and Kaohsiung in the south (and beyond), was constructed in different phases, and the southern phase that connected Tainan to Takao (Kaohsiung) was completed quite early.

Amazingly, it would take just over a decade to have the entire west coast railway completed, but by the time the entire system was connected, Shiyaroken Station had already been in operation for about eight years on the southern stretch of the railway between Tainan and the port station in Kaohsiung.

When most people introduce the history of the station, resources will point to a specific date to when it was established, but I have to note that there is a bit of a caveat to those claims - Originally opening for service on November 29th, 1900 (明治33年) as ‘Shiyaroken Parking Lot’ (車路墘停車場), it would only be upgraded into a ‘station’ (驛) a few years later after the opening of the Shiyaroken Sugar Factory (車路墘製糖所), which was located a short distance away from the station. That being said, when the Sugar Factory opened, the station was moved about 1.5 kilometers north of its original location for the benefit of the staff at the factory, officially opening on November 10th, 1909 (明治42年).

Oh, and remember when I mentioned above that the local Bao’an Temple was much closer to Rende Station? Well, that station, which opened in 2014, sits on the same location as the original Shiyaroken Station.

Note: That ‘Parking Lot’ reference above was a very literal translation - Today, the word most commonly used in Mandarin for ‘parking lot’ is ‘停車場’, which is literally: ’Stop Car Space’, but a long time ago in Japanese, the same characters were used to identify a minor train station. The term, ‘Teishajo’ (停車場 / ていしゃじょう) was a designation that was mostly used for smaller train stations, as opposed to the larger stations, known in Japanese as ‘eki’ ( / えき), which is another word that isn’t used in Mandarin.

Although Bao-an Station opened in its current location in 1909, another aspect of the station’s history that isn’t so well-advertised is that it likely wasn’t upgraded into an ‘eki’ (驛 / えき) type of station until 1928 (昭和3年), when the currently used station house was constructed. So, if we’re being strict with these things, the station might have been established well-over a century ago, but the building that we can pass through today is just a few years short of a century old.

Interestingly, though, the history of this station is one that goes in spurts where there’s a flurry of activity, and then some downtime when not much happens for a few years, which then repeats itself. The little station has pretty much remained the same for over a century, but the world around it has changed considerably, and the number of people passing through its turnstiles have been reflected by these changes. Obviously, the number of people passing though the station was consistent while the nearby Sugar Factory was in operation between 1909 (明治42年) and 2003 (民國92年) as the station was only a stop away from the downtown core of Tainan.

Link: Ten Drum Rende Creative Park (Wiki) | Ten Drum Tainan (Taiwan Everything)

In 2001, though, daily traffic at the station increased by about 500% due to the popularity of the 'Yongkang - Bao-an’ auspicious ticket. By the time that craze settled down, though, the number of passengers started to decrease due to fewer trains stopping at the station. Most recently, thanks to the construction of the High Speed Rail Station and the new Shalun Branch Line (沙崙線), the number of arrivals at the station has once again started to increase, and this was helped out even more by the opening of the beautiful Chimei Museum, which is within walking distance of the station.

During my visit to the station, on a beautiful sunny Monday morning, it was quite busy with a number of passengers coming and going as well as a number of tourists who had come to check out the station prior to walking over to the Chimei Museum (奇美博物館).

Roof damage on the lower right side.

With all of the tourist traffic passing through the station, it remains relatively attractive, and nostalgic for a lot of people, but looking at it through my telephoto lens, its obvious that it is in need of some urgent reparations and restoration. Sections of the roof have begun to sink in, and the city government has cited termite damage on the wooden exterior.

As a Protected Heritage Property, eventually they’ll have to restore the building, but unlike many of Taiwan’s other older railway stations, its highly unlikely that it's in any danger of being torn down or replaced any time soon.

In the drop-down box below, I’ll offer a concise timeline of the stations history and then I’ll introduce its architectural design:

    • 1896 (明治29年) - The Colonial Government puts a team of engineers in place to plan for a railway network on the newly acquired island.

    • 1900 (明治33年) - Shiyaroken Station (車路墘停車場) opens for service on a limited track running between Tainan Station (臺南停車場) and Takao Port Station (打狗停車場).

    • 1902 (明治35年) - After years of planning and surveying, the government formally approves the Jukan Tetsudo Project (縱貫鐵道 / ゅうかんてつどう), a railway plan to be constructed along the western and eastern coasts of the island.

    • 1908 (明治41年) - The 400 kilometer Taiwan Western Line (西部幹線) is completed with a ceremony held within Taichung Park (台中公園) on October 24th. For the first time, the major settlements along the western coast of the island are connected by rail from Kirin (Keelung 基隆) to Takao (Kaohsiung 高雄).

    • 1909 (明治42年) - Shiyaroken Station is relocated 1.5 kilometers north of its original location for the benefit of staff of the newly established Shiyaroken Sugar Factory (車路墘製糖所).

    • 1920 (大正9年) - In a major administrative restructuring policy, Tainan Prefecture (臺南州) is officially established, stretching from Chiayi to just south of Bao-an Station.

    • 1928 (昭和3年) - The current station house, constructed entirely of cypress from Alishan (阿里山) is completed and opens for service.

    • 1945 (昭和20年) - The Second World War comes to an end and the Japanese surrender control of Taiwan to the Chinese Nationalists.

    • 1962 (民國51年) - Shiyaroken Station is officially renamed ‘Bao’an Station’ (保安車站).

    • 2001 (民國90年) - Bao’an Station is recognized as a Tainan City Heritage Building (臺南市市定古蹟)

    • 2001 (民國90年) - Bao’an Station experiences a massive surge in traffic due to the popularity of the Yongkang - Bao’an tickets. Daily ridership increases by at least 500% for the year.

    • 2008 (民國97年) - A second platform is constructed at Bao’an Station, creating the first expansion.

    • 2011 (民國100年) - The Shalun Branch Line (沙崙線) running from Tainan Station to Shalun Station, next to the Tainan High Speed Rail Station opens for service. The number of commuter trains departing Tainan Station is increased, which means that the number of daily departures and arrivals at Bao’an Station increases.

    • 2014 (民國103年) - In order to prepare for the construction of the future Tainan City subway system, the Taiwan Railway Corporation established Rende Station (仁德車站), about 1.5 kilometers south of Bao’an Station on the site of the Shiyaroken Station that was established in 1900.

    • 2015 (民國104年) - The Chimei Museum (奇美博物館) opens in new location within walking distance of the station, which creates an increased amount of daily traffic.

Architectural Design

Whenever it’s time to start detailing the architectural design specifics of the historic Japanese-era buildings that I write about, it’s often where I end up spending the majority of my time researching and writing, but, fortunately, in this case, I won’t need that much time. I’ve already written a number of articles about Taiwan’s historic train stations, each of which was constructed in an almost identical architectural design. If you’ve read any of my articles about the Coastal Five Treasures (海線五寶), Xiangshan Station (香山車站) or  Qidu Station (七堵車站), you’re likely to notice that most of these stations all appear relatively similar,, save for some minor differences.

The reason for this uniform style of design is because during the late Taisho (大正) and early Showa (昭和) eras, prior to the Second World War, many of the (smaller) train stations constructed in not only Taiwan, but Japan as well, were built in what would become a generic style of station design that offered all the functionality that a train station of the era required, were earthquake proofed in design, and most importantly were cost-effective.

Even though the number of stations constructed in this design have deceased in the post-war era, its rarely ever due to the quality of their design, but the changing demographics of the community that they serve. So, even though you can still find quite a few of these stations around Taiwan and Japan, it’s mostly because they have been constructed in areas where the population hasn’t changed much, and a larger station has yet to become necessary.

Considered to be an architectural fusion of a traditional Japanese-style building with western elements, what I personally find surprising about the design of these stations is that there doesn’t seem to be a specific term in the Japanese language used to describe it. Something I’ve had to learn the hard way during my time researching these things, though, is that it is often difficult to come across these specifics from Japanese sources. In the Chinese language, however, the design of these stations is referred to literally as a ‘Hiraya Kirizuma Western Style Wooden Station House” (木造平家切妻洋小屋), which probably doesn’t tell you much, but does offer a pretty good idea of what to expect from the design of the station if you’re familiar with the terms.

To help you better understand, what it basically means is that these buildings are a ‘single-story’ (平家) station ‘constructed of wood’ (木造), which makes use of the traditional Japanese ‘kirizuma’ style (切妻) of architectural design with 'western fusion elements’ (洋小屋) mixed in. That being said, the ‘western’ aspects of the architectural design were, for the most part, inspired by the architectural design of Western Baroque (巴洛克建築), which was quite popular with the Japanese architects of the day. However, for cost-saving measures, the western elements of design were minimal, and Bao’an Station in particular featured far fewer of these western-inspired elements than its contemporaries.

Like the other stations mentioned earlier, Bao’an Station was constructed using the traditional irimoya-zukuri (入母屋造 / いりもやづくり) style, an ubiquitous style of Japanese design that is most often referred to in English as the “East Asian hip-and-gable roof,” which is a term that I don’t really think gives people a good indication about what’s actually going on with this style of design. The key thing to keep in mind about the ‘irimoya’ style is that despite the English translation, it doesn’t necessarily tell you what ‘variation’ of roof is constructed on any given building, but it does indicate that buildings constructed in this style will feature one of traditional Japanese architecture’s various styles of intricate roof design.

I probably couldn’t come up with a more appropriate English term for describe these buildings, but, for me, a name that focuses more on the ‘moya’ (母屋 / もや) aspect of “irimoya”, might offer people a better idea of what’s going on. In layman’s terms, the ‘moya’ is essentially the core, or the ‘base' of the building, and when the irimoya-style is used, the ‘moya’, (literally the “mother-house”) is usually considerably smaller than the roof, which extends well-beyond the base.

This is a style of design that is also used in much more decorative buildings, such as Shinto Shrines, Buddhist Temples, and Martial Arts Halls, but is also commonly used for anything from houses to train stations like this one. The purpose of the building, and the amount of decorative elements aren’t really all that important, what always remains the same is that as the roof eclipses the size of the base and that the building features a genius network of roof trusses and pillars both within the interior and on the exterior of the building that allow the roof to become the defining aspect of the building, as well as ensuring that its weight is evenly distributed to ensure that the whole thing doesn’t collapse.

In this case, the roof of the station was designed using the kirizuma-zukuri (妻造的樣式) style, which is one of the oldest and most commonly used roof designs in Japan. Translated simply as a “cut-out gable” roof, the kirizuma-style is regarded as one of the more ‘basic’ styles of Japan’s ‘hip-and-gable’ roof designs. To explain as briefly as I can, it is a two-sided roof that can appear simple in design from the front of the building, but as you walk around the perimeter, you’ll notice that it becomes much more complex. The roof is layered with the eaves on the lowest layer extending well beyond the base, supported by a network of pillars that surround it on three sides. The top layer is where you’ll find the ”cut-out gable” with the gable-section of the roof covering the eastern side of the building, while the longer ‘hipped' side ‘cuts’ through it. Both of the ends of the ‘hip’ section feature triangular-shaped “tsuma” (妻 / つま) or gable-ends, with rectangular windows placed in the middle that allow natural light into the interior of the building. 

The upper part of the roof is covered with Japanese-style black tiles (日式黑瓦) while the lower eaves are covered with rain-boards (雨淋板) that help to direct the flow of rain water on rainy days. The black tiles that cover the roof appear to be quite old, and some of them are in pretty bad shape.

I haven’t been able to find any information regarding their age, but its possible that they could be the original tiles from the Japanese-era given that they tend to have a pretty long shelf life. They’re likely going to have to be replaced at some point in the near future, though. The original rain-boards, though, have already been replaced, and if their replacements are any indication, it might be better if those black tiles can last a little longer.

Even though the roof is somewhat basic in terms of its decorative elements, especially when compared to the hip-and-gable style roofs you’ll find on other Japanese-era buildings, there are still a number of elements to take note of, I’ll list each of those specific elements below with a diagram that should help you better understand what’s going on.

  1. Hiragawara (平瓦 /ひらがわら) - A type of arc-shaped clay roofing tile.

  2. Munagawara (棟瓦 /むねがわら) - Ridge tiles used to cover the apex of the roof.

  3. Onigawara (鬼瓦/おにがわら) - Decorative roof tiles found at the ends of a main ridge.

  4. Nokigawara (軒瓦/のきがわら) - The roof tiles placed along the eaves lines.

  5. Noshigawara (熨斗瓦/のしがわら) - Thick rectangular tiles located under ridge tiles.

  6. Sodegawara (袖瓦/そでがわら) - Cylindrical sleeve tiles.

  7. Tsuma (妻/つま) - The triangular shaped parts of the gable on the roof under the ridge.

  8. Hafu (破風板/ はふいた) - Bargeboards that lay flat against the ridge ends to finish the gable.

Moving on from the roof, starting from the main entrance to the station, you’ll find a roof-covered ‘kurumayose' (車寄/くるまよせ) porch that protrudes from the flat front of the building with a pair of pillars holding it up. The roof of the porch features a similarly designed kirizuma-style roof facing in the opposite direction of the roof above, adding to the three dimensional design of the building.

The ‘moya’ base of the building is a cube-like structure that is split into two sections, with one side reserved for passengers, and the other for the staff working at the station. One of the major differences between this station and some of the others mentioned earlier is that the passenger side is considerably larger, and features beautiful wooden benches. When you walk into the building from the front entrance, you are met with the ticket booth on the left while the right-hand side is covered on all three sides with beautiful Japanese-style paneled sliding glass windows (日式橫拉窗), which assist in providing a considerable amount of Tainan’s natural light into the interior as well as a bit of breeze on hot days.

One of the most notable aspects of the interior is the wooden gate located near the ticket booth. Gates like this were once very common in train stations during the Japanese-era as a means to help filter people in and out while waiting in line, but few of them remain these days. The gate was originally constructed to look like the Japanese word for ‘money’ (円), but was likely replaced at some point and looks a little different now.

Similarly, the entrance to the train platform features two wooden partitions that connect to a fence at the rear of the station, which date back to the Japanese-era. Now that the station has transitioned to electronic card swiping, the original turnstiles have been removed, so you can simply just walk through to get to your train.

This is the part of the station’s architectural design that I appreciate the most as the open gates transition into a fence-like structure that includes a roof-covered portico that surrounds the building on three sides. Part of an intricate network of carpentry genius, the pillars that connect to the fence assist in distributing the weight of the roof, but they also prevent people from jumping over the fence to take a free train ride. The fence, pillars, and gates combine to make an almost three-dimensional design and add complex geometric shapes to the design of the building, and are part of the western-inspired elements mentioned above.

In the past, in order to get to the train platform, you literally had to cross the train tracks and walk up a set of stairs that brought you to the island platform. Given how dangerous this is, especially since the introduction of Taiwan’s express trains that speed through without stopping at the station, an overpass has been constructed that allows passengers to safely make their way to the platform area. As I mentioned earlier, the platform area is one of the areas that has been expanded several times since the Japanese-era, which has allowed the station to keep up with the modern changes to the railway, while maintaining the same historic station house. When passengers are waiting for the train on the platform, you can enjoy a pretty good view of the rear of the station, the roof of the building, and the trees that were planted next to the building when it was originally constructed.

Finally, while not exactly part of the architectural design, I’ll conclude by mentioning the trees. One of the things that I’ve really started to appreciate about Japanese architecture, especially when it comes to the construction of buildings, is that they always plant trees next to the building as a time capsule of sorts that helps to show how old the building is. In this case, we have what has become known as the ‘Bao’an Three Treasures’ (保安三寶), which are likened to 'The Three Star’ deities (三星 / 福祿壽), Fu (福), Lu (祿), and Shou (壽), who are often found adorning the top of Taiwan’s temples. To the right of the main entrance, you’ll find an Orange Jasmine (七里香) while the much taller Palm tree (棕櫚樹) and Coastal she-oak (木麻黃) are to the left. If the memorial plaque next to trees is any indication, they date back to 1909 (明治42年) and predate the current station house, which is pretty cool.

Getting There

 

Address: #10, Alley 529, Wenxian Road, Rende District, Tainan City

(臺南市仁德區保安里文賢路一段529巷10號)

GPS: 22.932940, 120.231660

How is one to get to Bao’an Train Station?

You take the train, of course.

Given all the modernization that has taken place on Taiwan’s railway, the fact that you can still take a train to one of the nation’s oldest stations is pretty cool.

So you should definitely take the train. You do however have other options for getting there. 

The station is located only one stop south of Tainan Train Station, and the ride take only about seven minutes to get there. So, if you find yourself the proximity of the downtown core of Tainan, you shouldn’t have much of a problem hopping on a train. Likewise, if you’ve travelled into the city by High Speed Rail, you can transfer to a commuter train from the Shalun Train Station (沙崙車站) and take the train to Bao’an Station, which is a seventeen minute ride.

As a smaller station though, Bao’an Station isn’t serviced by every train headed south rom Tainan, so if you want to visit, you’ll need to make sure that you get on one of the silver Local Commuter Trains (區間車). 

Bus

In terms of buses, there are a few options that’ll help you get to the station, or the Chimei Museum (奇美博物館), which is within walking distance of the station. Located a short distance from the main entrance of the station, you’ll find a roof-covered pavilion set up where buses will come in off the main road and pick people up and drop them off. There are options that will take you to downtown Tainan, as well as others that will take you to the High Speed Rail Station, and beyond.

The following bus routes are available at the Bao’an Station stop:

Tainan City Bus (幹支線公車): Red Line #3, Red Line #4

High Speed Rail Shuttle Bus (高鐵快捷公車): #H31

Kaohsiung Bus (高雄客運): #239, #8042, #8046

I’ve linked to each of the bus routes above, but Taiwanese websites like this are notoriously unreliable, so if you click on any of the links and they don’t work, you should be able to just search the bus route on your own, and you’ll be able to find the link that they’re currently using.

Youbike

The bus stop is also home to a large Youbike Station where you can swipe your EasyCard and hop on one of the shared bicycles. If you’ve taken a Youbike on the ride from Tainan, you can easily dock the bicycle at the docking station in front of the train station and check out the train station, or take the train back to the city.

If you haven’t already, I highly recommend downloading the Youbike App to your phone so that you’ll have a better idea of the location where you’ll be able to find the closest docking station.

Link: Youbike - Apple / Android

Whether you’re simply on your way to the much larger, and (probably) much more interesting Chimei Museum nearby, a stop by this historic train station is an added bonus to your excursion out of Tainan. There aren’t too many stations like this left in Taiwan, and the fact that it still looks so great after nearly one hundred years is a testament to the skills of the carpenters and architects of the era. If you're just getting off the train to before heading else, make sure to take a few minutes to enjoy the historic station, and don’t forget to take a few photos at the same time.

References

  1. Bao'an Railway Station | 保安車站 中文 | 保安駅 日文 (Wiki)

  2. 保安車站 (國家文化資產網)

  3. 保安車站 (國家文化記憶庫)

  4. 保安車站 (鐵貓)

  5. 保安車站 (臺灣驛站之旅)

  6. 保安車站 (Blair and Kate's 旅遊與美食)

  7. 臺南市文化資產 (Wiki)

  8. 112 年度臺南市文資防護專業服務中心成果報告書 (臺南市文化資產管理處)

  9. 臺灣鐵道旅行案內 (臺灣總督府交通局鐵道部)

  10. 台南縱貫線木造車站巡禮 - 保安車站、林鳳營車站、後壁車站 (LINE Today)

  11. 仁德糖廠 (Wiki)

  12. 木造車站-海線五寶 (張誌恩 / 許正諱)


Gallery / Flickr (High Res Photos)

Chiayi Shinto Shrine (嘉義神社)

I’ve been saying for quite a long time now that I need to spend more time in Chiayi. I’ve always had a special place in my heart for the city, which, like Tainan to the south, displays a tremendous amount of history on its streets.

For a long time, Chiayi had become run-down, and its youth were leaving for larger cities and better opportunities elsewhere. In recent years, however, all of that has changed, and Chiayi has become a hipsters paradise, its young people have returned, and they’ve brought with them genius ideas for coffee shops, restaurants, cocktail bars, etc.

The local government, to its credit, has been quick to offer a helping hand in fostering this youth takeover of the city, converting historic buildings into art museums and music venues, and opening a number of culture parks dedicated to both celebrating the history of the city, and its future at the same time. With all of the art exhibits, music festivals, restaurants and cafes, it has become considerably more difficult to make excuses for not visiting the city, especially since there are a large number of destinations that are on my list to take photos of and write about.

So, one weekend, in order to escape the rain in the north of Taiwan, I hopped on a train and made my way down south for a trip that helped reintroduce me to a city that I’ve loved for quite a while. This time, however, instead of spending all of my time taking photos, I kept my list of destinations short, and instead decided to enjoy some of the great coffee shops that have become really popular as of late, in addition to a hip new ramen shop.

Still, I had a couple of places on my list that were must visits, and the first of which was Chiayi Park, where the ruins of the historic Chiayi Shinto Shrine are located. In its heyday, the shrine was regarded as one of the most important in Taiwan, and even though only bits and pieces of it remain, what you can still see there today is arguably more complete then the vast majority of other shrine ruins that you’ll encounter in your travels across Taiwan today.

Sadly, like most of the other Japanese-era sites that I write about, there isn’t much information available in the English language about the shrine that offers visitors much of an idea about its history, or what they’re seeing when they visit. So, as usual, I’m going to be providing readers with an in-depth introduction to the history of the shrine, a timeline of events, and an explanation of each of the pieces that remain on site today.

While I was visiting primarily to check out the ruins of the shrine, for the average visitor, the park where it’s located, shouldn’t be missed as it is not only home to the shrine ruins, but also the popular Sun-Shooting Tower (射日塔), the Chiayi Confucius Temple (嘉義孔廟), the Chiayi Botanical Garden (林業試驗所嘉義樹木園), Kano Baseball Memorial Park (嘉農園區), and is a short walk from other attractions such as the historic Chiayi Prison (嘉義舊監獄), Hinoki Village (檜意森活村), Beimen Station (北門車站) and the Alishan Forest Railway Garage Park (阿里山森林鐵路車庫園區), among a number of other destinations.

There’s a lot to see and do when you’re in Chiayi, and that’s not even including all the amazing restaurants and coffeeshops that you’ll be able to visit when you’re taking a break from sightseeing.

Now that I’ve been reacquainted with the city, I’ll definitely be back soon. I had a lot of fun, and before I knew it, it was time to hop back on a train to head back home. I think if you visit, you’re likely to feel the same. Chiayi’s one of those places in Taiwan that everyone should be making an effort to visit.

Now, let’s talk about the shrine.

Kagi Shrine (嘉義神社 / かぎじんじゃ)

Group photo in front of the First Generation Kagi Shrine

Similar to Tainan to the south, Chiayi is a city that has had a long and storied history. Originally inhabited by the Hoanya (洪雅族) Indigenous People, the arrival of Han Chinese immigrants in southwestern Taiwan in the 16th and 17th centuries was when things in the area really started to change. A port was constructed in (modern-day) Beigang (北港), and even though living conditions in Taiwan at the time would have been tremendously difficult, boats from Fujian frequently made their way over to drop off newcomers, who would help cultivate the untamed land.

Shortly thereafter, the arrival of Dutch traders created another major change for the area, as the the Dutch doing what they were quite well-known for at the time, quickly sought to colonize Taiwan. Trading posts were set up in various settlements around that island, offering them an opportunity to interact with the indigenous people as well as both the Qing and the Japanese at the same time. Dutch control of Taiwan didn’t last very long, but with their capital in Tainan, it marked the first time in Taiwan’s history when the island was governed from the south.

The First Generation Kagi Shrine shortly after it was completed.

Dutch rule may have been short in terms of Taiwan’s overall history, but the legacy they left behind is something that continues to be felt today. I could spend time talking the ports they set up, the international trade that they started, the success of their missionaries in converting Indigenous Taiwanese, but as this article is about Chiayi, one of the most important things the Dutch did was introduce the domestic turkey to Taiwan. If it weren’t for the Dutch, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy Chiayi’s delicious Turkey Rice (嘉義火雞肉飯)!

Expelled by Koxinga (鄭成功) and his pirate army who then set up their own Kingdom of Tungning (東寧王國) in Tainan, the area would yet again undergo yet another new form of foreign governance, but once again, it wouldn’t last very long as the Qing sailed over with their navy and brought the Kingdom of Tungning to its knees after only a few decades. Qing rule over the island began in 1683, and Chiayi, which was known as “Tsulosan” (諸羅山) at the time was one of the few settlements where the Chinese authorities were able to maintain their loose control over the island.

One of Kagi Shrine's original shrine gates.

That being said, between 1683 and 1895, the Qing were relatively uninterested in governing or developing Taiwan, they sought to prohibit immigration, and a number of rebellions against their rule wore down what little interest they already had. History has shown that for the majority of time that the Qing controlled Taiwan they were mostly uninterested in the island referring to it as a "ball of mud beyond the sea" adding "nothing to the breadth of China" (海外泥丸,不足為中國加廣), and were ultimately unable to expand their land control any further than a few western coastal areas.

When not denigrating Taiwan as a place unfit for human civilization, the Qing had an idiom to describe their rule over Taiwan that went like this: “Every three years an uprising, every five years a rebellion” (三年一反、五年一亂).

Link: Taiwan under Qing rule (Wiki)

Japanese-era postcard of the First Generation Kagi Shrine.

The reason I mention this is that in the aftermath of one of the largest uprisings against Qing rule, the Lin Shuangwen Rebellion (林爽文事件), the inhabitants of Tsulosan fought brilliantly, and were successful in preventing Lin’s rebel militia from taking the town. As a reward for their bravery, the Qianlong Emperor (乾隆帝) bestowed the name “Kagi” (嘉義) upon the town, which is loosely translated as “Excellent Righteousness,” and is a name that has stuck since 1788.

Note: Kagi is the Hokkien Taiwanese pronunciation of the Mandarin “Chiayi,” which is more commonly used today.

Nevertheless, Qing rule remained more or less the same for the next century or so, but control of Taiwan was ceded to the Japanese Empire in 1895, after the Chinese were easily defeated in the First Sino-Japanese War (甲午戰爭). When Japanese forces arrived in Taiwan that same year, they sought to take control over the entire island, and planned a three-phase assault, starting in the north taking Keelung, Taipei and Tamsui. In the second phase they took Hsinchu, Miaoli and Changhua, and then moved toward the south capturing Chiayi, Tainan and Kaohsiung. Taking complete control of Taiwan proved to be an incredibly dangerous undertaking for the Japanese, who not only had to deal with armed resistance, but cholera and malaria as well.

It would end up taking several years for the Japanese to take complete control of Taiwan, and their losses were numerous, however, it was the people of Taiwan who suffered the most, especially with the heavy-handed tactics that the Japanese took to suppress dissent to their rule. That being said, when the dust of war settled, and the island started to develop, living standards on the island in turn started to improve, and the frequency of rebellions decreased.

One of the shrine's administration offices.

In 1906, the Meishan Earthquake (梅山地震), the third deadliest earthquake in Taiwan’s recorded history reduced Chiayi to rubble, and in response, the Japanese government mobilized military and medical personnel to the area to assist in recovery efforts. The earthquake may have devastated the city, but despite all the suffering and destruction it caused, it also created opportunity as the Japanese were able to craft the city into their own, and “Kagi” (嘉義 / かぎ), the Japanese pronunciation of the city, developed at such a high pace that it started to flourish as it never had before. Becoming a major economic center for agriculture, timber and sugar, and Taiwan’s fourth-most populated city, the colonial government placed a considerable amount of attention on the urban development of the city.

With the construction of the Alishan Railway (阿里山林鐵) connecting to the main branch line, Kagi City had become equipped with beautiful civic structures, parks, modern roads, and public works. Living and economic conditions in the city had improved at such a fast rate that the city’s growth became a model of how Japanese rule was considered to be of benefit to the people of Taiwan, and the city became attractive to both Formosans, but also Japanese immigrants as well, who were apprehensive at first to come to Taiwan.

The Main Hall and the Worship Hall of the First Generation Kagi Shrine.

With an influx of Japanese immigration, conducted first by private companies, and then later publicly, the necessity for infrastructure to cater to their needs became more important. Certainly, one of the most important areas in this regard was with the construction of Shinto Shrines, which were important not only for the daily lives of the immigrants who came to Taiwan, but also to assist in the colonial regime’s push to fully assimilate the Formosan people into Japanese society.

Discussions regarding the construction of a Shinto Shrine in Kagi started around 1911 (明治44年), when the first organized meeting of the Kagi Shrine Committee (嘉義神社興建評鑑委員會) was held by influential members of society. Planning for the shrine, however, was expedited with the passing of Emperor Meiji (明治天皇) the next year as commemorations for his death, and the inauguration of a new era were held across Taiwan.

Shortly after, an official application was sent to the Governor General of Taiwan, Sakuma Samata (佐久間左馬太 / さくま さまた) for the establishment of a shrine, which was quickly approved. Thanks to the economic development of the city, and the completion of the Alishan Railway, everything that was required for the construction of a shrine was readily available. Thus, in 1915, famed craftsman Mitsuru Ito (伊藤滿), who had just completed construction on the First Generation Taichung Shrine (第一代臺中神社) was contracted to come to Kagi to construct the shrine. With a budget of 36,000 Yen (an equivalent of about $360,000 USD in modern currency), the shrine was constructed entirely of cypress from Alishan, and its official inauguration ceremony was held on October 28th, 1915 (大正4年).

The Visiting Path of the First Generation Kagi Shrine with stone lanterns and shrine gate.

Just two years after its inauguration, the shrine received an ‘upgrade’ in its official status as a County-Level Shrine (縣社 / けんしゃ) in the pre-war shrine ranking system, and while it would have been considered an honor at the time, it was something that would also change relatively quickly.

Note: The organizational structure of Shinto Shrines prior to the war were based on the ‘State Shinto’ system. In this system there were major Imperial-level shrines (官幣社 / かんぺいしゃ), and National-level shrines (国幣社 / こくへいしゃ), but the vast majority of shrines in both Japan and Taiwan ranked lower on the hierarchy, such as the metropolitan and prefectural shrines, like this one.

County-level shrines, known as ‘ken-sha’ (縣社 / けんしゃ), weren’t very high in the hierarchy, but having that upgrade in status ensured that it received a certain amount of funding from the government.

Link: Modern system of ranked Shinto shrines | 近代社格制度 (Wiki)

Administration Hall of the Kagi Shrine

That being said, as I just mentioned, the shrine’s official status would change within a few short years. In 1920 (大正9年), the Governor General’s Office instituted the ‘Doka Policy’ (同化 / どうか), which would become one of the Japanese-era’s most important administrative restructuring initiatives. This new system, meant to standardize the administrative divisions in Taiwan with those in Japan, was part of a wave of major investment in the governance of Taiwan, where the government in Japan considered Taiwan to be ‘separate’ but ‘equal’ at the same time. Of the original twenty administrative districts in Taiwan, the 1920 policy reduced the number to eight prefectures (州廳), and it was during this period that Chiayi was upgraded into Kagi City (嘉義市 / かぎし), with much of the farmland and coastal area that surrounded the city becoming part of Kagi County (嘉義郡 / かぎぐん), a sub-division of the much larger Tainan Prefecture (臺南州 / たいなんしゅう). As there were only two ‘cities’ within Tainan Prefecture, Kagi City became a lot more important, resulting in a number of major major construction projects in the city, something that was taking place across the island, resulting in some of the largest and most iconic Japanese-era buildings that you’ll see in Taiwan today.

Link: Political divisions of Taiwan (1895–1945)

A wedding held at the Kagi Shrine

With the rapid development of the city and the flourishing economy, the population of Kagi grew exponentially, both with local Taiwanese and Japanese immigrants as well. However, due to the growth of the city, the shrine had become far too small to cater to the needs of its citizens, and by the 1930s, the Japanese had learned the hard way that when it comes to the construction of wooden buildings in Taiwan, termites are your worst enemy. The shrine, beautiful as it was, offered a veritable feast for Taiwan’s infamous white termites, and the damage eventually became irreparable.

In 1937, the Governor of Tainan Prefecture created the ‘Kagi Shrine Fundraising Committee’ (嘉義神社奉贊會), and over the next two years a massive 200,000 Yen (an equivalent of about 2 million USD today) was raised for both the reconstruction and expansion of the shrine. With the purchase of an additional plot of land, construction of the Second Generation Kagi Shrine got underway in 1940, and the project took until 1943 to complete. Constructed in two phases, the original shrine was preserved, but the layout of the completely changed from its original east-west direction to a north-south direction, which provided more space, as well as allowing for an entrance that was more convenient for visitors.

The first phase of the construction project was the upper part of the shrine, and was completed in 1942, with a ceremony held for the relocation of the kami from the original shrine to their new home. The second phase was the lower section of the shrine, which included the beautiful Shrine Office and the Priest’s Hall, both of which remain standing today.

The Visiting Path of the First Generation Kagi Shrine

Shortly after the Second Generation Shrine opened, it’s status was once again upgraded, but this time, instead of being classified as a minor shrine, it become one of only three shrines in Taiwan to receive the Minor National Level Shrine (國幣小社 / こくへいしょうしゃ) rank, which goes to show just how important both the shrine and the city had become.

Nevertheless, with the shrine completed in 1943, its time as a Shinto Shrine was short, given that the Second World War came to an end in 1945. The Japanese were forced to surrender control of Taiwan under the terms of their surrender and with the Republic of China taking control of Taiwan, the shrine, like many of Taiwan’s other major Shinto Shrines was converted into a war memorial, known locally as a ‘Martyrs Shrine’ (忠烈祠). Similarly, Kagi Park was renamed Zhongshan Park (中山公園) in honor of the founding father of the ROC, Sun Yat Sen (孫中山).

The Shrine Office and the Priests Hall were later converted into a Military Hospital, and a Confucius Temple (嘉義孔廟) was also constructed nearby. The layout of the shrine, however, more or less remained the same until fire sadly burnt down the Main Hall and the Worship Hall in 1995.

The Sun-Shooting Tower at the end of the Visiting Path where the shrine once stood.

In the aftermath of the fire, the Chiayi City Government constructed a large tower for tourists, and a new Martyrs Shrine was constructed in its basement. The remaining sections of the original Shinto Shrine were later recognized as Chiayi City Municipal Monuments (嘉義市市定古蹟), and were preserved as part of a heritage park that would celebrate the history of the shrine, and the city.

Today, Chiayi Park is a great place to visit as it not only celebrates the history of its former Shinto Shrine, but a visit also provides tourists with the opportunity to enjoy a number of different experiences, making it an important stop if you’re in town.

Below, I’ll introduce the differences between the first and second generation shrines, and then I’ll move onto a detailed timeline to help readers better understand what was once part of the shrine:

First Generation Kagi Shrine (第一代の嘉義神社) 1915-1940

The First Generation Shrine. If you look closely you can see the stone guardians on either side of the shrine gates.

The First Generation Shrine, completed in 1915, with cypress brought directly from Alishan (阿里山) for its construction. While a lot more modest than the Second Generation Shrine, from the historic photos I’m sharing here today, it’s easy to see that it was absolutely beautiful.

The First Generation Shrine consisted of the following sections:

  1. Visiting Path (參道 / さんどう) - including a stone pathway, an information board (揭示場), shrine gates (鳥居 / とりい), stone lanterns (燈籠 / とうろう) lining both sides of the path, and komainu (狛犬 / こまいぬ) lion-dogs next to the entrance to the shrine.

  2. Purification Fountain (手水舍 / ちょうずしゃ) - Likely located just outside of the sacred section of the shrine.

  3. Administration Office (社務所 / しゃむしょ) - Likely located along the Visiting Path, opposite the Purification Fountain.

  4. Offertory Hall (幣殿 / へいでん) - the space where worshipers could approach the shrine to pray or make offerings.

  5. Hall of Worship (拜殿 / はいでん) - the worship space where ceremonies were held.

  6. Main Hall (本殿 / ほんでん) - the home of the shrine’s kami.

  7. Shrine Fence (玉垣 / たまがき) - a tall wooden fence that surrounds the sacred area of the shrine, preventing people from wandering into a space where they shouldn’t be.

Second Generation Kagi Shrine (第二代の嘉義神社) 1942-1995

The far more expansive Second Generation Kagi Shrine.

The Second Generation Kagi Shrine, completed between 1940-1943 was a major upgrade, and completely changed the layout of the shrine space. With the purchase of additional land, the First Generation Shrine, which was measured at 28,460㎡ (8609坪) expanded to 33306㎡ (10,075坪), which allowed for not only a change in layout, but also included a number of additional buildings, and a much larger shrine than the original.

The Second Generation Shrine consisted of the following sections:

  1. Visiting Path (參道 / さんどう) - Including a stone pathway, a stone ‘shimebashira’ (標柱 / しめばしら) pillar at the entrance that indicated the name of the shrine, three shrine gates (鳥居 / とりい), several sets of large stone lanterns (大燈籠) and several sets medium sized lanterns (中燈籠) lining both sides of the path, and komainu (狛犬 / こまいぬ) lion-dogs.

  2. Administration Office (社務所 / しゃむしょ) - located along the right side of the Visiting Path prior to passing through the second shrine gate.

  3. Priest’s Hall (齋館 / さいかん) - located directly next door to the Administration Office.

  4. Purification Fountain (手水舍 / ちょうずしゃ) - located on the opposing side of the Visiting Path from the Administration Office and Priest’s Hall.

  5. Resting Pavilion (參集所) - located next to the Purification Fountain, it was a space for people to relax and get some shade from the sun.

  6. Ritual Storage Building (祭器庫 / さいきくら) - just beyond the second shrine gate on the right of the Visiting Path, a building used to store equipment used for special occasions.

  7. Offertory Hall (幣殿 / へいでん) - the space where worshipers could approach the shrine to pray or make offerings.

  8. Hall of Worship (拜殿 / はいでん) - the worship space where ceremonies were held.

  9. Main Hall (本殿 / ほんでん) - the home of the shrine’s kami.

  10. Shrine Fence (玉垣 / たまがき) - a tall wooden fence that surrounded the sacred area of the shrine, preventing people from wandering into a space where they shouldn’t be.

  11. Priests Residences (神職宿舍) - Residences constructed especially for the shrine staff who lived on-site.

Kami Enshrined at the Kagi Shrine

As mentioned earlier, Kagi City at the time was a bustling economic port for both the sugar and timber industries, so the city developed quite quickly compared to many other areas in central-southern Taiwan. The kami who were chosen to take up residence within the shrine were a reflection of the importance of the city’s industrial output, but also included someone who became regarded as a ‘patron-saint’ in Taiwan, and of course, one of Shintoism’s most important figures, the goddess of the sun, the queen of heaven and creation.

Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa (北白川宮能久親王)

Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa, a western-educated Major-General in the Japanese imperial army was commissioned to participate in the invasion of Taiwan after the island was ceded to the empire. Unfortunately for the Prince, he contracted malaria and died in (either) modern day Hsinchu or Tainan (where he died is disputed). This made him the first member of the Japanese royal family to pass away outside of Japan in more than nine hundred years.

Shortly after his death, he was elevated to the status of a ‘kami’ under State Shinto with the official name “Kitashirakawa no Miya Yoshihisa-shinno no Mikoto.“ Enshrined at the Yasukuni Shrine (靖國神社) in Tokyo, he subsequently became one of the most important patron deities here in Taiwan with his worship somewhat unique to the island. The Prince was enshrined at the Taiwan Grand Shrine (臺灣神社) in Taipei, and almost every other major shrine on the island.

The Three Deities of Cultivation (かいたくさんじん / 開拓三神)

The Three Deities of Cultivation, consist of three figures known for their skills with regard to nation-building, agriculture, business, medicine and weather. Commonly appearing as tutelar deities in many of Japan’s Shinto Shrines, they were especially important here in Taiwan due to what they represented, which included aspects of nation-building, agriculture, medicine and the weather. Sharing characteristics with one of Taiwan’s most important deities, the ‘Earth God’ (福德正神 / 土地公), their worship would have been considered somewhat of a simple introduction to the new state religion, but given Taiwan’s position as a new addition to the Japanese empire, ‘nation-building’ and the association of a Japanese-style way of life was something that was (forcibly) pushed on the local people in more ways than one.

The Three Deities of Cultivation are as follows:

  1. Okunitama no Mikoto (大國魂大神 / おおくにたまのかみ) - the kami of the nation-state and the ‘spirit of the country’

  2. Onamuchi no Mikoto (大名牟遲大神 / おおなむちのかみ) - kami of nation-building, agriculture, medicine, and protective magic

  3. Sukunabikona no Mikoto (少彥名大神 / すくなひこなのかみ) - the kami hot springs, agriculture, healing, magic, brewing sake and knowledge

Amaterasu (天照大神)

One of the children of the god and goddess of creation, Izanami (伊邪那美命) and Izanagi (伊邪那岐神), Amaterasu is one Shintoism’s most important deities. Known formally as Amaterasu-Ōmikami (天照大御神 / あまてらすおおみかみ), she is regarded as the goddess of the sun and the universe, and is considered to be the mythical ancestor of the Imperial House of Japan. Enshrined at the Ise Grand Shrine (伊勢神宮) in Mie Prefecture (三重縣), worship of the goddess is often directly linked to worship of “Japan” itself, known as “Japanese Spirit”, or Yamato-damashii (大和魂).

This is something that became problematic during the period when State Shintoism was one of the tools used to fuel the militarism. Even though worship of Amaterasu far predates the insanity that led Japan on military adventures throughout Asia in the 19th and 20th Centuries, her perceived relationship with Japan’s militarism is just one of the reasons why the Chinese Nationalists were so keen on destroying Taiwan’s shrines when they took control of Taiwan after the Second World War.

Note: When the Second Generation Kagi Shrine was completed, the original space that was used for the Main Hall was converted into an Auxiliary Shrine, known in Japan as a ‘setsumatsusha’ (攝末社 / せつまつしゃ), a conjunction of ‘sessha’ (攝社 / せっしゃ) and ‘massha’ (末社 / まっしゃ), referring to the ‘mini’ shrines you’ll often find within a larger shrine. The addition of an Auxiliary Shrine made space for the worship of some other important deities who took up residence in the building after the kami mentioned above were relocated to their new home in the newly constructed Main Hall.

  • Ukanomitama-no-Kami (倉稻魂命 / うかのみたまのかみ), more commonly known as “Inari” (稲荷大神), one of modern day Japan’s most popular deities. Inari is responsible for performing a number of roles, but is most commonly known as the guardian of foxes, and the kami of fertility, rice, tea, agriculture, industry, and prosperity. Playing a similar role to the Chinese God of Wealth (財神), people most often visit Inari Shrines to pray for success in business

  • Oomiyanome-no-Kami (大宮賣神 / おおみやのめのかみ) - the kami of business prosperity, a female deity that often appears alongside Inari. While known for abilities similar to those of Inari, Oomiyanome is also known for her skills with regard to the protection of shrines, so she is often an important addition to a shrine in the same way that dragons adorn the roofs of temples here in Taiwan.

  • Sarutahiko Okami (猿田彦大神 / さる-たひこ) - regarded as one of the ‘Great Deities’ (大神) of Shintoism, ‘Sarutahiko Okami’, is the leader of the kunitsukami (国つ神), or the ‘gods of the earth’.

Kagi Shrine Timeline

While I’ve covered quite a few of the events that led up to the construction of the original shrine, the second generation shrine, and what happened after the Japanese-era, there are a number of other important events that weren’t mentioned, so I’ve put together a timeline of events below for anyone interested in a more in-depth look at the shrine’s history, click the drop-down box below.

    • (明治28年) - The Japanese take control of Taiwan.

    • 1906 (明治39年) - On March 17th, the Great Kagi Earthquake (嘉義大地震), with an epicenter in Meishan (梅山) leveled much of what had been constructed in the area.

    • 1907 (明治40年) - Construction of the Alishan Railway (阿里山林鐵) commences.

    • 1910 (明治43年) - Kagi Park (嘉義公園 / かぎこうえん) is officially established.

    • 1911 (明治44年) - The first session of the Kagi Shrine Committee (嘉義神社興建評鑑委員會) was held at the Kagi Club (嘉義俱樂部) in order to start planning for the construction of a shrine in the town.

    • 1912 (大正1年) - Emperor Meiji passes away on July 30th, and events are held in Kagi (and across Taiwan) to commemorate his passing. Shortly after in November, an official application is sent to Governor General of Taiwan, Sakuma Samata (佐久間左馬太 / さくま さまた) for the establishment of a shrine, which was quickly approved.

    • 1913 (大正2年) - Fundraising events for the construction of the shrine officially get underway. The completion of the Alishan Railway assisted with both fundraising, and the future construction of the shrine with raw materials from the mountain.

    • 1915 (大正4年) - Construction on the shrine starts on May 1st with the project overseen by famed Nagoya craftsman, Mitsuru Ito (伊藤滿), who had also helped design and construct some of Taiwan’s other major shrines. The shrine was completed on October 20th, and the official opening ceremony was held a week later. In total, 36,000 Yen were spent on its construction, an equivalent of about 54 million yen ($360,000 USD) in modern day currency.

    • 1917 (大正6年) - The Kagi Shrine is officially recognized as a County-Level Shrine (縣社), an upgrade in its status.

    • 1920 (大正9年) - The Japanese government institutes the ‘Doka policy’ (同化 / どーか), which standardizes Taiwan’s political divisions with the system used in the rest of the country. From then on, Kagi City (嘉義街 /かぎかい) is put under the administrative authority of Tainan Prefecture’s (臺南州 /たいなんしゅう) Kagi County (嘉義郡/かぎぐん).

    • 1936 (昭和11年) - The Colonial Government’s “Japanization” or ‘forced assimilation’ Kominka (皇民化運動) policy comes into effect in Taiwan.

    • 1937 (昭和12年) - Due to the growth of Kagi and the increase in the number of visitors to the shrine, as well as the problem of termite infestations wreaking havoc on the shrine, the Governor of Tainan Prefecture creates the ‘Kagi Shrine Fund Raising Committee’ (嘉義神社奉贊會) in order to reconstruct and expand the shrine.

    • 1940 (昭和15年) - Over 200,000 Yen (20萬圓) is raised for the reconstruction of the shrine, and plans are officially approved by the Tainan Prefectural Government with construction immediately started.

    • 1942 (昭和17年) - Construction of the Second Generation Kagi Shrine is undertaken in two phases with the construction of the upper shrine completed first. The inauguration of the shrine was held shortly after on June 13th.

    • 1943 (昭和18年) - In the second stage of construction, the lower section of the shrine, which included the Shrine Office (社務所 / しゃむしょ) and Priest’s Hall (齋館 / さいかん), was completed on August 9th.

    • 1944 (昭和19年) - Kagi Shrine is upgraded into a Minor National Level Shrine (國幣小社 / こくへいしょうしゃ), one of only three shrines in Taiwan to achieve such a rank in the pre-war shrine ranking hierarchy.

    • 1945 (昭和20年) - The Second World War comes to a conclusion and Japan is forced to surrender control of Taiwan. Shortly thereafter, Chiayi Park is renamed “Zhongshan Park” (中山公園).

    • 1949 (民國38年) - Chiang Kai-Shek (蔣介石) and the Republic of China government retreat to Taiwan, bringing with them several million refugees displaced by the Chinese Civil War. Kagi Shrine is converted in the Chiayi Martyrs Shrine (嘉義忠烈祠), and the lower offices are converted into a Military Hospital (八二八醫院).

    • 1987 (民國76年) - The Military Hospital hands over ownership of the Shrine Office and Priest’s Hall Buildings to the Chiayi City Government. However, due to wear and tear, the buildings are in desperate need of restoration. The Department of Architectural Design of the National Cheng-Kung University (成功大學) in Tainan is contracted to come up with plans for the faithful restoration of the buildings.

    • 1992 (民國81年) - The charitable division of the Cathay Life Insurance Company donates NT$5 million for the restoration of the buildings.

    • 1993 (民國82年) - The Chiayi City Historical Relics Museum (嘉義市史蹟資料館) is officially established.

    • 1995 (民國84年) - Fire destroys the Main Hall of the shrine, which had been converted into the Chiayi Martyrs Shrine (嘉義忠烈祠). Later that year, plans are made to construct a tower on the site of the original shrine to help attract tourists to the city.

    • 1996 (民國85年) - With funds contributed from private enterprises, government subsidies and from the Chiayi City Government, restoration of the remnants of Kagi Shrine officially start. Later that year, Zhongshan Park is officially renamed Chiayi Park (嘉義公園), reflecting its history.

    • 1997 (民國87年) - While the tower was still undergoing construction, the Second Generation Chiayi Martyrs Shrine was officially opened in the basement of the tower.

    • 1998 (民國88年) - The Chiayi Tower, otherwise known as the “Sun-Shooting Tower” (射日塔) on the grounds of where the Main Hall of the shrine once stood is completed and opened to the public. The remnants of Kagi Shrine are officially listed as Chiayi City Municipal Monuments (嘉義市市定古蹟) in order to ensure that funding is available for their upkeep and protection.

    • 2001 (民國91年) - Restoration on the Shrine’s Main Office and the Purification Hall is completed and are opened to the public as the Chiayi City Historical Relics Museum (嘉義市史蹟資料館) takes up residence within the two buildings.

Remaining Sections of the Shrine

What remains of the First Generation Shrine's Hall of Worship.

In this section, I’m going to take some time to introduce the sections of the shrine that remain today, and as usual, aspects of their architectural design. Certainly, while what’ll you encounter in Chiayi Park today is not nearly as complete as the Taoyuan Shrine (桃園神社), but the elements that do remain are quite well-preserved, and even though much has changed, the layout of the shrine has essentially remained the same for the past eight decades.

Not every aspect of the shrine requires an in-depth introduction, so I’ll probably spend the most time on the two largest buildings that remain on-site as they’ve been expertly restored, and if you’re in the area, you should definitely take some time to visit. When it comes to the restoration of the shrine, most of the attention has been given to the administrative buildings that were part of the shrine, which today make up the Showa 18 Relic Museum (嘉義市史蹟資料館), which I’ll also introduce below.

If you visit today, you’ll find several smaller aspects of the shrine that have been preserved and are put on display in addition to offering some pretty interesting information about the history of Chiayi.

Visiting Path (參道 / さんどう)

One of the most complete remnants of the historic shrine is its ‘Visiting Path’, which may not seem like a lot, given that most would just consider it a pathway from the entrance that led to where the shrine once stood, but the fact that it hasn’t been altered over the years is relatively amazing.

At a Shinto Shrine, a 'Visiting Path,’ known in Japanese as the “sando” (參道 / さんどう) is an integral part of the layout of any shrine, and, well yeah, is essentially just a pathway that leads visitors to the shrine. While these paths serve a functional purpose, they are also quite symbolic in that the ‘path’ is also the route you take on the road to spiritual purification. If you weren’t already aware, ’Shinto’ is literally translated as the “Pathway to the Gods” (神道), so having a physical pathway leading the worshiper from the realm of the profane to that of the sacred is quite important. 

The average length of a shrine’s Visiting Path’s tends to vary based on the size of the shrine, but what always remains true is that you’ll find stone lanterns (石燈籠 / しゃむしょ), shrine gates (鳥居 / とりい) and stone guardians (狛犬 / こまいぬ) along the path.

As mentioned above, the shrine was originally home to three shrine gates, one cement, and two constructed of wood, each of which constructed in the Myojin-style (明神鳥居), one of the most common styles of shrine gate currently used in Japan today. In this particular style of design, there are double lintels with the top curving upwards. Between each, it’s likely that there would have been a plaque that had the name of the shrine inscribed horizontally. Today, none of the original shrine gates are left standing along the Visiting Path, but a Chinese-style cement ‘Pailou Gate’ (牌樓) has been constructed for the Martyrs Shrine, and even though its completely different, its still quite nice.

The next common feature of a Visiting Path are the stone lanterns that are lined symmetrically along both sides. One again, its quite amazing that there are so many of the original lanterns remain standing in their original location, and what’s even more amazing is that the date of their donation, which is always inscribed horizontally along the base, remains clear.

The reason I find this amazing is that in most cases, the stone lanterns that remain from Taiwan’s Shinto Shrines have all had their dates scratched out or vandalized. In this case, however, it looks like they were never touched, and not only do they feature the dates, but also the individuals or the organizations who originally donated them. One of the interesting things about the lanterns in this case is that most of them date back to the Taisho Era (大正), which means that they were part of the First Generation Shrine.

Finally, one of the other more notable aspects of a Visiting Path are the stone guardians that are placed along the path to symbolically guard the shrine. Known in Japan as ‘komainu’ (狛犬/こまいぬ), these stone guardians are part of a tradition thought to have been passed on to Japan from Korea, which is why they’re also often referred to as “Korean Dogs” (高麗犬), referring to the ancient Korean Kingdom of “Koguryo” (高麗國).

Although there can be exceptions to the rule, the lion-dogs generally appear as a pair and are placed on either side of a Visiting Path or at the entrance to a shrine. Often appearing as a male and female, they are only distinguishable only by their facial expressions, with the male “a-gyo” (阿型) having an open mouth and the female “un-gyo” (吽形) having a closed mouth. The male komainu in the traditional set has its mouth open with a stone ball between its teeth while the other set looks as if he’s smiling awkwardly with its mouth open.

Link: Komainu Lion Dogs (Japan Visitor)

In this case, there are only two remaining of the original three sets of stone guardians at the shrine, one at the entrance, and one at the mid-section of the Visiting Path. The set that disappeared would have been placed at the entrance to the Main Hall, which burnt down several decades ago. The two remaining sets are known simply as the ‘large guardians’ (大狛犬) and the ‘small guardians’ (小狛犬), but what that doesn’t tell you however is that they were designed in completely different styles, and were dedicated at different times. Records indicate that the remaining pairs or guardians date back to the First Generation Shrine, but since the dates have been vandalized. So, based on their size and the information we have about them, its safe to say that the large set at the entrance to the park were donated in 1928 (昭和3年), while the smaller pair were donated in 1922 (大正11年).

The interesting thing is that the smaller set were crafted in the exact same style as the remaining pair of guardians at the ruins of the Keelung Shinto Shrine. The larger pair on the other hand were crafted to look similar to the guardians from the Taiwan Grand Shrine (臺灣神宮) in Taipei.

Another notable fact about the smaller set is that they were crafted in such a manner that they appear similar to the design of Taiwanese-style guardians that you’ll find at temples across the country, which (its assumed) is part of the reason why they have remained so safe from vandalism.

Link: 狛犬――連結臺灣與日本,日常生活裡的藝術雕塑 (Nippon)

Note: Interestingly, during my research about the Kagi Shrine and its komainu, I came across some interesting resources that introduced a theory about the history of the construction of stone-guardians, like these, in Taiwan. The article, linked above, explains that from the Qing Dynasty, blacksmiths were banned in Taiwan due to the amount of rebellions and uprisings that took place. When the Japanese arrived, there weren’t any resources available that could aid in the construction of the ‘guardians' for all the shrines that were being constructed around the island. Thus, it’s theorized that the reason why so many of the older guardians look so similar is due to the fact that they were all imported directly from Yamaguchi Prefecture (山口縣), west of Tokyo, or were sculpted by craftsmen from the area.

The theory is given more credence by the fact that several of Taiwan’s Governor Generals originally hailed from Yamaguchi, as were most of the craftsmen who came to Taiwan to assist in the construction of bridges, such as the famed Meiji Bridge (明治橋) in Taipei, which was constructed with stone imported directly from Yamaguchi.

Purification Fountain (手水舍 / ちょうずしゃ)

Located on the left side of the Visiting Path opposite the Administration Office, you’ll find what is known as the Purification Fountain, an essential addition to any Shinto Shrine. Like the Visiting Path, the fountain is sure to appear at any shrine you visit as it marks another important philosophical aspect to Shintoism, which is referred to as “hare and ke” (ハレとケ), or the "sacred-profane dichotomy."

One of the main methods of marking the visitor’s journey from the sacred to the profane, is that for anyone crossing the barrier into the ‘sacred realm,’ they should do so in the cleanliest possible manner. This is achieved by symbolically performing a purification ritual at the chozuya (ちょうずしゃ) or temizuya (てみずしゃ) provided. The shrine was originally set up in the ‘upper’ and ‘lower’ layer, and you’ll notice that as the Visiting Path continues past the Purification Fountain, there is a set of stairs that that you walk up to reach the ‘upper’ section. The second shrine gate was originally located at the top of the stairs, and would have marked the entrance into the sacred part of the shrine.

The Purification Fountain that remains on-site today is the original, and was completed in 1945 (昭和20年). The fountain itself is a simple octagonal-shaped stone fountain inscribed with the words “Donated by members of the Chiayi Civil Engineering Group in October of 1942” (奉獻 昭和十七年十月 嘉義土木建築請員業組合員一同). The top of the fountain has a stone plate where a long wooden ladle, known as a ‘hishaku’ (柄杓 / ひしゃく) was placed for worshippers to take part in the purification ritual mentioned above. Hanging from the roof above the fountain, you’ll find an instruction board where the purification process is detailed.

In order to protect the sacred water in the fountain, a pavilion was constructed to cover it, and as is the case at most shrines of this size, extra care was taken to construct a beautiful space. The fountain was constructed on a cement base and the four pillars that prop up the massive roof of the pavilion are also cemented into the base to ensure the stabilization of the roof. Both the pillars and the roof were constructed entirely of cypress from nearby Alishan. The roof was constructed with the flowing two-sided symmetrical kirizuma-zukuri-style (切妻造 / きりづまづくり), the weight of which is propped up by both the four pillars and a network of trusses that connect to the pillars.

The roof itself is quite decorative in that both of the gable ends feature what is known as ‘Gegyo' (懸魚 / げぎょ), which are decorative wooden boards shaped to look like a hanging fish, and are used as a charm against fire, similar to porcelain dragons on Taiwanese temples. The top of the roof is covered in a variety of black roof tiles, most of which I’ll explain below, but the mixture of flat tiles, cylindrical tiles and end tiles used to keep everything in place. It’s an extremely complex mixture that will kind of blow your mind if you take some time to look closely and appreciate that there are likely a thousand or more individual pieces locked in together.

Resting Pavilion (參集所)

While visiting the park, I had assumed that this ‘Resting Pavilion’ was something that was constructed well after the Japanese-era had ended, but it was in fact an original part of the shrine that has been changed a few times in the years since. The interesting thing about this so-called ‘Resting Pavilion’ is that it isn’t something common at shrines in Japan, but was likely something that was added due to the tropical climate in Chiayi.

Located on the same side as the Purification Fountain, across from the Administration Office, the pavilion was a space where people could get some shade from the afternoon sun instead of waiting for family and friends in spaces where they’d exposed to the heat.

All that remains of the original pavilion is the cement base and the cement pillars that helped to prop up the original roof. The current roof is something that has been renovated at some point and features steel beams and trusses that help to support a two-sided kirizuma-like roof. It’s safe to assume that the original roof of the building would have appeared similar in its decorative elements to that of the Purification Fountain, but it’s currently covered by iron sheets and on the ends, you’ll find some iconography akin to the decorative elements you’d find at a post-war military village, meant to signify the Republic of China, or its military.

Administration Office (社務所 / しゃむしょ)

The two buildings that have come to personify what remains of Kagi Shrine are the beautiful Administration Office and the Priests Hall, two large, and very traditionally constructed spaces that are directly connected with each other. The buildings have been beautifully restored, and both the exterior and the interior are well-maintained, and are well worth the modest entrance fee for a visit.

Working together in unison, the buildings were originally used for a number of purposes. First and foremost, it was a space where the shrine’s priests, priestesses, and other staff would rest while they weren’t busy performing their duties. They were also a space where the administrative aspects of the shrine were taken care of in addition to offering space where special events or ceremonies could be held. While the interior of the buildings would have been mostly off-limits to the average visitor, they also offered space for people who might have had any special requests for prayers or rites.

In Japan, the ‘Administration Office’ is more commonly known as a ‘shamusho’ (社務所 / しゃむしょ), and are probably best known for featuring what is known as a ‘Public Counter’ (授与所 / じゅよじょ), which is like a gift shop where visitors can ‘receive' (purchase) shrine branded tokens and amulets. However, looking at the floor plan and the design of the buildings, it’s highly unlikely that this was the case at the Kagi Shrine. So, if there were one of these gift shops at the shrine, it would probably have been located in a separate building nearby, or closer to the shrine. Completed in 1943, the buildings were part of the second phase of construction of the Second Generation Shrine, officially opening a year after the rest of the shrine.

Given that the Japanese had learned their lesson with regard to the construction of wooden buildings in Taiwan, both of the buildings were constructed on a cement base with sixty centimeter-long pedestals propping them off of the ground, offering protection from earthquakes as well as all the termites, which happily feasted upon the First Generation Shrine.

This time, in addition to the cement base, both of the buildings were constructed with a mixture of brick and cypress from the nearby mountains, and the walls in the interior feature the genius insulation method of combining bamboo and mud (編竹夾泥牆), something that the Japanese came up with as an answer to Taiwan’s tropical climate.

Officially, the buildings were constructed in the irimoya-zukuri (入母造 / いりもやづくり) style of architectural design, but within that particular style there are several off-shoots, and more specifically, in this case the ‘Shoin-zukuri’ (書院造/しょいんづくり) style of design was used for the layout of the interior of the buildings. Originally a style of design that was used for the construction of mansions, temple halls or the residences for Buddhist priests, the architectural style has become the foundation for the design of most of the traditional residential buildings in Japan today. The term ‘shoin’ (書院), translates literally as a ‘study’ or a place for lectures, and although its origins come from the construction of Buddhist temples, it is essentially a style of building characterized by tatami mats, aisles and sliding doors that open up to partitions.

Given that it’s an off-shoot of the irimoya style, one of the most important things to keep in mind is that the base of the building, known literally as the ‘mother’s house’ (母屋), is considerably smaller than the roof above, which means that the architectural design within the interior of the buildings features a network of pillars and trusses that assist in supporting and stabilizing the weight of the roof, which in both cases is absolutely beautiful.

While not as complex or as intricate in design as the roof of the shrine’s more sacred buildings, the roof that was constructed on both of these buildings was designed in the two-sided kirizuma-zukuri (切妻造 / きりづまづくり) style of design, with beautiful gable-ends, and is covered with black tiles (黑瓦). Adding complexity to the roofs, both buildings feature a ‘covered-front porch’, known in Japan as a ‘karahafu porch’ (唐破風), an addition that draws its inspiration from the architecture of the Tang Dynasty, and is something that remains quite popular in Japan. The ‘'porch’ essentially protrudes from the front of the kirizuma roof, but features a separate four-sided roof of its own, supported by four pillars in front of the main doors, adding a three-dimensional or ‘flowing’ element to the design.

Facing outward from the front of the porch, is a triangular gable known as a chidori-hafu (千鳥破風/ちどりはふ), which has a 'hanging fish’ decoration at the tip, and a decorative onigawara (鬼瓦 / おにがわら) tile at the top. This may not mean very much to the average reader, but it shows that an incredible amount of care, and money, were spent to ensure that these buildings stood out in their decorative design.

Apart from the porch, there are a number of decorative elements on the roof that also play integral functional elements, protecting it from rain, and keeping everything in place. While they are (for the most part) considered common elements found on the roofs of more formal Japanese-style buildings, and would have also been included on the roof of the shrine, these two buildings, the Purification Fountain, as well as the Ritual Storage Building (which I’ll introduce below) are the only sections of the shrine that remain where you’ll find them all in one place.

Those decorative elements are as follows:

  • Hiragawara (平瓦 /ひらがわら) - a type of arc-shaped clay roofing tile.

  • Munagawara (棟瓦 /むながわらあ) - ridge tiles used to cover the apex of the roof.

  • Onigawara (鬼瓦 / おにがわら) - ornamental ridge-end tiles that are used to symbolize protection.

  • Nokigawara (軒瓦/のきがわら) - the roof tiles placed along the eaves lines.

  • Noshigawara (熨斗瓦/のしがわら) - thick rectangular tiles located under ridge tiles.

  • Sodegawara (袖瓦/そでがわら) - cylindrical sleeve tiles

  • Tsuma (妻/つま) - the triangular-shaped parts of the gable on the roof under the ridge.

  • Hafu (破風板/ はふいた) - bargeboards that lay flat against the ridge ends to finish the gable.

Although there have been some modern modifications to the buildings after the restoration work was completed, the interior space has been largely left the same. The original tatami mats have been removed, and replaced with hard-wood flooring. Similarly, modern lighting and air conditioning has been added, which is probably something the priests in 1943 would have loved to have access to given the heat of Chiayi’s summer days.

The space today, though, is divided up into exhibitions about the history of the shrine, so its difficult for the average visitor to fully understand the original layout of the building, but the displays offer some very detailed information about the various elements of the design.

That being said, one of the genius aspects of the design of buildings like this, especially since air conditioning hadn’t been invented yet, was that the windows in the building were specifically constructed to open up and allow fresh air into the building. The air circulation system included sliding windows panels at the rear of the building that could be completely opened as well as ventilation within the sliding panels within the interior.

It would have been hot within the buildings, but the design did its best to mitigate the sweltering tropical heat of Chiayi, something which I personally can’t endure for very long before I start to melt.

Ritual Storage Building (祭器庫 / さいきくら)

Even though this is just a simple storage building, it is still one of the highlights of what remains of the former Shinto Shrine. Among the remnants of Taiwan’s Shinto Shrines, you’ll find that this particular type of building is quite rare, and only here at the Chiayi Shrine will you find one in such great shape. While a ‘storage' building might sound rather unimportant, it is actually an integral part of the shrine, as it is a space where some really important objects, that were used for special occasions, were kept.

The most important of these objects would have been the shrine’s ‘mikoshi’ (神輿 / みこし), a specially-branded palanquin constructed especially for the shrine. The mikoshi would have been used to transport one of the kami whenever they came out during the annual ‘matsuri festival’ (祭 / まつり), which was held on October 28th every year in Chiayi.

In order to keep the mikoshi safe, the rectangular building was constructed with reinforced concrete in the traditional irimoya-zukuri (入母造 / いりもやづくり) architectural style mentioned earlier. Given that it was constructed with concrete, the base was easily able to stabilize the weight of the roof above, and also allowed for windows on three sides of the building.

In most cases, irimoya-style buildings make use of intricate hip-and-gable style roofs, but in this case, the roof was constructed with a simple, yet beautifully decorated two-sided kirizuma-zukuri-style (切妻造 / きりづまづくり) with gable-ends on the front and rear of the building.

First Generation Shrine Ruins (第一代嘉義神社殘跡)

Arguably one of the more important of the remaining sections of the shrine are the ruins of the First Generation Shrine, which was later used to house a separate set of kami. That being said, for most visitors, this is likely to simply appear as an uninteresting cement base, and probably don’t really understand the point or the purpose of what the ruins entail.

Personally, this is one of my favorite parts of the park as it shows the size of the First Generation Shrine.

Featuring the ruins of both the Hall of Worship (拜殿 / はいでん) and the Main Hall (本殿 / ほんでん), the park has constructed a wooden structure around the perimeter of the base where the larger Hall of Worship once stood while the Main Hall to the rear, which was elevated on a cement base remains in place.

The cement base of the Main Hall, which is well over a century old now is cracked, likely due to earthquake damage, but it otherwise remains in excellent condition. It’s a simple square-shaped pedestal that has a set of stairs in the front that would have allowed the shrine’s priests to approach the Main Hall that was placed on top. Currently, there is a barrier around it to keep people from crawling all over it as it is part of the protected heritage site.

Chiayi Park / Showa 18 Relic Museum (嘉義市史蹟資料館)

As mentioned earlier, Chiayi Park, originally known as ‘Kagi Park’, then renamed to Zhongshan Park, and finally changed back to its original name in 1996, is an expansive 268,000 square meter natural space within the confines of Chiayi City. The park features not only the ruins of the Shinto Shrine, but also the Chiayi Confucius Temple (嘉義孔廟), the Chiayi Martyrs Shrine (嘉義忠烈祠), the Sun-Shooting Tower (射日塔), the KANO baseball park, and the Chiayi Botanical Gardens (嘉義植物園). The trees in the park, most of which were planted during the Japanese-era are tall and beautiful, and there is always something taking place as it is popular with both the locals and tourists alike.

Currently located within the Administration Office and Priests Hall is the “Showa 18 Relic Museum,” which is split up into an exhibition space, and a coffee shop where visitors can enjoy some coffee, tea or afternoon snacks. The term “Showa 18” refers to the eighteenth year of Emperor Showa’s (better known in English as Hirohito) reign, coinciding with 1943 on the western calendar. Named for the year of the completion of the Second Generation Kagi Shrine, the museum features exhibitions about the shrine’s history, and features relics from the shrine that have been preserved over the years.

Within the buildings, you’ll also find a small shop that sells locally made products that celebrate the history of Chiayi, created to look like the kind of amulets that you’d purchase at a shrine in Japan, as well as a kimono rental service that is likely popular with instagrammers.

Residents of Chiayi can enter the museum free of charge, but the rest of us have to pay a 50NT admission fee to enter the buildings to check them out. The ticket price however can be used to discount anything that you purchase within the building, so if you want to have a drink, snack, or purchase one of the crafts inside, it’s not that bad. Even if you don’t purchase anything, I highly recommend going into the buildings to check them out. The museum section features some interesting exhibits, and the interior of the buildings are absolutely beautiful, and as mentioned above, have been wonderfully restored to their original condition.

Getting There

 

Address: #42 Gongyuan Street, East District, Chiayi City

嘉義市東區公園街42號

GPS: 23.481070, 120.467690

If you find yourself in Chiayi, one of the best ways to get around is to rent a scooter from one of the rental shops next to the train station. Renting a scooter, though, can sometimes be a hassle for international travelers, especially if you haven’t brought an International Drivers License along with you on your trip. So, if you’d like to make your way to Chiayi Park to check out the shrine, the Confucius Temple, or any of the other historic structures in or around the park, your best bet is to probably hop on a bus just outside of the Chiayi Train Station (嘉義車站).

Bus

In recent years, Chiayi City has upgraded its bus network into a “BRT” (Bus Rapid Transport) system similar to the one in used in Taichung. The new system has replaced all of the old Chiayi Bus (嘉義公車) routes that used to exist. So, if you’ve looked at other resources online that haven’t been updated, you might find yourself a bit confused about how to get around.

From Chiayi Station, you’ll want to hop on either Bus #7211 or Bus #7212, both of which travel a square-like route through the city center.

Link: Chiayi BRT Bus #7211 and 7212 Route Map (嘉義客運) | Map and Schedule

You also have the option of hopping on the Taiwan Tour Bus (台灣好行) #0715 from the station, but it comes much less frequently than the other two.

Youbike

If you can’t get access to a rental scooter, never fear, the weather in Chiayi is great year-round and the city has a large number of Youbike Stations where you can pick up a bicycle and drop it off. If you’re setting off from the train station, there is a Youbike station directly to left of the entrance. From there, you can make your way to Chiayi Park on your bike, riding straight down Chungshan Road (中山路) to the park, or whatever route you prefer. There are at least four Youbike stations surrounding the park, so you’ll be able to easily drop the bike off when you need to.

Apart from that, if you don’t feel like taking a bus, or riding a Youbike across town, you always have the option of grabbing a taxi at the train station. A trip to the park won’t be too expensive, and once you’re there, you’ll be able to walk to a few other destinations that are close by.

If you find yourself in Chiayi, you’ll find that there are a large number of historic destinations to experience, and the ruins of the Kagi Shrine are just one that you’ll find conveniently located within the Chiayi Park. You may not think that visiting a park is worth your precious travel time, you may not also think that the ruins of a Shinto Shrine are all that important, but when it comes to the history and the development of Chiayi City as we know it today, the shrine, played a pretty important role.

If you’re looking for places to visit, the park is close to a number of historic destinations, and you’re also in luck because there are also a number of really great coffee shops surrounding the perimeter, where you’ll be able to take a break from the sun. Obviously this is a destination that is my kind of thing, but since Chiayi really promotes its Japanese-era history for tourism, there’s probably no better place to visit than the shrine!

References

  1. Kagi Shrine | 嘉義神社 中文 | 嘉義神社 日文 (Wiki)

  2. Chiayi | 嘉義市 中文 | 嘉義市 日文 (Wiki)

  3. 嘉義街 | 嘉義郡 | 臺南州 (Wiki)

  4. 台灣神社列表 (Wiki)

  5. 嘉義公園 (Wiki)

  6. Shrine Architecture | 神社建築 中文 | 神社建築 日文 (Wiki)

  7. Modern system of ranked Shinto shrines | 近代社格制度 (Wiki)

  8. 原嘉義神社暨附屬館所 (國家文化資產網)

  9. 嘉義神社與參道外貌 (國家文化記憶庫)

  10. 臺灣日治時期地方政府廳舍建築 (Wiki)

  11. 嘉義市市定古蹟原嘉義神社附屬館所調查研究 (嘉義市文化局)

Historic Photos

  1. 臺灣國定古蹟編纂研究小組 (Facebook)

  2. 臺灣の神社遺跡 (Facebook)

  3. 帝國の臺灣 (Facebook)

  4. Geomosa (Facebook)

  5. 嘉義神社與參道外貌 (國家文化記憶庫)


Taichung Train Station (臺中驛)

At some point during my elementary school years, my grandma arrived at our house to collect my sister and I for a trip to visit the extended family. Every summer we’d have a several day long family reunion in Halifax, but this time was different. Most of the time my grandfather would be in charge of driving us on the two hour journey to this city, but this time, he was busy with work, so he couldn’t join us. Instead, we drove to a local train station, and for the first time in my life, I stepped foot on a train.

For people here in Taiwan, getting on a train for the first time probably isn’t one of those memorable experiences that they remember vividly later in life, it’s just something that is simply part of daily life for a lot of people here that they take it for granted. For Canadians, though, taking a train, sadly, tends to be a very rare occurrence. I remember getting off the train, walking down a large covered platform, and then emerging into a massive open building, probably one of the largest buildings I had been in by that point in my life, and was in awe of the beauty of the European-style building.

Decades later, I found myself on a train bound south to the central Taiwanese city of Taichung for a weekend trip. When we arrived, I remember getting off of the train, walking down the platform to the station hall from which we’d start our weekend of exploration. Putting my ticket into the turnstile, I walked into the massive station, and was almost automatically transported back to that vivid childhood memory of my first experience on a train.

The station was busy, but the interior was massive, with high ceilings, white walls and European-style architecture. It wasn’t an experience that I was expecting, but it was one that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I didn’t particularly know that much about Taiwan at the time, so I never really put much thought into why the building appeared the way it did. but I enjoyed the quick reminder of my childhood experience, and then walked out of the station to check into our hotel for the weekend. Now that I’ve been in Taiwan for quite a while, and I’ve learned a lot about the nation’s history, I’m a little sad that I didn’t spend time taking photos of the station as it was while it was still in action.

Sadly, the historic Taichung Station, which had served the community just short of a century, like many other historic train stations around the country, was replaced with a modern-looking monstrosity, but came with the promise of increased efficiency, and for some people, that’s more important.

Actually, the modern station is quite beautiful in its own right, I shouldn’t be so harsh in my description. It’s a very well-designed open space, but it’ll never be as iconic as its predecessor.

Of the major Japanese-era railway stations, Taichung’s beautiful railway station was part of a short list of buildings that remained in operation almost a century after they were constructed. Today, only Hsinchu Station (新竹車站), Chiayi Station (嘉義車站) and Tainan Station (臺南車站) remain, and unsurprisingly, it seems like they might be running short on time, as well. Fortunately, unlike the disappearance of Japanese-era railway stations in Keelung (基隆車站), and Hualian (花蓮車站), local authorities had the foresight to preserve the historic station, giving the people of Taichung the peace of mind that even though some things might change, others would stay very much the same.

Today, I’m going to introduce the historic Taichung Train Station, it’s history, and its architectural design. Even though the station has recently been decommissioned, it has become part of a large cultural park that focuses on the history of the railway, something for which you’ll discover Taichung owes much of its prosperity to, so if you find yourself visiting the city today, a visit to the Railway Cultural Park that they have set up is a pretty good way to spend some of your time.

Taichung Railway Station (臺中驛 / たいちゆうえき)

To introduce the historic Taichung Railway Station, I’m going to do a bit of a deep dive into the events that led up to the arrival of the Japanese in Taiwan, and the development of the railway, which ushered in an era of modernity and economic opportunity that the people of Taiwan had yet to experience. While explaining how the railway became an instrumental tool for fueling the Japanese empire’s goal of extracting the island’s precious natural resources, I hope to also offer a bit of context as to why this station in particular became so important. Before I start, though, I need to reiterate that the building I’ll be introducing isn’t the current railway station, it’s the historic building that is located directly next door.

For anyone who has grown up in the Taichung, terms like ‘First Generation’, ‘Second Generation’ or ‘Third Generation’ don’t really mean anything - there’s only one Taichung Station, and there’s that newer-looking building next door where the trains currently come and go from. Understandably, when you’ve been the beating heart of a city for well over a century, it takes people a while to adjust to the newer situation.

The history of the railway in Taiwan dates back as early as 1891 (光緒17年), just a few short years prior to the arrival of the Japanese. A first for Taiwan, the railway project is arguably one of the most ambitious development projects undertaken by the Qing government while they still held control of the island. Under the leadership of Liu Mingchuan (劉銘傳), who would end up being the last governor of Taiwan, at its height, the Qing-era railway stretched from the port city of Keelung (基隆) to Hsinchu (新竹). However, even though the project was led by foreign engineers, the end result turned out to be a rudimentary, treacherous route that ultimately came at far too high of a cost to continue financing. Suffice to say, none of this should be particularly surprising, especially when you take into consideration that during the two centuries that the Qing controlled portions of the island, they never particularly cared very much about developing it, and this was especially true during the final few decades of their administration as they were more occupied with war (and revolution) at home.

The Manchu’s came to power in China at a time when the previous rulers had become far too weak to contend with constant rebellions and civil disorder. In what may seem like a case of history repeating itself, by the late 1800s, Qing rule had similarly become incompetent, and corruption was rife throughout the country. Putting it bluntly, the level of corruption and incompetence prevented China from modernizing its military, but it also resulted in them shooting themselves in the proverbial foot with some diplomatic missteps that led to war with Japan.

Known today as the ‘First Sino-Japanese War’ (1894-1895), the whole affair ended about as quickly as it began, resulting in considerable embarrassment for the Qing rulers, who were completely unprepared to wage a modern war against a well-equipped Japanese military. The year-long war ultimately shifted the balance of power in Asia from China to Japan, and would be one of the catalysts for revolution in China that would just a few years later bring thousands of years of imperial rule to an end.

Unable to successfully wage war against the Japanese, the Qing were forced to sue for peace a little more than six months into the war. This resulted in the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki (下関条約), which forced China to recognize the independence of Korea, and the Chinese would have to pay Japan reparations amounting to 8,000,000kg of silver. More importantly with regard to this article however, it also meant that Taiwan, and the Penghu Islands would be ceded to Japan in perpetuity.

Shortly thereafter, the Japanese set sail for Taiwan, landing in Keelung on May 29th, 1895. Upon arrival, Japanese forces were met with fierce resistance from the remnants of the Qing forces stationed on the island, local Hakka militias, and the indigenous people. Over the next five months, the Japanese gradually made their way south fighting a nasty guerrilla war that ‘officially’ came to an end with the fall of Tainan in October. That being said, even though the military had more or less taken control of Taiwan’s major towns, the insurgency and resistance to their rule lasted for quite a few more years, resulting in some brutal events taking place during that time.

Nevertheless, similar to the war with China, the superiority of the modern Japanese military easily dispatched the local armies, which vastly outnumbered them. The campaign, however taught the Japanese a hard, yet valuable lesson as figures show that over ninety-percent of the Japanese military deaths were caused by malaria-related complications.

Taiwan’s hostile environment turned out to be one of the main reasons why the Qing were so ambivalent towards the island, but is something that the Japanese were intent on addressing, especially since they were invested in extracting the island’s vast treasure trove of natural resources. To accomplish that mission, they would first have to put in place the necessary infrastructure for combating these diseases.

One of the colonial government’s first major development projects got its start shortly after the first Japanese boots stepped foot in Keelung in 1895. The military had brought with them a group of western-educated military engineers, and they were tasked with getting the existing Qing-era railway back up and running, as well as coming up with proposals for extending the railway around the island. As the military made its way south, the team of engineers followed close behind surveying the land for the future railway. By 1902, the team came up with a proposal for the ‘Jukan Tetsudo Project’ (縱貫鐵道 / ゅうかんてつどう), otherwise known as the ‘Taiwan Trunk Railway Project,’ which would have a railroad pass through each of Taiwan’s established western coast settlements, including Kirin (基隆), Taihoku (臺北), Shinchiku (新竹), Taichu (臺中), Tainan (臺南) and Takao (高雄).

Link: Taiwan Railway Museum (臺灣總督府鐵道部)

Construction of the railway was divided into three phases with teams of engineers spread out between the ‘northern’, ‘central’ and ‘southern' regions of the island. Amazingly, in just four short years, from 1900 and 1904, the northern and southern portions of the railway were completed, but due to some unforeseen complications, the central area met with delays and construction issues due to the necessity for the construction of a number of bridges and tunnels through the mountains.

Nevertheless, the more than four-hundred kilometer western railway was completed in 1908 (明治41), taking just under a decade to complete, a feat in its own right, given all of the obstacles that had to be overcome. To celebrate this massive accomplishment, the Colonial Government held an inauguration ceremony within the newly established Taichung Park (台中公園) with Prince Kanin Kotohito (閑院宮載仁親王) invited to take part in the ceremony.

The Japanese authorities touted the completion of the railway as part of a new era of peace and stability in Taiwan, and one that would help to usher in a new period of modernization, one that would bring economic stability to the people of the island - and for the most part, they were right about that.

The completion of the railway was instrumental in the development of the island and was a stark contrast from what the Qing considered a “ball of mud beyond the pale of civilization” (海外泥丸,不足為中國加廣) to an integral part of the Japanese empire.

Link: Mid-Lake Pavilion (湖心亭)

While the construction of the railroad, for the most part, seems to have gone by quite smoothly, as mentioned earlier, the central region was faced with delays in its completion in part due to poor planning and the necessity for the construction of large bridges and tunnels, which took longer than anticipated. That being said, by 1905, there were trains running a limited service route within Taichu Prefecture (臺中廳 / たいちゅうちょう) prior to their eventual connection with the northern and southern portions of the railway across the Da’an (大安溪) and Dadu (大肚溪) rivers.

One of the stations along the limited service route was the First Generation Taichung Railway Station (台中停車場), a modest single-story wooden station hall, which officially opened on June 10th, 1905 ( (明治38年). For the three years prior to the completion of the railway, the ‘Taichung Line’ connected the downtown of Taichung with Koroton Station (葫產激驛 / ころとんえき), Tanshiken Station (潭仔乾驛 / たんしけん), Ujitsu Station (烏日驛 / うじつえき), and Daito Station (大肚驛 / だいとえき), known today as Fengyuan (豐原), Tanzi (潭子), Wuri (烏日) and Chenggong (成功) Stations, respectively.

First Generation Taichung Railway Station

Link: Railway Station Name Change Chart (臺灣日治時期火車站新舊地名對照表)

With the completion of the Western Trunk Railway in 1908, Taichung, like many other major settlements around Taiwan experienced an economic boom, and as its economy thrived, more and more people made their way to the city to take part in the economic successes, that were in large part thanks to the railway. As the most important passenger and freight station in central Taiwan, Taichung Station quickly became an extremely busy place, and after less than a decade, the city had already outgrown its small wooden station hall. Thus, when the decision was made to replace the original station with a new one. This time, though, Taichung Station would become one of the largest stations on the island and would be one that reflected the prosperous community that it served.

Second Generation Taichung Railway Station

That being said, while construction of the new station was getting underway, some of the issues and delays caused during the construction of central Taiwan’s railway ended up persisting long after its completion. With the constant threat of earthquakes and typhoons creating major service disruptions, and the fact that central Taiwan was an important region for the extraction of sugarcane, fruit, and other commodities, the Railway Department of the Governor General of Taiwan (台灣總督府交通局鐵道部) was forced to come up with a solution to the problem. The answer came in the form of the “Kaigan-sen” (かいがんせん / 海岸線), or the Coastal Railway Branch Line, which started just south of Hsinchu and connected with the Western Trunk railway in the south of Taichung.

Link: The Coastal Railway Five Treasures (海線五寶) | Tai’an Railway Station (泰安舊車站)

The ‘Second Generation Taichung Railway Station’ officially opened on November 6th, 1917 (大正6年) - Much larger than the first generation building, the 436㎡ (132坪) station was constructed with reinforced concrete, red bricks and a beautiful wooden roof using a mixture of European Renaissance Architectural design. The construction of the second generation station was also an important time with regard to the expansion of the platform space, which was expanded to a size of 403㎡ (122坪), offering a covered roof for people waiting for their trains to arrive, and the installation of an underground walkway to replace the overpass that was constructed for the first generation building.

Over the following century, Taichung Station became one of the longest-serving symbols of the city, sharing important cultural and historic links with the people of Taichung. The station has lived through war, the subsequent authoritarian era, and has witnessed first hand a modern city develop around it. Like many of its contemporaries, however, the station fell victim to modernity, and in 2016, ninety-nine years after the first train rolled into the station, the final train departed.

It may have been the end of an era for the storied station hall, but we are fortunate that the local government had the foresight to realize that the historic building holds a special place in the hearts of the citizens of the city, said to ‘served as the iconic beating heart of the city.’ If they tore it down and replaced like so many of the other historic railway stations around the country, there might have been riots in the streets. Today, the historic Taichung Railway Station is part of a large railway cultural park next to the current station, and the people of Taichung, and the rest of us, are able to enjoy its continued existence.

Before I move on to detailing the architectural design of the station, I’ve put together a timeline of events in the dropdown box below with regard to the station’s history for anyone who is interested:

    • 1896 (明治29年) - The Colonial Government puts a team of engineers in place to plan for a railway network on the newly acquired island.

    • 1902 (明治35年) - After years of planning and surveying, the government formally approves the Jukan Tetsudo Project (縱貫鐵道 / ゅうかんてつどう), a railway plan to be constructed along the western and eastern coasts of the island.

    • 1905 (明治38年) - The First Generation Taichung Station (台中停車場) opens for operation.

    • 1908 (明治41年) - The 400 kilometer Taiwan Western Line (西部幹線) is completed with a ceremony held within Taichung Park (台中公園) on October 24th. For the first time, the major settlements along the western coast of the island are connected by rail from Kirin (Keelung 基隆) to Takao (Kaohsiung 高雄).

    • 1909 (明治42年) - A cross-platform sky bridge is constructed alongside the first freight warehouse.

    • 1913 (大正3年) - The Western Trunk Railway is extended further south to Pingtung (屏東), known then as Ako (阿緱/あこう).

    • 1917 (大正6年) - Construction on the Second Generation Taichung Railway Station is completed with an official opening ceremony held on November 6th.

    • 1919 (大正8年) - Construction on the "Kaigan-sen” (かいがんせん / 海岸線), coastal branch railway in the Miaoli-Taichung area gets underway.

    • 1922 (大正11年) - The Coastal Railway is completed and opens for operation.

    • 1923 (大正12年) - Crown Prince Hirohito makes an official visit to the city.

    • 1925 (大正14年) - Prince Chichibu (秩父宮雍仁親王) makes an official visit to the city.

    • 1926 (昭和1年) - Prince Takamatsu (高松宮宣仁親王) makes an official visit to the city.

    • 1935 (昭和35年) - The magnitude 7.1 Shinchiku-Taichū earthquake (新竹‧台中地震 / しんちく‧たいちゅうじしん) with an epicenter in nearby Houli (后里) rocks the island becoming the deadliest quake in Taiwan’s recorded history and causes massive damage around the island.

    • 1945 (昭和45年) - The station is heavily damaged during Allied Bombing raids.

    • 1946 (民國35年) - President Chiang Kai-Shek (蔣介石) marks his first visit to Taichung, traveling by train.

    • 1947 (民國36年) - Residents of Taichung hold a ‘228 Incident’ (二二八事件民眾起意大會) speaking event outside of the railway station, resulting in one of the first government crackdowns in central Taiwan.

    • 1949 (民國38年) - The Rear Station Hall (後站) officially opens.

    • 1964 (民國53年) - The Rear Station Hall is restored and renovated.

    • 1979 (民國68年) - The Taiwan Railway Corporation completes construction on the electrification of the Western Trunk Line.

    • 1995 (民國83年) - The government designates Taichung Station as a Second Grade Protected Historic Building (二級古蹟).

    • 1999 (民國88年) - The devastating 921 Earthquake (921大地震) in central Taiwan causes a tremendous amount of damage to the railway, shutting it down for almost two weeks.

    • 2005 (民國94年) - Taichung Railway Station celebrates its centennial, and the earthquake reparation work on the station is completed after a several year long project.

    • 2012 (民國101年) - Construction on the Third Generation Elevated Taichung Station (臺中車站高架化新站) breaks ground.

    • 2016 (民國105年) - On October 15th, the final express train to pass through the historic ground-level railway station is dispatched from Pingtung on its way to Taipei. The next day, the first northbound train departed from the elevated station at 6:25am, and a few minutes later, the first southbound train departed at 6:33am.

    • 2017 (民國106年) - The Second Generation Taichung Railway Station officially celebrates its centennial anniversary.

    • 2020 (民國109年) - The massive 19,800m2 Taichung Railway Cultural Park (臺中驛鐵道文化園區) is officially inaugurated, and the historic railway station is reopened to the public as part of a park that will continue to expand over the next few years as other historic buildings are restored.

Architectural Design

Looking back, it’s safe to say that the construction of Taiwan’s major railway stations certainly wasn’t an undertaking that the Japanese authorities took lightly. For each of Taiwan’s major population centers, the colonial government constructed a building that was ostentatious not only in its size, but it’s architectural design as well. For those of you who live in or have visited Taiwan, you may find it difficult to believe, but over a century ago, the island was pretty much devoid of development - prior to the arrival of the Japanese in 1895, it would have been extremely rare to see major construction projects like this, so massive buildings like this would have been something completely new to the people living here.

To put it in perspective, the construction of this station is likely to have aroused a similar type of awe and amazement as Taipei 101 did while it was under construction.

Of particular note, the railway stations constructed in Keelung, Taipei, Hsinchu, Taichung, Chiayi, Tainan, and Kaohsiung were highly regarded for their architectural beauty, most of which made use of a fusion of European and Japanese architectural design, with reinforced concrete, something that was quite uncommon, and very expensive, in the early years of the colonial era.

Something I’ve found to be quite a head-scratcher, and what seems to be one of the most common inaccuracies that you’ll find with regard to discussions about the Taichung Railway Station is the ‘person’ credited with its architectural design. So, let me take a minute to explain what’s actually getting lost in translation here. Most of the resources you’ll find regarding the architectural design of the station is that it was designed by an architect named Tatsuno Kingo (辰野 金吾 / たつの きんご), and oddly enough, both the Chinese and English resources that you’ll find misinterpret this fact.

In actuality, Tatsuno is fondly remembered as one of the founding members of the Architectural Institute of Japan, first studying under Josiah Conder, who is considered the “father of Japanese modern architecture,” before traveling to study architecture at the University of London. When he eventually returned to Japan, he took up a position as the Dean of Architecture at the University of Tokyo, and instructed many of the young designers who would follow in his footsteps. Tatsuno’s designs were inspired by the work of Christopher Wren and William Burges, architects whose work he studied during his years at the University of London. As part of the first generation of European-trained Japanese architects, Tatsuno’s architectural styles influenced many of those who followed in his footsteps designing modern buildings in the European Classical and Victorian styles.

In the early days of Taiwan’s colonial era, young Japanese architects likely salivated at the opportunity to come to Taiwan. The island was essentially a blank canvas, and with the government’s support, they hopped on boats and came to a place where they had considerably more freedom to be creative with their urban development projects. That being said, Tatsuno, who is known for his work with the Bank of Japan, Tokyo Station, the National Sumo Arena, etc, never actually made it to Taiwan, passing away in 1919.

Nevertheless, in order to do the building honor, the architects at the Department of Public Works (臺灣總督府交通局鐵道部) took inspiration from Tatsuno’s work, which by that time had become known as the “Tatsuno style” (辰野式), and with so many of his students employed in Taiwan, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that buildings like Presidential Building (總統府), the Monopoly Bureau (專賣局), Taichung City Hall (臺中市役所), and the Ximen Red House (西門紅樓), among others, were all inspired by his work.

Making use of a combination of red bricks and white stone in decorative patterns, with the addition of dormer windows, straight-flowing lines and beautiful stone pillars, Tatsuno’s style imitated the architectural designs he observed while studying in London. Combining elements of Gothic, Baroque, Renaissance and Art-Nouveau in a mixture that architects of the era referred to as “Free Classical,” (自由古典風格) it’s rather obvious that quite a few of these elements are elegantly put on display within the Taichung Railway’s architectural design. So, even though Tatsuno didn’t personally design the station, a quick look at one of his masterpieces, Tokyo Station (東京驛) should give you a pretty good idea as to where the inspiration for this station came from.

Interestingly, Tatsuno Kingo (金吾) was often referred to instead as “Kengo” (堅固), a play on words in Japanese that referred to the firmness and symmetry for which his buildings were designed. With that in mind, following the Tatsuno-style of ‘Free Classical’ design, the Taichung Train Station follows suit with equally-sized eastern and western wings connected to a tower located directly in the center of the building.

While the building looks large enough to have several floors, once you enter, you’ll notice that the interior space features high ceilings, which are naturally lit by the large windows in the center and along the eastern and western wings. The lobby is a bright and spacious room featuring white walls with the wings only separated only by stone columns, which help to stabilize the weight of the roof above.

If you look carefully at the stone columns within the building, you’ll notice a bit of localization going on with the inclusion of decorative elements featuring a variety of local produce, including bananas, pomegranates, pineapples, wax apples with a mixture of flowers and plants.

While the columns within the interior are decorative and celebrate central Taiwan’s agricultural prowess, what you don’t see is their functionality, which is covered by the closed ceiling. Within the attic space, there is an intricate network of wooden roof trusses and beams that have been installed to help stabilize the four-sided sloping gable roof that covers the station. The space above the eastern and western wings does the majority of the work with regard to stabilization as the central section, which features the iconic clock tower.

The central portion of the station tends to be the most architecturally significant section of the building as it protrudes from the roof in both the front and the rear. The space features a large front door as well as an open space at the rear where passengers would make their way through the turnstiles to the platform area. Protruding from the four-sided gable roof in the front, the central portion features its own two-sided roof with stone-carved floral and fruit displays at the apex and on the left and right.

The clock-tower rises up above the mid-section and features a four-sided copper roof of its own, with a spire reaching from the center.

While I’m not particularly sure if there was a clock in this space or not, the circular section in the middle facing outward from the building was replaced with the ‘Taiwan Railway’ logo at some point after the Japanese Colonial Era ended.

Once you’ve gone through the turnstiles to the platform area, one of the things you’ll want to pay attention to are the cast-iron columns along the platform space that maintain a similar approach to the Renaissance-style of architectural design. This is actually one of the only railway stations in Taiwan that maintains its original Japanese-era architectural designs, so when the area was restored, they made sure that extra attention was paid to these columns along the platform, which in some cases look like they’re straight out of Rome.

Speaking to the restoration of the building, it’s important to note some of the changes that took place within the station over the years. Today, if you visit, you’ll find the original wooden ticket booth, which has been well-preserved. That being said, as the city grew, the amount of passengers passing through the station increased. Thus, the eastern wing was renovated to feature a much larger ticket booth with offices for the station master and staff.

You can see the original train schedule displayed above this space, and there are currently informative displays in this space that help visitors understand the history of the building. The chairs within the western waiting space have been removed, and the space is now open with some educational displays added that help visitors understand the architectural design.

Taichung Railway Cultural Park (臺中驛鐵道文化園區)

A few years after operations at the century-old railway station were transferred to the newly constructed elevated station, the ‘Taichung Railway Cultural Park’ was officially inaugurated. Located next to the current railway station, the park not only includes the historic Taichung Station, but several other historic railway-related structures as well. That being said, the roll out of these historic structures, and their restoration continues to be a work in progress.

As I noted in my article regarding the role that Public-Private Partnerships (linked below) have played in the conservation of historic buildings in Taiwan, the Taichung Railway Cultural Park is almost a case study in its own right as the formation of the park has utilized a complex combination of OT (Operate-Transfer), ROT (Rehabilitate-Operate-Transfer) and BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) agreements with regard to the restoration and operation of the spaces within the park.

As part of the private partnerships operation agreement, the newly constructed elevated railway station also includes an impressive space on the first and second floors where visitors can enjoy local restaurants and purchase souvenirs from the city. As one of the city’s largest transport hubs, the railway station portion of the park can be a pretty busy place, but it has also become a popular spot for weekend pop-up markets, which are held along the historic train platform areas attracting quite a few visitors. It’s also become a great stop for foodies who can either enjoy a meal in one of the fifty-or-so restaurants within the park, or from some of the vendors within the market.

Similarly, if you’re a fan of the railway, it’s a great place to visit to enjoy the history of one of Taiwan’s oldest train stations, with exhibitions about its history, and even some historic trains that you can get on and check out.

Link: The role of Public-Private Partnerships in Conserving Historic Buildings in Taiwan

The culture park (currently) consists of the Second and Third Generation Railway Stations, the historic Taichung Rear Station (臺中後站), the Taichung Railway Freight Warehouses (二十號倉庫建築群), Taichung Station Railway Dormitories (復興路寄宿舍) and the Taiwan Connection 1908 railway path (臺中綠空鐵道). As mentioned above, though, not all of the buildings within the park have been restored and reopened to the public. Thus far, the historic train station, the rail platforms, the freight warehouses, and the green corridor have been opened. The railway dormitories and the rear station on the other hand are still in the process of being restored, and it’s unclear as to when they’ll have their official opening.

One of the best things about the park is that if you’re interested in the city’s history, you’re also a short walk from the historic Teikoku Sugar Factory Headquarters (帝國製糖廠臺中營業所), Taichung Park (台中公園), Taichung City Hall (台中市役所), the Taichung Prefectural Hall (台中州廳), and the Taichung Prison Martial Arts Hall. Similarly, the Taichung Confucius Temple (台中孔廟), Taichung Martyrs Shrine (臺中市忠烈祠) and the Taichung Literary Park (台中文學館) are all close by, and each of them originated during the Japanese-era, albeit with some caveats.

Unfortunately, even though the government has spent a considerable amount of money restoring buildings and making the railway park a really cool place to visit, the amount of information you’ll find available about it online is pretty weak. One of Taiwan’s biggest problems when it comes to tourism is that the government is willing to spend the money to develop these places, but when it comes to marketing them, especially to an international audience, they have absolutely no idea what to do. If you don’t believe me, feel free to click the link below to check out the railway park’s official website. I highly doubt you’ll be blown away by the effort that was put into its creation, or the amount of information that’s available.

Website: Taichung Railway Cultural Park (臺中驛鐵道文化園區) | Facebook Page

Hours: 11:00-21:00 (Monday to Friday), 10:30 - 21:30 (weekends and national holidays).

Getting There

 

Address: No. 1, Sec. 1, Taiwan Boulevard, Taichung (臺中市中區臺灣大道一段1號)

GPS: 24.141480, 120.680400

Whenever I write about one of Taiwan’s train stations, obviously the best advice for getting there is to take the train. Even though the historic Taichung Train Station has been put out of operation, both the station and the Taichung Railway Cultural Park are conveniently accessible via the newly constructed elevated Taichung Railway Station. So, if you’re coming from out of town, no matter if you’re coming from the north or the south, once you arrive at Taichung Station, you’re able to visit the culture park as soon as you exit the gates. That being said, if you’re arriving in town by way of the High Speed Rail, you’re going to have to transfer from the HSR station to the Xinwuri TRA Station (新烏日站), both of which are directly connected to each other. From there, you’ll make your way to Taichung Station, which is only four stops away.

If you’re in the city with a car, simply drive to Taichung Station, with the address provided above input into your GPS. There is a parking lot located within the lower levels of the station, so finding parking near the park is quite easy. Similarly, if you’re driving a scooter, you’ll find quite a bit of parking to the right of the historic station running perpendicular along Jianguo Road (建國路). It shouldn’t be too difficult to find a parking space, unless of course you’re visiting during a national holiday.

Old stamps for printing tickets

If you’re already in the city, but would like to visit, the park unfortunately isn’t accessible via the newly opened Taichung MRT, and it doesn’t look like it will be in the near future. So, if you want to make use of public transportation, the city has a number of buses that stop at both the front and rear sections of the station. The number of buses is quite expansive, so instead of listing them here, click the link to the Taichung Bus (台中客運) website below, where you can find the schedule and prices for each of the buses that service the station.

Link: Taichung Bus - Taichung Railway Station Buses

If you weren’t already aware, due to the lack of a proper subway system in the city for so long, the bus network has become quite expansive, convenient and reliable. If you’re in the city, taking the bus is probably one of your best options for getting around. If like most people, the bus network is a bit intimidating, never fear, simply open up Google Maps and set the Train Station as your destination, and the bus routes that you’ll need to take from wherever you are.

While living in Taiwan, I was fortunate enough to pass through the gates of the historic train station on quite a few occasions while it was still in operation. I’ve always been a big fan of Taichung, and there’s always quite a bit to do when visiting the city. In the near future, the city will be opening several new Japanese-era culture parks, so it’s likely that I’ll be making my way down there more often to check out some of these newly opened tourist attractions. Now that the train station has become part of a much larger culture park, it is a convenient place to check out, especially given that it is located next to the current station. If you’re arriving in town by the train, like so many millions of others have since 1905, you’re automatically treated to a birds-eye view of how Taichung has developed into a major city over the past century.

References

  1. Taichung Railway Station | 臺中車站 中文 | 台中駅 日文 (Wiki)

  2. 臺中火車站 古蹟 (Wiki)

  3. Taichu Prefecture | 臺中州 中文 | 台中州 日文 (Wiki)

  4. Tatsuno Kingo | 辰野金吾 中文 | 辰野金吾 日文 (Wiki)

  5. 第二級古蹟臺中火車站整體修復工程調查研究及修護計畫 (臺灣記憶)

  6. 國定古蹟臺中火車站保存計畫 (文化部)

  7. 台中火車站 (國家文化資料庫)

  8. 臺中火車站 (國家文化資產網)

  9. 台中車站 (舊) (鐵貓)

  10. Taichung Station Railway Cultural Park (臺中驛鐵路文化園區)

  11. 台中車站‧台灣唯一跨時代三代同堂的大車站 (旅行圖中)

  12. 臺中驛 (Wilhelm Cheng)

  13. Departing from where it all started: Taichung Railway Station (Taiwan Fun)