鐵道部

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

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The purpose of this website, and by extension this blog, has always been to showcase my photography and my travels around Taiwan. Over the years, I’ve been quite adamant that my photos should always be used to help tell the story of the places I’ve been visiting around the country. This article is thus going to be somewhat of a first for me and I’m publishing it mostly just to serve as a reference for a few of my other articles.

To start, I should offer a bit of a backstory: I don’t spend all that much time on social media, but from time to time, I find some real gems shared in the Taiwanese history groups that I follow. So while browsing recently, I came across a photo of (what appeared to be) something out of a newspaper. The photo appeared aged, and featured a list of locations in Taiwan that were part of a major name-change policy that took effect in the early 1920s.

This was something that automatically interested me, especially since it was primarily focused on the railway, so given that it was all in Chinese, I quickly translated parts of it, and shared it on my Twitter. I’m not necessarily going to suggest that the tweet went viral, but it did attract quite a bit of attention, especially from Taiwanese followers who commented that they had no idea about many of the original place names that they were seeing on the photo.

The photo appeared to be an announcement from the Japanese-era Taiwan Railway Bureau (台灣鐵道部), listing a number railway stations around the island that were changing their names. Most of the information that was listed on the chart wasn’t particularly new to me, but it was the first time that I had seen it put together, especially on something that looked official.

Honestly, this is an aspect of Taiwan’s history that I’ve probably touched upon more than a few dozen times on my various articles about the Japanese-era, so I thought it best that I put together this article, and make use of the chart to expand upon what took place. One of the other reasons I’m writing this, though, is because there isn’t much information available in the English language regarding some of these original location names. I thought it would be helpful for anyone interested to learn about aspects of Taiwan’s history that aren’t often mentioned.

This time, in lieu of my own photos, I’m just going to share maps of Taiwan from the Japanese-era, which are often beautifully designed, but also feature some of those location names prior to being changed.

Link: Taiwan’s Remaining Japanese-era Train Stations (台鐵現存日治時期車站)

In the early years of the Japanese-era, Taiwan's administrative districts were a bit of a mess, with about twenty somewhat unorganized prefectures (廳). By the time Emperor Taisho (大正天皇) had come to power, the situation in Taiwan had started to become much more organized, and after more than two decades of development, many of the villages, towns and cities that we know today had stated to take shape, with infrastructure in place to properly administer the island.

In 1920 (大正9年), the Japanese government in Tokyo instituted an administrative policy that standardized Taiwan’s geographic administrative areas with those in the rest of the country. Known as the ‘Dōka Policy’ (同化 / どーか), Taiwan’s administrative areas were converted from the original ‘prefectures’ (廳 / cho / ちょう) into the same ‘prefectures’ (州 / shu / しゅう) that were used in Japan at the time. It was during this time that they also reduced the original number of prefectures from twenty to eight.

As of 1920, Taiwan’s eight prefectures were:

  1. Taihoku (臺北州 / たいほくしゅう): Modern day Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung, Yilan

  2. Shinchiku (新竹州 / しんちくしゅう): Modern day: Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli

  3. Taichu (臺中州 / たいちゅうしゅう): Modern day: Taichung, Changhua, Nantou,

  4. Tainan (臺南州 / たいなんしゅう): Modern day: Chiayi, Yunlin, Tainan,

  5. Takao (高雄州 / たかおしゅう): Modern day: Kaohsiung, Pingtung

  6. Karenko (花蓮港廳 / かれんこうちょう): Modern day: Hualien

  7. Taito (臺東廳 / たいとうちょう): Modern day: Taitung, Green Island, Orchid Island

  8. Hoko (澎湖廳 /ほうこちょう): Modern day: Penghu Islands

Within each of these prefectures, you would have found subdivisions in the form of cities (市 / し) and counties (郡 / ぐん), which were then divided up into neighborhoods (町 / まち), towns (街 / がい), villages (庄 / そう) and Indigenous communities (蕃地 / ばんち), respectively.

While the colonial government was drawing up all of these new administrative districts, another issue that had to be dealt with were the names of some of these places. While it’s true that many of the major towns and villages around the island kept their original names, the Japanese weren’t exactly the biggest fans of some of them, so they decided to make some changes.

Prior to the arrival of the Japanese in 1895, Taiwan had been inhabited first it’s various tribes of indigenous peoples, then settlers from China started making their way across the strait, followed by the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, English, etc. With names derived from so many different influences, the Japanese sought to create a system that was not only modern, but easier to understand.

For those of you who are interested in the changes, I’ve put together a list of some of the name changes that took place in 1922. It’s a long list, and I’m only going to provide their original name, the name they changed to, and their current name. I won’t spend time translating each of them to Japanese as many of them also appear below:

  • 1. Chúi-tng-kha (水返腳) → Sek-chí / Xizhi (汐止) Hokkien origin

    2. Sek-kháu (錫口) → Siông-san / Songshan (松山) Hokkien origin

    3. Pressinowan (叭哩沙) → Sam-sing / Sanxing (三星) Ketagalan origin

    4. Pang-kiô (枋橋) → Pang-kiô / Banqiao (板橋) Hokkien origin

    5. Sann-kak-íng (三角湧) → Sam-kiap / Sanxia (三峽) Hokkien origin

    6. Kiâm-chhài-àng (鹹菜硼) → Guanˋ si / Guanxi (關西) Hakka origin

    7. On Phìn-tsṳ́n (安平鎮) → Phìn-tsun / Pingzhen (平鎮) Hakka origin

    8. Rhong moi lag (楊梅壢) → Rhong moi / Yangmei (楊梅) Hakka origin

    9. Takoham (大嵙崁) → Thai-hâi / Daxi (大溪) Ketagalan origin

    10. Su-gi-na (樹杞林) → Tek-tang / Zhudong (竹東) Hakka origin

    11. Co-sân (草山) → Pó-sân / Baoshan (寶山) Hakka origin

    12. Tonsuyan (屯消) → Thunsiau / Tongxiao (通霄) Taokas Origin

    13. Ataabu (阿罩霧) → Bu-hong / Wufeng (霧峰) Hoanya origin

    14. Sann-tsa̍p-tiunn-lê (三十張犁) → Pak-tun / Beitun (北屯) Hokkien origin

    15. Thài-pîng (太平) → Tua-pîng / Daping (大平) Hokkien origin

    16. Holotun (葫蘆墩) → Hong-guân / Fengyuan (豐原) Saisiyat origin

    17. Gû-mâ-thâu (牛罵頭) → Tshing-tsuí / Qingshui (清水) Hokkien origin

    18. Ka-tâu (茄投) → Liông-tsínn / Longjing (龍井) Hokkien origin

    19. Khóo Ka-ióng (茄苳腳) → Hue-tuânn / Huatan (花壇) Hokkien origin

    20. Kuan-tè thiann (關帝廳) → Éng-tseng / Yongjing (永靖) Hokkien origin

    21. Huan-á-uat (番仔挖) → Sua-suann / Shashan (沙山) Hokkien origin

    22. Chháu-ê-tun (草鞋墩) → Chháu-tùn / Caotun (草屯) Hokkien origin

    23. Lâm-ngá (湳仔) → Bêng-kan / Mingjian (名間) Hokkien origin

    24. Toukouva (塗庫) → Jîn-tik / Rende (仁德) Siraya origin

    25. Tavocan (大目降) → Sin-huà / Hsinhua (新化) Siraya origin

    26. Tapani (噍吧哖) → Ta-pa-nî / Yujing (玉井) Taivoan origin

    27. Tackalan (直加弄) → An-ting / Anding (安定) Siraya origin

    28. Saulang (蕭壠) → Ka-lí / Jiali (佳里) Siraya origin

    29. Tiàm-á-kháu (店仔口) → Peh-hô / Baihe (白河) Hokkien origin

    30. Tá-bâ (打貓) → Bîn-hiông / Minxiong (民雄) Hoanya origin

    31. Muî-a-khenn (梅仔坑) → Sió-muî / Xiaomei (小梅) Hokkien origin

    32. Dalivoe (他里霧) → Táu-lâm-tìn / Dounan (斗南) Hoanya origin

    33. Phok-a-kioh (樸仔腳) → Phoh-tsú / Puzi (朴子) Hokkien origin

    34. Takao (打狗) → Ko-hiông / Kaohsiung (高雄) Makatao origin

    35. Han-chî-liâu (蕃薯藔) → Kî-san / Qishan (旗山) Hakka origin

    36. Mì-nùng (彌濃) → Mì-nùng / Meinong (美濃) Hakka origin

    37. Akaw (阿緱) → Pîn-tong / Pingtung (屏東) Paiwan origin

    38. Vangecul (蚊蟀) → Buán-tsiu / Manzhou (滿州) Paiwan origin

    39. Má-keng (媽宮) → Má-keng / Magong (馬公) Hokkien origin

In some cases the names of these towns changed completely, but for the most part most of them remained the same, albeit with simple changes in the ‘Kanji’ (Chinese characters) that were thought to make them more ‘elegant.’

To better explain what I mean, I’m going to start by offering a few specific, and probably the most obvious, examples of how these names changed:

The most obvious example of these name changes was in the southern port city that we refer today as Kaohsiung. Originally inhabited by the Makatao (馬卡道族) and Siraya (西拉雅族) indigenous groups, the area was referred as ‘Takau Island’ translating to 'bamboo forest island’ in the indigenous languages. When Chinese settlers arrived in the area, they heard the name ‘Takau’ and assigned the Chinese characters ‘打狗’, which translates literally as ‘beating a dog,’ something none of us should ever do.

When the Japanese arrived in Taiwan, the name of the city remained the same, but in 1920, they changed the Kanji from ‘打狗’ to ‘高雄’ (高雄 / たかお), which had the same 'pronunciation in Japanese. Considered far too crude to be the name of a Japanese city and an international port, the colonial government came up with something that was so good that when the Chinese Nationalists arrived in 1945, instead of changing the name from the Japanese 'Takao', they just left the Chinese characters the same, which is why the city has since been known as ‘Kaohsiung' in the Chinese language.

In a similar case, the town we know today as Minxiong (民雄) also had a name that the Japanese frowned upon - The (then) small village in Chiayi (嘉義) was originally named ’Dovaha’ (擔貍社) by the Dutch, who gave it the name in honor of the Pingpu Tribe (平埔族) that settled there. Later, the name was translated from Dutch into Taiwanese Hokkien as ‘Tá-bâ’ (打貓), or ‘beating a cat.’ Once again, instead of changing the pronunciation of the name, different characters were chosen to represent the town. Pronounced ‘Tamio’ (たみお) in Japanese, the words “民雄” (Hero of the People) were chosen instead.

There are of course other examples of how these name changes took place that didn’t have to do with animal cruelty, or the names being inappropriate. Take Kaohsiung’s district of Gangshan (岡山區) as an example. Originally named ‘A-kong-tiàm‘ (阿公店), or ‘Grandfather’s Shop’, the origin of the name of the town has a few different interpretations. One explanation was that due to its geographic location as a trading space between the ports in Tainan and Kaohsiung, the area was full of stores run by seniors. Hilariously, there are also claims that the name was actually just given to the space because there was an old guy in the middle of no where with a store.

Either way, the name ‘A-kong-tiàm’ didn’t really translate very well to Japanese, so they changed it entirely - The new name for the district of Takao Prefecture, which was being developed as a suburb became known as ‘Okayama’ (岡山 / おかやま), named after one of the Japanese main island’s prefectures. Once again, when the Republic of China took over in the 1940s, the name remained the same, with the pronunciation changed to ‘Gangshan’ instead of ‘Okayama’ and remains so to this day.

There is, however, a reservoir in the area that retains the ‘A-kong-tiàm’ name, a nod to the town’s history.

Link: 大字 (おおあざ) | 小字 (こあざ) - Wikipedia

The Tainan of the early 1900s.

My final example before moving on is one that is simply just a linguistic difference between Chinese, Taiwanese and Japanese, and most of the name changes that took place are due to these linguistic differences. If I use the Japanese-era ‘Shanjia Train Station’ (山佳車站) as an example, the original name of the area was ‘Suann á kioh’ (山仔腳), referring to its location at the foot of a mountain. The problem was that the character ‘仔’(zai), which is quite common in Taiwanese Hokkien isn’t very common in Japanese.

When it came to characters that weren’t commonly used in Kanji, like this, they simply replaced the ‘仔’ with a similar, simplified version of the character, like ‘子’, for example.

With these examples, I think you should have somewhat of an introduction to the thought process behind some of these changes. In some instances, the Japanese felt the names were inappropriate, in others they just didn’t translate well, and in others, they were simplified for convenience. Below, I’ll list each of the name changes that are displayed on the chart.

At this time, I’m not going to go into detail about the origin of each of the names, but I will provide their original name, their Japanese-era name, and their current name so that you can better understand how these things have evolved over time. If you’re interested in the linguistic changes mentioned in the third example above, click the drop down below, where I’ve provided a list of the most common character changes:

  •  ‘(á) zi’ 「仔」was changed to ‘zi’「子」

    ‘hong’「藔」was changed to  ‘liáo’「寮」

    ‘hun’ 「份」was changed to ‘fèn’ 「分」

    ‘bei’ 「陂」was changed to ‘po’ 「坡」

    ‘shén’「什」was changed to ‘shí’「十」

    ‘tun’「墩」was changed to ‘tún’「屯」

    ‘ào’「澚」was changed to ‘ào’「澳」

    ‘gang’「崗」was changed to ‘gang’「岡」

    ‘khu’「坵」was changed to ‘qiu’「丘」

    ‘muâ’「蔴」was changed to ‘má’「麻」

    ‘diàn’「佃」was changed to ‘tián’「田」

Now, let me spend some time dissecting the inspiration for this article, the photo that appeared on my social media feed, all of which I’ve broken up and translated for you below:

To start, in the direct center of the diagram, you’ll find the vertical text: “Taisho Year 11, Taiwan Railway Station Name Change Chart” (大正十一年台灣鐵道停車場中改稱名新舊對照表), splitting the diagram into four different sections, or regions of the island.

For each of the stations, I’ll start with their original Japanese name, their name after being changed, and then their current name. I’ll also provide a link to each of the stations for any of you who are interested in learning more about the stations, many of which are now well-over a century old.

Note: In some cases, the romanization of these names could be a bit off, but I’ve done my best translating from several different languages to give readers a better idea of these changes.

Starting in the south, we have the following eleven name changes:

  1. Chushusou Station (中州庄乗降場) → Chushu Station (中州驛  / ちゅうしゅうえき) → Zhongzhou Station (中洲車站)

  2. Shinshigai Station (新市街驛 / しんしがいえき) → Shinshi Station (新市驛 / しんしえき) → Xinshi Station (新市車站)

  3. Wanri Station (灣裡驛／わんりえき) → Zenka Station (善化 / ぜんかえき) → Shanhua Station (善化車站)

  4. Hanshiten Station (番仔田停車場) → Hanshiten Station (番子田驛 / はんしてんえき) → Longtian Station (隆田車站)

  5. Shin’eisho Station (新營庄驛 / しんえいしょうえき) → Shin’ei Station (新營驛 / しんえいしょうえき) → Xinying Station (新營車站)

  6. Koheki’ryo Station (後壁藔停車場 / こうへき りょうえき) → Koheki Station (後壁驛 / こうへきえき) → Houbi Station (後壁車站)

  7. Suikuttao Station (水堀頭驛 / すいほりとうえき) → Suijo Station (水上驛 / すいじょうえき) → Shuishang Station (水上車站)

  8. Dabyo Station (打猫驛／だびょうえき) → Tamio Station (民雄驛 / たみおえき) → Minxiong Station (民雄車站)

  9. Taihorin Station (大莆林驛 / たいほりんえき) → Tairin Station (大林驛 / たいりんえき) → Dalin Station (大林車站)

  10. Tarimu Station (他里霧驛 / たりむりんえき) → Toroku Station (斗六驛／とろくえき) → Douliu Station (斗六車站)

  11. Nihachisui Station (二八水驛 / にはちすいえき) → Nisui Station (二水驛) → Ershui Station (二水車站 / にすいえき)

On the top right, we have the following eleven name changes in the north:

  1. Komota Station (紅毛田驛 / こうもうたえき) → Komo Station (紅毛驛 / こうもうえき) → (1934) Chikuhoku Station (竹北驛／ちくほくえき) - Chubei Station (竹北車站)

  2. Taikoko Station (大湖口驛 / たいここうえき) →  Kokō Station (湖口驛 / ここうえき) → Hukou Station (湖口車站)

  3. Yōbair Station (楊梅壢驛 / ようばいれき) → Yobai Station (楊梅驛 / ようばいえき) → Yangmei Station (楊梅車站)

  4. Heianchin Station (平安鎮驛 / へいあんちんえき) → Heichin Station (平鎮驛 / へいちんえき) → Puxin Station (埔心車站)

  5. Kanshikyaku Station (崁仔脚驛 / かんしきゃくえき) → Kanshikyaku Station (崁子脚驛 / かんしきゃくえき) → Neili Station (內壢車站)

  6. Okaishi Station (鶯歌石驛 / おうかいしえき) → Oka Station (鶯歌驛 / おうかえき) → Yingge Station (鶯歌車站)

  7. Yamakogashi Station (山仔脚驛 / やまご あしえき) → Yamakogashi Station (山子腳驛 / やまご あしえき) → Shanjia Station (山佳車站)

  8. Bankyo Station (枋橋驛 / ばんきょうえき) → Itahashi Station (板橋驛 / いたはしえき) → Banqiao Station (板橋車站)

  9. Báng-kah Station (艋舺驛 / まんかえき) → Manka Station (萬華驛 / まんかえき) → Wanhua Station (萬華車站)

  10. Suzuko Station (錫口驛 / すずこうえき) → Matsuyama Station (松山驛 / まつやまえき) → Songshan Station (松山車站)

  11. Suihenkyaku Station (水返脚驛 / すいへんきゃくえき) → Shiodome Station (汐止驛 / しおどめえき) → Xizhi Station (汐止車站)

On the bottom left, we have the following eleven name changes on the east coast and in the south of Taiwan.

  1. Suo Station (蘇澚驛 / そおうえき) → Suo Station (蘇澳驛 / そおうえき) → Su’ao Station (蘇澳車站)

  2. Togazan Station (冬瓜山驛 / とうがざんえき) → Tozan Station (冬山驛 / とうざんえき) → Dongshan Station (東山車站)

  3. Nonnongai Station (暖暖街驛 / だんだんがいえき) → Nonnon Station (暖暖驛 / だんだんえき) → Nuannuan Station (暖暖車站)

  4. Tonbutsu Station (頓物驛 /とんぶつえき) → Takeda Station (竹田驛 / たけだえき) → Zhutian Station (竹田車站)

  5. Ako Station (阿緱驛 / あこうえき) → Heito Station (屏東驛 / へいとうえき) → Pingtung Station (屏東車站)

  6. Takao Station (打狗驛 / たかおえき) → Takao Station (高雄驛 / たかおえき) → Kaohsiung Station (高雄車站)

  7. Nanshiko Station (楠仔坑驛 / なんしこうえき) → Nanshi Station (楠摔驛 / なんしえき) → Nanzi Station (楠梓車站)

  8. Kyokoto Station (橋仔頭驛 / きょうことうえき) → Kyokoto Station (橋子頭驛 / きょうことうえき) → Qiaotou Station (橋頭車站)

  9. Akotentei Station (阿公店驛 / あこうてんていえき) → Okayama Station (岡山驛 / をかやまえき) → Gangshan Station (岡山車站)

  10. Hanrochiku station (半路竹驛 / はんろちくえき) → Rochiku Station (路竹驛 / ろちくえき) → Luzhu Station (路竹車站)

  11. Daikogai Station (大湖街驛 / だいこがいえき) → Daiko Station (大湖驛 / だいこえき) → Dahu Station (大湖車站)

Finally, on the bottom right, we have the following eleven name changes in central Taiwan:

  1. Tanakaou Station (田中央驛 / でんちゅうおうえき) → Tanaka Station (田中驛 / でんちゅうえき) → Tianzhong Station (田中車站)

  2. Katokyaku Station (茄蔘腳驛 / かとうきゃえき) → Kadan Station (花壇驛 / かだんえき) → Huatan Station (花壇車站)

  3. Daito Station (大肚驛 / だいとえき) → Oda Station (王田驛 / おうたえき) → Chenggong Station (成功車站)

  4. Tanshiken Station (潭仔乾驛 / たんしけん) → Tanshi Station (潭子驛 / たんしえき) → Tanzi Station (潭子車站)

  5. Koroton Station (葫產激驛 / ころとんえき) → Toyohara Station (豐原驛 / とよはらえき) → Fengyuan Station (豐原車站)

  6. Korisou Station (后里庄驛 / こうりそうえき) → Kori Station (后里驛 / こうりえき) → Houli Station (后里車站)

  7. Taiankei Station (大安溪驛 /だいあんけいえき) → Tai’an Station (大安驛 / たいあんえき) → Tai’an Station (泰安車站)

  8. Sansagawa Station (三叉河驛 / さんさがわえき) → Sansa Station (三叉驛 / さんさえき) → Sanyi Station (三義車站)

  9. Dorawan Station (銅鑼灣驛 / どうらわんえき) → Dora Station (銅鑼驛 / どうらえき) → Tongluo Station (銅鑼車站)

  10. Koryu Station (後壠 /こうりゅうえき) → Koryu Station (後龍驛 / こうりゅうえき) → Houlong Station (後龍車站)

  11. Chuko Station (中港驛 /ちゅうこうえき) → Chikunan Station (竹南驛 / ちくなんえき) → Zhunan Station (竹南車站)

Now that we’ve got all of that out of the way, it’s time to talk a little about the photo, and some rather obvious aspects of it that I probably should have noticed much earlier than I did.

The old adage ‘a picture tells a thousand words’ proves quite important with regard to the chart. You could argue that it’s not exactly a ‘picture,’ nor are there a thousand words on it, but after studying it for a while, I started to notice things that wouldn’t have been there if it were an original announcement from 1922. One of the first things that I should have noticed was that on the very top of the chart, under the two crests, the words “Showa Era” (昭和時代) and “Taisho Era” (大正時代).

The problem with this was that if the chart was released in 1922, it would be a bit strange to see the acknowledgement of the Showa Era there, given that it started on December 25, 1926, and lasted until the death of Emperor Showa on January 7th, 1989. Those ‘era’s are repeated once again at the top of the chart in smaller-case font with the addition of the Meiji Era (明治時代), which preceded the Taisho era. Essentially, the chart was more or less just listing the three emperors who oversaw control of Taiwan during the Japanese-era.

Historic railway stations in Taiwan, recreated by Taiwan Restoration.

What I should have noticed from the outset were the words “Taiwan Restoration” (台湾維新) - You’ll have to forgive me if what I say here seems like an advertisement, but a few years back I purchased a beautifully designed poster-like print that featured the logos that represented Taiwan’s various cities during the Japanese-era. Design-wise, I’m a big fan of them, especially compared to the ghastly logos that are used these days.

I purchased the print at a local bookstore, but it was produced by the very same ‘Taiwan Restoration’ person (or group) mentioned above. While you can still find quite a few of their designs for sale online, they haven’t really been very active updating their social media page in the past few years, so I can’t really tell you if it’s all being designed by a single person or a group of people. What I can tell you is that they’re (probably) not affiliated with the ‘Taiwan Renewal Party’, which shares the same Chinese name.

Link: Taiwan Restoration (Facebook) | Ruten Store: 台湾維新 | GJ Taiwan Store

Taking a look at the Facebook page, it strikes me that the products that they’re selling are all designed quite well, making use of some of the iconography that was prevalent during the Japanese-era. Obviously, as I mentioned earlier, I’m a fan of the logos that were created to signify Taiwan, and its major towns and cities. That being said, they’ve designed quite a few things that celebrate Taiwan’s railroad, which I really appreciate.

Now that I’ve done some looking into their products, I might actually try to purchase some more, if they’re still available. Unfortunately, it seems like quite a few of their products are sold out, have been for some time, and I’m not particularly sure if they’ll ever be restocked.

Nevertheless, before I leave you, with regard to all of the name changes that took place in Taiwan during the Japanese-era, the diagram above only features a small percentage of the location names that were changed. This is because it is only a representation of the railway stations that changed their names to reflect the changes in their community. The evolution of how these names of places around the country have changed over the centuries is a subject that is not covered very well in the English language, but it is a fascinating topic that paints a much broader story of how this beautiful island has changed as it has developed over the past few centuries.

References

  1. 台灣舊地名

  2. 臺灣鐵道旅行案內 (國家文化記憶庫)

  3. Taiwan Restoration Facebook (台湾維新)

  4. 臺灣日治時期行政區劃 (Wiki)

Featured
Bao'an Station (保安車站)
Bao'an Station (保安車站)
Chiayi Shinto Shrine (嘉義神社)
Chiayi Shinto Shrine (嘉義神社)
Taichung Train Station (臺中驛)
Taichung Train Station (臺中驛)

Hualien Railway Bureau (花蓮鐵道文化園)

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With the recent re-opening of the Taihoku Railway Bureau in Taipei, there has been a renewed focus around the country with regard to the history of the railway, especially when it comes to anything remaining from the Japanese Colonial Era.

After a long period of restoration, (likely requiring an obscene amount of money) both the headquarters of the former Japanese-era railway and the Taipei Railway Workshop reopened in 2020, attracting quite a bit of attention from the local media, nerds like myself, and tourists alike. That being said, even though Taipei is home to these two important historic sites, it most certainly wasn’t the first area in Taiwan to restore and reopen historic railway-related buildings to the public.

During the colonial era, the Japanese Colonial Government strategically set up Railway Bureaus and Workshops around the island in order to better maintain the operation of the continually expanding railway network that sought to eventually encircle the island. So, even though the headquarters was technically located in the capital, there were also large branch offices and workshops located in Kaohsiung to the south and Hualien on the east coast. 

Today, the Kaohsiung Railway Bureau has been (高雄鐵道部) reopened as the “Hamasen Railway Cultural Park” (哈瑪星鐵道文化園區) while the Hualien Railway Bureau (花蓮鐵道部) is currently home to the “Hualien Railway Culture Park” (花蓮鐵道文化園區), both of which having reopened well before the park in Taipei! 

So uh…. Take that Taipei! 

Given that I’ve already introduced the Railway Bureau headquarters as well as the Taipei Workshop, I’m going to continue expanding on the subject with this article by introducing the former Hualien Railway Bureau and the Culture Park that exists there today. 

Before I start, I think it is important to keep in mind that both the Hualien and the Kaohsiung Railway Culture Parks are much smaller in comparison to the one in Taipei. They were also reopened a lot earlier and likely didn’t receive a proportionate amount of funding as the one in the capital. 

I’m not telling you this to lead you to think that they’re not as impressive. They’re still pretty cool.

I just think it’s important to remember that the scale and the exhibitions you’ll find at each of these parks is going to differ slightly. Likewise what you can see and do at each of them is going to be different, especially in the case of this park as it is often used by local vendors as an art space and a place for film festivals, etc. 

Without further adieu, I’ll start by introducing the history of the Hualien Railway Bureau, then move on to its architectural design and then introducing about the culture park that exists there today. 

Hualien Railway Bureau (花蓮鐵道部)

When the Japanese took control of Taiwan in 1895, a rudimentary railway in the Northern portion of the island had already been constructed between Keelung and Taipei. To slow the pace of the Japanese army’s advance into the capital however that railway was sabotaged in several sections, forcing the army to make quick repairs in order to ensure that they could effectively take administrative control of the capital.

The sabotage scheme ultimately had little effect on the army’s advance with military engineers completing emergency reparations on the rail line and having it back in service within two months of their arrival. The “Temporary Taiwan Railway Team” (臨時臺灣鐵道隊) of engineers were initially stationed in Keelung, and by 1896, proposals were drawn up to improve and re-route the existing railroad between the port and the capital, while also making plans for a railway that would encircle the entire island. 

By 1897 (明治30年), engineers from the Railway Team had criss-crossed Taiwan and came up with proposals for five routes that would stretch across the island, and were even considering an ambitious vertical route that would cross the Central Mountain Range. Unfortunately for the Railway Team, their exploration of the mountainous areas put them in direct confrontation with the Indigenous peoples near Taroko, resulting in the deaths of fourteen of their engineers, and the decision that a railway through the mountains wasn’t feasible. 

In 1899 (明治32年), the ‘Temporary Railway Team’ was officially reestablished as the “Ministry of Railways of the Governor Generals Office of Taiwan” (臺灣總督府鐵道部), charged with managing the construction of a railway network around the island in addition to the operation and maintenance of public and private railways.  

Note: The Private Railways mentioned above were those used by the various monopoly industries such as the camphor, sugarcane, coal, etc. Which were using branch railways off of the main lines to extract natural resources, and get them to port as efficiently as possible. 

While the construction of the railroad along Taiwan’s much more developed western coast progressed rather smoothly, the Eastern branch line (臺東線) was a more difficult undertaking, and ended up taking considerably longer to complete. With railway construction simultaneously taking place in different stages around the island, the eastern branch line was completed several decades after the west coast lines.

For the purpose of this particular article, it’s important to note that construction on the northern segment of the line, from Karenko (花蓮港) to Poshiko (璞石閣), known today as Hualien (花蓮) and Yuli (玉里), started in 1909 (明治42年), and was completed in 1917 (大正7年). 

Japanese-era map of the main railways in Taiwan.

The Eastern Branch ultimately wouldn’t be completed until 1926 (昭和元年) when 171.8 kilometers of rail was officially opened to the public between Hualien and Taitung, both of which were the terminal stations for the rail line. 

Even though the Western Coast of Taiwan was connected by railway from Taipei all the way to Pingtung with more than a dozen branch lines between the mountains and the ports on the coast, service on the East Coast was considerably less convenient, with the line from Taipei terminating in Su’ao (蘇澳), Yilan’s southern most village.

It’s important to note that while there were plans to connect the Eastern Branch railway in the north between Yilan and Hualien and in the South between Taitung and Pingtung (屏東), as it is today, those plans were never actually realized.

Maybe that was a good thing though, at the time a trip between Taitung and Hualien took between 7-8 hours for passengers, and 11 hours for freight.

Japanese-era photo of the Hualien Railway Bureau (日治時期花蓮鐵道部出張所)

To coordinate operations on the Taitung Line, it was necessary to construct a Hualien Branch of the Railway Bureau (鐵道部花蓮出張所). Established in 1909, the Railway Bureau took up a prominent portion of the downtown core of Hualien, extending well-beyond what has been preserved today to encompass several city blocks. Featuring a Branch Office (出張所 / しゅっちょうじょ), Engineering Works (公務 / こうむ), Military Police Outpost (警務處 / けいむ), Inspection Garage (檢車庫), Water Stop (蒸汽火車加水塔), machine factory (機廠), official residence (處長官邸), staff dormitories (員工宿舍區), railway hospital (鐵道醫院), etc. 

From 1909 until the 1970s, the Railway Workshop area was one of the most commercially active in downtown Hualien, and was constantly bustling with activity as it became one of the focal points for development and local administration.

This was in part due to the fact that a year after the Railway Workshop started operations, the Karenko Railway Station (花蓮港停車場  / かれんこう) was constructed next door and started limited railway service along the eastern line. 

Note: The Hualien Railway Station has since moved to another part of town, but was originally located at the intersection of what has become Zhongshan Road (中山路) and Chongqing Road (重慶路) today. The station was constructed in 1910 (明治43年) and remained in service until 1981 (民國70年), it was torn down a decade later in 1992 (民國81年).  

Japanese-era Hualien Station (日治時期花蓮港車站)

Even though the Hualien Railway Bureau dates back to 1909, the buildings that that we can visit today aren’t what you have seen when it was officially opened. What has been preserved as part of the railway culture park today date back to a 1932 (昭和7年) rebuild and expansion of the railway bureau which was a reflection of the completion of the eastern branch of the railway a few years earlier. 

After 28 years of painstaking construction, the 173 kilometer Taitung Line Railway was completed and the start of operations coincided with the celebrations of the first year of the Showa Era (昭和元年). The official opening ceremonies for the completed railway were held on March 25th, 1926 and ushered in a new era of prosperity for Hualien, and the rest of the eastern coast of Taiwan as the flow of materials became much more efficient.

Similarly, given that the Hualien Railway Station was located next to the Railway Bureau, the area surrounding the railway became instrumental for economic development.

When the Second World War came to a conclusion and the Japanese surrendered to the allies, control of Taiwan was (ambiguously) given to the Republic of China (中華民國) and after Taiwan’s so-called “retrocession”, the Hualien Railway Bureau was occupied by the new regime, and renamed the Hualien Management Office of the Taiwan Railway Administration (台灣鐵路管理局花蓮辦事處). The buildings and equipment onsite remained in use until the early 1980s when the administration and maintenance of the railway of the eastern branch migrated across town in conjunction with the new station.

Japanese-era Hualien Station (日治時期花蓮港車站)

The current Hualien Railway Station, located north-west of the original station was recently expanded and underwent a several year period of reconstruction. Like its much earlier predecessor, the beautiful new station has become one of the focal points of the city, and as was the case in the past, the administration of the railway takes place within the upper offices of the railway station while the maintenance of the trains is taken care of at the massive 34,000m² Hualien Machine Factory (花蓮機廠) nearby. 

Even though the original railway that ran through the port area of Hualien has been abandoned, parts of the track have been preserved and you can still see some of it along the the Old Railway Walkway (舊鐵路行人徒步區), which has been transformed into a hip part of town and a tourist attraction in its own right. 

With the Japanese-era Hualien Railway Station having already been sadly torn down a few short years after the migration of the railway and its administration took place, experts, scholars and local citizens started to advocate for the preservation of the historic Railway Bureau, and the various buildings that still existed on the site.

In 2002 (民國91年), the Hualien County Cultural Affairs Bureau (花蓮縣文化局) officially registered the Railway Bureau and the various buildings on-site as protected historic buildings (花蓮縣歷史建築), and plans were made to restore the buildings and reopen them to the public as a culture park. 

In 2011, restoration work on the first section of the former Railway Bureau was completed with the Branch Office (出張所) becoming the main attraction, while the dormitories and Machine Works across the street remained a work in progress. As of writing, this section has yet to be completely re-opened to the public. Likewise, the former Water Stop and Directors Residence are still undergoing restoration, meaning that I’ll have to return in the near future to check them out. 

When I do visit again, this space will be updated, although I plan on dedicating an entire article to the Directors Dormitory, as it looks to be one of the prettiest of the high-ranking dorms that remains in Taiwan today. 

Sadly, even though the Railway Hospital (舊鐵路醫院) has been protected as a historic property, restoration work on the building had yet to start before being partially destroyed by fire in early 2021. The damage to the historic buildings was considerable, and reparations will be funded by the Taiwan Railway Administration, but currently planning for the project is just getting underway, so we probably can’t expect that it will be part of the larger Railway Bureau Park any time in the near future. 

Link: 花蓮舊鐵路醫院遭祝融 部分歷史建物受損 (UDN) 

As mentioned earlier, the Hualien Railway Bureau certainly isn’t as large and thus far hasn’t been adapted into a well-organized culture park as its contemporary in Taipei. It has nevertheless become an important cultural and tourist attraction in Hualien, and over the next few years as the restoration process progresses, it will continue to grow, making it one of the focal points of cultural preservation in downtown Hualien City.  

Hualien Railway Culture Park (花蓮鐵道文化園)

The Hualien Railway Culture Park currently consists of two sections that are open to the public, and feature historic exhibitions in addition to offering event spaces and allowing for private vendors to set up weekend markets and food stalls. There is a little something for everyone who visits the historic culture park, making it a popular tourist attraction for every type of tourist. 

Below, I’ll briefly introduce both sections of the park, known simply as “Section 1” (一館區) and “Section 2” (二館區), explaining a little about each of the buildings within, their architectural design and what they’re currently used for within the contemporary culture park. 

Section 1 (一館區) - Branch Office (出張所)

Section One of the Hualien Railway Culture Park is home to none other than the Railway Bureau itself. Essentially the most historically significant and architecturally distinct part of the park, this is where the everyday business affairs of the railway would have been carried out. 

Home to the Branch Office (出張所), the building is a hodgepodge of architectural styles constructed with a fusion of Japanese and western elements, while also mimicking the traditional Chinese style four-sided courtyard (四合院) layout. 

The front gates to the Branch Office open up into a tree-covered front courtyard with a drive way that would have allowed cars to come in and circle around on their way out. Directly to the left of the gate you’ll find a small Japanese-style guard building, which has amazingly served the same role from the day it was built until now. 

On the opposite side, a bit closer to the front entrance of the Branch Office you’ll find a cement air-raid shelter that has been dug into the ground near one of the trees. The shelter is a relic of the Japanese-era, but was preserved in its original form - just in case.

The front courtyard is currently made available on weekends and holidays to local vendors who are permitted to set up tables to sell arts and crafts in addition to a variety of food trucks that offer snacks and drinks for sale to visitors. If you’re feeling hungry and feel like the food selection isn’t all that great, never fear, the Dongdamen Night Market (東大門夜市) is a two minute walk and there’s always something good to eat there! 

Looking up into the interior of the tower with its stained-glass windows

The front entrance to the Branch Office is absolutely beautiful and is a long rectangular-shaped building with a double-layer roof. The center of the building opens up with a passageway covered by a gothic-style tower (哥德式高塔) that has stained-glass windows on all four sides, allowing for beautiful natural light in the corridor below. The tower is coincidentally one of the features of the building that makes the Branch Office so architecturally distinct and differentiates it from pretty much every other Japanese-era building remaining in Taiwan today. 

Once you pass through the corridor you will find yourself in another beautiful courtyard surrounded on all four sides by the rest of the Branch Office. The courtyard has a little pond in the middle with some pine trees offering some shade. 

Even though I just said that the layout of the Branch Office mimics that of a Chinese-style four-sided courtyard building, it does differ slightly and even though there are buildings on all four sides, they’re not physically connected in the way that a similar Chinese-style building would be.

The main courtyard of the Railway Bureau

The main area of the Branch Office is rectangular in shape and was home to offices on both the eastern and western wings. Once you pass through the corridor however, you’ll notice that there is a covered walkway on both sides that leads to the other buildings. The walkway that surrounds the building is what helps to make it look like the buildings are all physically connected, even though they aren’t. 

Directly to the left of the corridor you’ll find another similarly long rectangular building that forms an “L” shape with the main building. These two buildings work together to make up the vast majority of the permanent exhibition space that provides historic information about the Railway Bureau. 

Covered corridors between buildings

Architecturally, both of the buildings are relatively similar in that they were constructed in the traditional Japanese ‘irimoya’ (入母屋) style, meaning that the base of the building is smaller than the roof, which extends beyond the base. The design of the roof on both of these buildings however is relatively simple compared to other buildings in this architectural style as they’re not of the typical hip-and-gable variety you’d see elsewhere. So even though the main building features the gothic tower that extends above the main part of the roof, the rest is quite simple.

The covered passageway that reaches around the building does make the roof appear as if its double-layered, but the purpose here was to prevent employees getting wet on rainy days and diverting the rain water onto the courtyard rather than the walkway, as well as allowing the various pillars that wrap around the building to evenly distribute the weight of the roof. 

Exhibition Space

Both buildings have been constructed using wood and feature beautiful sliding glass windows on both the front and back sides, allowing for an ample amount of natural light into the building. This is important because the ceiling in the interior of the buildings is (currently) open, so you’re able to check out the intricate network of trusses that were put in place to help keep the heavy roof in place. 

The building known today simply as Exhibition Area 1 (展覽區1) is the front facing building with the gothic tower was once home to the Directors Office (處長室), Administration Office (總務室), Works Department (工務課) and Maintenance Department (機務課). Separated into two different exhibition spaces, this building is essentially the main attraction if you’re interested in learning about the history of the Railway Bureau and the East Coast Railway. 

Likewise, Exhibition Area 2 (展覽區2) is located in the wing directly to the left of the main building and was originally home to the Accounting Office (會計室), Traffic Safety Committee (行車保安委員會) and a Training Room (運務課). Today the building is home to a large model train version of Hualien City from the days when the Railway Station was located next door to the Railway Bureau. There are some other exhibition pieces in the building as well, but I feel like this is somewhat of a wasted space as they could probably do a lot more with such a large open area than having a model railway that doesn’t even run most of the time. 

Model railway of Hualian

As I mentioned earlier with regard to how this Railway Bureau differs from the one in Taipei, wasted and unused space is an issue that the authorities have to deal with. Not only is the Exhibition Space in the former Accounting Building an underutilized space, the small electrical production building to the rear is likewise completely empty, while another one of the former offices at the rear of the courtyard are used simply for the park administration and public washrooms. 

The most architecturally distinct building within the Railway Bureau is the former Meeting Room and Banquet Hall (聚會場所), a century old Japanese style building that was renamed “Zhongshan Hall” (中山堂) after the colonial era ended. Currently home to the Railway Movie Theater (鐵道電影院), the building was never actually planned to be utilized as an exhibition space, but instead a space where the Hualien City Government can hold film festivals. So when you visit, if there isn’t any events planned, you may find that the building is locked up and not accessible to tourists. 

Constructed using local Hinoki Cypress (檜木) from Morisaka (林田山) and the Chinan Forest Area (池南林區) in the mountains of Hualien, the local government spent $11,000,000NT ($370,000USD) restoring the building, while retaining as much of the original cypress as possible. 

Note: Morisaka (林田山) is known today as the “Lintian Mountain Forestry Culture Park” (林田山林業文化園區) while the “Chinan National Forest Recreation Area” (池南國家森林遊樂區) was located along the Haron Forestry Railroad (哈崙 (ハロン) 森林鐵道), two of Hualien’s three Japanese era timber railways. 

The meeting hall after dark

In almost every article I’ve read about the building, it seems like they all parrot the same talking point, namely that ‘Zhongshan Hall’ is a century year old building. I thought it was a bit strange given that the rest of the Railway Bureau is around ninety years old (as of 2021), so I spent some time looking to see if the building was part of the original itieration of the Railway Bureau, but no one offered up any information as to why the building was being dated the way it was. After a while, I more or less just came to the conclusion that they were probably rounding up. The building appears like it was constructed at the same time as the rest of the buildings on site so we still have another decade to go before its reaches its centennial.  

That being said, the Railway Bureau’s banquet hall is definitely the most elaborate in terms of its architectural design in comparison to the other buildings. Yes, it was constructed using hinoki cypress, one of the most expensive types of wood in Taiwan, but it also features the most elaborate roof. Even though the building doesn’t feature a traditional Japanese hip-and-gable roof, it has beautiful black Japanese roof tiles (黑瓦), which have recently been restored. It also features a lower second layer that extends entirely around the building and is held in place by a network of pillars. Similar to the covered walkways on the front buildings, this one has received a bit more attention in its design. 

Covered walkway next to the meeting hall

The last thing I’ll mention about the design of this building is its windows, there are large sliding glass windows on all four sides as well as rectangular-shaped windows above the first layer of the roof that allow natural light into the building. The lower sliding windows are of course quite common within Japanese architecture, but one thing you’ll want to pay attention to are the round dormer (oxeye) windows (老虎窗) on the front and back, which were pretty much only added for design purposes, but were popular for the more elaborate buildings of that era. 

Oh, and the ox-tail windows are part of the reason why I’d argue that the building isn’t a century-old as they are an architectural feature that started appearing on buildings after the 1920s.

Section 2 (二館區) - Engineering Works

The recently opened “Section 2” of the Railway Culture Park is much smaller than the main section, but if you ask me is a little more interesting. Unfortunately though, while the restoration of all of the buildings in this sections seems to have been recently completed, some of them remain empty and severely under-utilized. 

This will probably only be a short-term issue as they’ll certainly not allow their investment in the restoration of these buildings to go to waste. So, as I mentioned above, I’ll certainly have to be visit again to make sure that I have more photos of these buildings, especially of the interior!

This section of the Railway Bureau was considerably more functional than the other one, which mostly served an administrative purpose. Section 2 was home to the Engineering Works (工務段), and a police outpost (警務段), in addition to preserving part of the original railway that was used for the maintenance of trains. 

Even though the buildings in Section 2 are yet to be opened to the public on a full-time basis, I have to say that I actually enjoyed my visit to this part of the Railway Park more than the other section. The reason for this is because the buildings are more traditional in their architectural design, and because the area is covered with beautiful trees, which have been growing there since the buildings were constructed almost a century ago! 

A hundred-year old banyan tree in section two

Likewise, a couple of the buildings in this section have been opened up to private businesses, one of which currently has a Kimono rental place and another a really nice coffeeshop that has a couple of Shiba Inu’s who hang out in the area.

You’ll also find historic LDT103 steam locomotives on the rail tracks that you’re able to take photos with! 

The various buildings on site are as follows: 

  1. Engineering Works (工務段)

  2. Police Outpost (警務段 / 武道館)

  3. Detention Building (拘役所)

  4. Iron Works (打鐵工房)

  5. Warehouse (附屬倉庫)

  6. Air raid shelter (防空洞)

The first thing I’ll say about the section is that without its giant banyan tree (榕樹), I don’t think I would have enjoyed visiting as much as I did. The century-old tree provides both character and ambiance to the park, and the buildings that surround it should be grateful that they are able to bask in its glory.

The largest building in the park is the former Engineering Works (公務段 / こうむだん), which is now home to a popular coffee shop. The building was constructed in traditional Japanese architecture with Taiwanese wood and black roof files. The construction of the roof on this one is simple, but the sliding glass windows are quite beautiful. If you have the chance, make sure to go into the coffee shop to check out the interior of the building and enjoy a coffee. 

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

Across from the Engineering Works, you’ll find a small Air Raid Shelter dug into the ground near the banyan tree, which you can check out. This one isn’t as large as the air raid shelter in the other section of the park, but it is probably big enough to fit a dozen or so people. 

The interior of the air raid shelter

Behind the banyan tree, you’ll find the former Iron Works (打鐵工坊), which retains some of the original equipment that was used for constructing and repairing rail lines. There’s not too much to see while inside the building, but it was a pretty important part of the Railway Bureau for quite some time. 

Interestingly, when we approached the Police Outpost (警務段), I commented that the exterior looked a bit like what you’d expect from one of Taiwan’s smaller Martial Arts Halls (武德殿) to which I received the comment, “But it isn’t, its an old police station!” Well, I am to boast that I had the last laugh on that one because research on the subject says that prior to 1946, the building was used for practicing Judo (柔道) and Kendo (劍道). It was only after the Japanese left Taiwan that it was converted to a police outpost. 

The exterior of the martial arts hall / police outpost

With that being said, near the former Martial Arts Hall / Police Outpost you’ll find a more recent addition, a cement structure that was used to hold prisoners on a short-term basis. The small jail (拘役所) is open to the public and its a popular place for people to take photos.

Unfortunately during my visit, both the jail and the former police outpost were closed and as I peered in through the windows, it looked as if the police outpost was emptied for some reason. 

The final building on the site is at the rear of the park and in the past was simply used as a storage warehouse. That being said, it looks like all of the other buildings on the site as it was constructed with wood, sliding glass windows and Japanese architecture. Even though it is quite small, today it is occupied by a private company that rents kimono, yukata, and specifically tailored outfits that were popular during the colonial era.

Buildings in section two

This part of the park is also home to an old section of the railway where you’ll find one of the old steam engines and freight cars on display. The steam engine was especially brought by the Taiwan Railway Administration to Hualien to put on display here as this type of steam engine was the one that was used to bring prosperity to the east coast. 

Getting There

 

Address: #71 Zhongshan Road, Hualien City

(花蓮縣花蓮市中山路71號)

GPS: 23.9721202 121.6130952

Located within the downtown core of Hualien, the Railway Bureau is a short walk from the city’s popular Dongdamen Night Market (東大門夜市) and is easily accessible through public transportation. 

That being said, the Railway Bureau is actually not all that close to the current Hualien Railway Station, which is probably a 20-30 minute commute if you’re walking. 

Car / Scooter

If you’re in Hualien and have access to a car or scooter, getting to the Railway Bureau isn’t all that difficult and there is an ample amount of parking in the area along the street or within the paid public parking lots near the night market. 

Simply input the address or the GPS coordinates provided above into your preferred geolocation assistant and you’ll be there in no time! 

Bus 

Given that the Railway Bureau is conveniently located within close proximity to the tourist night market, you’ll find a number of public transportation options for getting there from various areas around Hualien. So, even if you’re not located next to Hualien Station, you should be able to find a bus that fits your specific needs. 

Dongdamen Night Market Bus Stop (東大門夜市站)

  • Taroko Bus (太魯閣客運): #301, 307, 308

  • Hualien Bus (花蓮客運): #1123, 1126, 1128, 1129, 1131, 1132, 1133, 1136, 1139, 1141, 105

Xuanyuan Rd. Bus Stop (軒轅路站) 

While in Hualien, if you’re interested in similar Japanese era destinations, I highly recommend checking out the Hualien Martyrs Shrine (former Shinto Shrine), the Hualien Cultural and Creative Industries Park (花蓮文化創意產業園區), the Yoshino Shrine (慶修院), the Pine Garden (松園別館), the Hualien Sugar Factory Dorms (花蓮觀光糖廠), etc. 

There is certainly a lot to see and do while in Hualien and you should never feel like Taroko Gorge and the Qingshui Cliffs are the only destinations to visit! The city is home to quite a few historic tourist destinations where you’ll also be able to enjoy yourself! 

Hours: Tuesday - Sunday 09:00 - 17:00 (Closed on Mondays)

Unfortunately during my visit, quite a few of the buildings in both the First and Second Section in addition to the former Director’s Dormitory were not open to the public. In some cases it seems like they were in the process of changing exhibitions while others just weren’t open at all. So, as I mentioned a few times already, I’ll have to visit again to get more photos. When I do, I’ll update this space, but I’ll probably dedicate an entire article to the directors dormitory. 

Nevertheless, the Hualien County Government has spent a considerable amount of money restoring the former Railway Bureau and even though some of its space is under-utilized, they have come up with some pretty good ideas for attracting locals and tourists alike with weekend markets, film festivals and coffee shops in the historic buildings. 

Given the Railway Bureau’s close proximity to the popular Dongdamen Night Market, you can be sure that there will always be a steady supply of visitors coming to check it out! Even if this one isn’t as big on the historic displays of information, it is still a place where you can learn quite a bit about the important history of the railway in Taiwan, with a special focus on the east coast! 

References

  1. Hualien Railway Culture Park | 花蓮鐵道文化園區 (Wiki)

  2. 臺灣鐵道史 (Wiki)

  3. 花蓮鐵道文化園區 (花蓮綠活小旅行)

  4. 歷史沿革 (花蓮鐵道文化園區官方部落格)

  5. 花蓮舊鐵道商圈歷史與脈絡 (ArcGIS Online)

  6. 舊花蓮驛前碩果僅存的鐵道部出張所歷史建築 (獨立評論 @ 天下)

  7. 花蓮鐵道文化園區 (駱致軒)

  8. 修復半年 花蓮鐵道文化園區一館重新開放 (客家電視)

  9. 穿越百年鐵道時光！4處不可錯過的鐵道文化園區 (Newtalk新聞)

  10. 花蓮百年台鐵中山堂 擬打造鐵道電影院 (CNA)

  11. Hualien 太平洋臨港歷史廊道文化導覽 (花蓮縣全球資訊服務網)

  12. 和風老屋旅行散策 (江明麗) ISBN: 978-9862487594

Taiwan Railway Museum (臺灣總督府鐵道部)

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I’m a big fan of museums - and I think you should be too. 

Whenever I travel to a new country, I always make sure to reserve a bit of my time to check out a museum (or three), especially if it relates to the history of the place I’m visiting. 

That being said, you might have noticed that I don’t post much on here about museums. 

Why? Well, even though there are often some really cool displays, I don’t really see much value in taking photos in museums, at least for the purpose of this blog. This is also why you haven’t seen me write anything about (and probably never will) Taipei’s famed National Palace Museum.

Admittedly, I’ve likewise never really been all that impressed with Taiwan’s museums.

Most of the time I feel like museums here are a bit of a missed opportunity - It’s almost as if museum staff have some great ideas, but when they request funding, they only end up being allocated about a tenth of what they were asking for and then have to make due - which is sad to say, half-assed.

So, when I heard that the former Taihoku Railway Bureau was being reopened as the “Taiwan Railway Museum,” I wasn’t feeling all that optimistic.

But even if what was prepared for display in the museum wasn’t that impressive, I was still highly anticipating a visit as I’d finally get the chance to enter the beautiful Japanese-era building that I’ve passed by several times a week for well over a decade.

Fortunately for me, while the museum was still going through its soft-opening, I was invited to come check it out and get some photos. I don’t know how I get so lucky sometimes, but just like the Taipei Railway Workshop, I was honoured to be part of the first group of people who got to visit. 

And I’m pleased to say, my initial pessimism about the museum was way off. 

I might even go as far to say that this museum is probably one of the best in Taiwan. 

Not only are all of the displays well-researched, well-designed and offer multi-lingual explanations, they’re set up in a way that nothing is out of place.

The whole thing is a well-rounded and obviously a well-thought up exhibition about the nations railway history, which if you weren’t already aware was instrumental in developing Taiwan into the beautiful country that we enjoy today.

Oh, and if you’ve got a camera, the museum is housed within one of the capital’s most iconic buildings, and is great for photography!

The Taihoku Railway Bureau (鐵道部) 

Before we talk about the museum, it’s important to talk about the iconic building that houses it.

The “Railway Department of the Governor General of Taiwan” (台灣總督府交通局鐵道部), a National Historic Site, which is better known as the “Taihoku Railway Bureau” (鐵道部), was an administration centre for the management and operation of Taiwan’s railways during the Japanese Colonial Era and for several decades after.

Located a short distance from Taipei Station and the North Gate (北門), the Railway Bureau dates back well over a century and the buildings within the complex occupy a piece of land that has considerable historic significance. 

It probably goes without saying that the Taipei of a century ago was considerably different than what we’re used to today - The narrow stretch of land between the Keelung River and where Taipei Station is located today has been an important location for the development of Taiwan’s railroad since the late 1800s.

The first iteration of the ‘Taipei Station’ opened in 1891 in ‘Twatutia’ (大稻埕), which we refer to as Dadaocheng today, when the rudimentary railway between Keelung and Taipei opened for service.

Prior to the Japanese takeover of Taiwan, the Qing constructed a rudimentary railway factory just west of where the Railway Bureau stands today, which was used to do maintenance on the track constructed between the port of Keelung and Taipei in addition to taking care of the trains.

When the Japanese took control of Taiwan a few short years later, the site was utilized by the army for a short time as a munitions depot before it was handed over to the railway department. 

When the Japanese arrived in Taiwan, not much time was wasted on getting to work on the development of an island-wide network of railways. So when construction was nearing completion on the northern Taipei-Tamsui line, the workshop had to be expanded and modernized.

So, in 1909, the factory was relocated to a new building nearby and renamed the “Taipei Railway Factory.” 

The original buildings at the Qing factory were later torn down and the land was converted into a community of dormitories for civil servants - some of which still exist today! 

As progress on the construction of a a network of railways around the island continued, it also became necessary for the colonial government to relocate the administrative section of the railway bureau to a new headquarters in order to manage the day-to-day operations of the railway as well as ensuring that construction on the various rail lines went smoothly.

Given the importance of the railway for Japan’s ambitions for Taiwan, the office that was constructed for the Railway Bureau would have to be something grand.

Thus, the responsibility for its design was given to Moriyama Matsunosuke (森山松之助), the architectural genius who was responsible for many of Taiwan’s most famous buildings, including the the Taipei Prefectural Office (台北州廳), Taichung Prefectural Office (台中州廳), Tainan Prefectural Office (台南州廳), the Monopoly Bureau (專賣局) and the Government-General of Taiwan (台灣總督府), which is currently known as the Presidential Office Building (總統府). 

Link: The helmsmen who shaped the style of Taipei City (Taipei Times) 

Coincidentally, the Taiwan Railway Bureau and the Government-General of Taiwan building just so happened to be inaugurated on the same day (March 31st, 1919) and afterwards Moriyama commented: “My work here is done!” (台灣已經沒有什麼可做的了) and he left Taiwan a year later with a long list of accomplishments.

I thought it was a bit strange that both the Railway Bureau and the Government-General of Taiwan building (currently Presidential Building) opened on the same day, so I decided to do some research on the subject.

The Japanese never really do anything at random, so there had to be a reason - whether it was a holiday or an anniversary - that they inaugurated both of these important buildings on the same day. 

Unfortunately after several hours of digging, the only thing I could find that related to “March 31st” was the end of the so-called military government (軍政) and the start of civil governance almost two decades prior. The thing is that the final day was “3/31” and the first day was “4/1”, which probably meant that I hadn’t found the right answer. 

So, I enlisted the help of a local history guru who I’m happy to call a friend who did some searching for me.

After a few hours he got back to me and said he was having difficultly, so he left a message with one of the research heads at the National Taiwan Museum who got back to him and answered: It’s because March 31st marked the traditional end of the fiscal year in Japan.

This is what I get for overthinking things. 

When the Railway Bureau opened for operations in 1919, construction on the building was only completed the north wing and the front facade of the building when they started to move in.

It would take another year until the south wing was completed and over the next few decades, several additional buildings constructed on the site, which eventually totalled around forty.

You might be wondering how this was possible given the lack of space on the site.

It was all thanks to the relocation of the Taipei Railway Workshop (which is also now a protected property) to a new location, freeing up quite a bit of space. The railway workshop at one time featured prominently on the site of the Railway Bureau, but as the decades passed and the railway network continued to expand, it became apparent that the workshop was far too small to perform all of the duties required to maintain the trains.

So, a much larger one had to be constructed and was officially opened in 1935 on the fortieth anniversary of Japanese Colonial Rule in Taiwan, which also coincided with the opening of the Taiwan Exposition, which was a huge year in Taiwan in terms of events.

Unfortunately, in the midst of all the development that was taking place here in Taiwan, the Japanese Empire found itself involved in a little something called the Second World War as one of the major instigators.

And we all know how that went for them.

When the Japanese surrendered to the allies at the conclusion of the war, they were forced to relinquish control over the territories that they had conquered, including Taiwan. This left the question as to what would happen to the island and who would control it. 

Ambiguously, the allies decided that control of Taiwan would be offered up to yet another foreign power, the Republic of China, which itself was in the midst of a bitter civil war against the communists. 

In 1945, when the Chinese Nationalists formally took control of Taiwan, the Railway Bureau became the new headquarters for the Taiwan Railways Administration (臺灣鐵路管理局), which quickly got to work repairing the parts of the track that were destroyed during the war. This helped to ensure that the government could maintain control of the island as well as taking advantage of the economy that the Japanese developed. 

The Taipei Railway Bureau continued to serve as the headquarters of the Taiwan Railways Administration from the late 1940s until 1990, when it moved to its new home within the upper floors of the newly constructed Taipei Railway Station.

In the 90s, the Taiwanese government wasn’t as keen on historical preservation as it is these days, so when the TRA moved out, it was left abandoned for quite some time.

Soon after the move, the interior became a setting in renowned Taiwanese director Edward Yang’s (楊德昌) film, “A Brighter Summer Day” (牯嶺街少年殺人事件).

After that though, not much happened at the Railway Bureau until construction on the Beimen MRT Station project started and a large portion of the forty buildings on site started disappearing. 

As a result, in 2009, the Railway Bureau was certified as a National Historical Monument (國定古蹟) by the Ministry of Culture (文化部) and plans were made to restore the remaining ten buildings into a public space.

The restoration project on the buildings started in 2014 and would take several years to complete with the Taiwan Railway Museum officially opening to the public to much fanfare in 2020, during the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic.   

Timeline of Important Dates for the Railway Bureau

  • 1887 - Plans for the first railroad in Taiwan are started by governor Liu Mingchuan (劉銘傳). 

  • 1891 - Construction on the railway between Keelung and Taipei is completed. 

  • 1893 - Construction on the railway between Taipei and Hsinchu is completed. 

  • 1895 - The Japanese take control of Taiwan. 

  • 1901 - The Railway Bureau, a sub-department of the Governor Generals office is formed.

  • 1901 - The first branch line (Taipei - Tamsui) of the railroad is completed. 

  • 1908 - A proposal is made to relocate the original workshop and the railway bureau to a new site nearby. 

  • 1909 - The Taipei Railway Workshop is relocated east of its original location. 

  • 1918 - Construction on the new headquarters for the Railway Bureau starts. 

  • 1919.3.31 - Phase one of construction is completed on the facade and north wing. 

  • 1919.5.28 - Railway Bureau employees start to move into the offices. 

  • 1920 - The south wing of the building is completed. 

  • 1933 - Construction of the cafeteria attachment to the Administration building is completed. 

  • 1934 - The Engineering Buildings are added to the site.

  • 1935 - The Taipei Railway Workshop (台北機廠) is relocated to its current location.

  • 1940-1945 - The railways are repeatedly bombed by the Allies.

  • 1945 - Taiwan is ceded to the Republic of China (中華民國).

  • 1948 - The Taiwan Railways Administration (台灣鐵路管理局) is established with the Railway Bureau as its headquarters. 

  • 1979 - The West Coast Rail is fully electrified. 

  • 1989 - Rail lines in Taipei are moved underground in preparation for the new Taipei Railway Station. 

  • 1990 - The new Taipei Train Station opens and the Railway Bureau building is left abandoned.

  • 2000 - The Yilan line is fully electrified. 

  • 2006 - Construction on the Beimen MRT station takes place and several buildings are demolished and the former Taipei Workshop building was temporarily relocated. 

  • 2009 - The site of the Railway Bureau becomes a protected property with plans to restore it.

  • 2014 - The restoration project on the site commences with ten of the original forty buildings being restored after the rest were demolished during the construction of the MRT. 

  • 2020 - The Railway Bureau opens to the public as the Taiwan Railway Museum. 

Now that we have a lot of that history stuff out of the way, let’s talk a bit about each of the individual buildings that still exist today as part of the National Taiwan Museum Taipei Railway Bureau.

Administration Headquarters (廳舍)

While there are several historic buildings on site, let’s face it, the Administration Building (廳舍) is always going to be the one that attracts the most attention.

Not only is it the largest and most important building with regard to the history of the Railway Bureau, it was masterfully designed and is one of those iconic Taipei buildings that people have enjoyed for generations. 

Now that it has reopened to the public as a National Museum, it has attracted quite a bit of attention as people are finally able to enjoy the interior as much as they’ve enjoyed the exterior. 

The arc-shaped Administration building sits directly across from Taipei’s North Gate on the corner of Chung-Hsiao West Road (忠孝西路) and Yanping North Road (延平北路) with the front door facing another one of Taipei’s historic buildings, the Beimen Post Office (北門郵局). 

As mentioned above, the building was designed by famed architect Moriyama Matsunosuke (森山松之助), and construction was completed in two phases with the first phase completed on March 31st, 1919 and the second phase a year later. 

The two storey building consists of a beautiful front hall with a north and south wing running parallel to each other on either side.

Taking inspiration from English baroque, better known as Queen Anne style architecture (安妮女王復興樣式), the building is strongly characterized by its bilateral symmetry.

The lower half of the building was constructed using red bricks as a foundation, while the upper half was constructed with Alishan Cypress (阿里山檜木) in a style known as “half-timber framing” (半木構造), inspired by European architectural design, but with Japanese characteristics, of course.

Something you’ll want to take note of before entering the building is how the building curves from the front hall that faces the road.

The two towers that connect the north and south wings to the front hall were constructed at an angle, a classic baroque architectural trick that allows the building to take its arc shape.

Where the Japanese architects of that time excelled (with regard to baroque-style architecture) is easily noticeable with the of the roof, which is also a mixture of Western and Japanese-design characteristics.

In baroque design, a sense of ‘flowing movement’ is important and when it comes to this roof, it is expertly arched over both the south and north wings which meets with the front hall, which has its own arched roof facing the road, giving off somewhat of a 3D motion effect. Some might argue that the design here is ostentatious, but that was the point of baroque.

Adding to the design on the exterior, the roof is also home to ox-tail windows on both the front and back side of the building. While these windows perform their role of allowing natural light into the building quite well, the key thing to note here that the shape of windows on the front and back are shaped differently, with those on the backside being much more impressive.

That being said, credit needs to be given to the architect and the construction teams as construction of ox-tail windows like these is quite difficult, so even though they might just seem like windows protruding from the roof, you should take some time to check them out. 

The main office on the second floor of the Main Hall features a beautiful veranda, while both of the wings have long two-meter wide passageways at the front and back of the the first and second floors, where people could get of the office for some fresh air.

However, as the ground level of the building was constructed with brick and the top level with cypress, there are some practical differences between the two. The veranda on the ground level features beautiful brick arches which help to support the floor above while the second level has pillars which in turn assist in supporting the weight of the roof.

As you enter the foyer of the building you are met with a large open greeting space and a beautiful set of stairs that reaches around on the left and right side, a classic European-style design that is almost unheard of in Taiwan today.

There are halls both to the left and the right of the stairs that take you to where the various offices of the railway bureau once existed. 

When you reach the end of either of the hallways, you’ll find another large open stairwell on either end that bring you up to the second floor. The stairwell is spacious and there are large windows on both sides that allow for beautiful natural light to come in.

As you make your way to the second floor, you’re going to notice a noticeable difference in the design from the first floor.

The second floor was home to offices like the floor below, but the size of some of them is considerably larger. Likewise, there is much more attention to detail in the design as the ceilings and walls are decorated with plaster sculptures, which have been beautifully restored.

If you look closely at the designs on the sculptures, you’ll clearly notice Taiwan-related imagery inside.

The room you’ll want to pay most attention to however is the main office directly in the middle of the building, opposite the grand staircase.

This room is probably one of the single most beautiful spaces I’ve seen in Taiwan and the intricate ceiling and porcelain decorations are an amazing look into the past and the commitment to attention to detail that is a hallmark of Japanese design.

Amazingly, the total cost of construction for the Administration Building cost a mere 377,000 yen, which is about $3,500 USD!

Sounds like a steal, right?

Actually no, we have to consider several factors, including inflation and the decimation of the Japanese currency after the Second World War to figure out the real cost in todays dollars. 

Don’t worry, I’ve gone ahead and figured that out for you. 

The real cost to construct the building in today’s dollars would have been about $1,626,232 USD.

Still, not too bad all things considering. 

The Octagon (八角樓)

So there’s this beautiful concrete building on site, to the rear of the main building called “The Octagon” and that sounds pretty cool, right?

Kind of like the Pentagon in America. 

Well, actually, it’s just an ostentatiously-designed male washroom.  

But even though it’s just a washroom, you can be sure that almost every person who visits the Railway Museum is going to go check it out.

Why? Well, it was opened simultaneously with the main building, which means that it also dates back to 1919, making it one of the first washrooms in Taiwan with modern plumbing. 

Due to the fact that the staff at the Railway Bureau were predominately male, the washroom caters to their needs with an octagonal-shaped column of urinals in the centre of the building.

There are also four stalls set up with toilets and to the right and left of the front entrance with each of the other six sides of the octagon open to the elements for venting.

The building was constructed with reinforced concrete, has stone slabs for the roof and features modern style plumbing and septic tanks behind each toilet for cleanliness.

Constructed in a classical style, the design of the building imitates the stone masonry techniques of Europe and even though its just a staff washroom, it’s obvious that a lot of thought was put into making the experience of relieving yourself a grand occasion.

Today the urinals and toilets have been removed from the building and it has been cleaned up, with the walls given a fresh coat of paint.

You don’t have to worry about the stink of a men’s washroom when you walk into the building but you’ll definitely be able to appreciate the architectural design of the building. 

Canteen (食堂) 

The Canteen, or the Cafeteria building is connected directly to the Administration Hall and as you might very well have noticed from the photos here, is very much different than the rest of the building.

Constructed in 1932 as an addition to the main building, the cafeteria is a two-storey western-style building constructed of cypress and metal bracketing.

The strange thing is that while we know that architect Moriyama Matsunosuke (森山松之助) designed the Administration Building, no one really cared to take credit for the construction of the cafeteria.

Likewise, the materials used for the construction of the building were interestingly collected from scraps of wood used for other buildings around the capital.

An early attempt at recycling?

In actuality, this was very likely due to the fact that the colonial government was over-reaching with so many construction projects around Taiwan and was strapped for cash. 

Despite all of that, the interior of the building is beautiful and, like most buildings constructed with Taiwanese cypress, it shines in the sunlight.

Currently the ground level floor is used by the museum as a gift shop while the second floor is home to an exhibition space. 

Wartime Command Center (防空洞)

The Wartime Command Center is an underground bunker that was constructed during the latter stages of the war in 1943.

The Japanese constructed bunkers like these all over Taiwan in order to offer air-raid protection for civil-servants and the military. Considering the strategic importance of the railway with regard to Japan’s ambitions in Taiwan, having a bunker on-site only made sense. 

Constructed with reinforced concrete, there are two different sections to the bunker - the upper section is about seven meters above the ground and constructed in a cone shape.

The lower underground section is large enough to fit dozens of people and the interior has a large railway map of Taiwan on the wall which features the various rail lines, stations and bridges constructed by that time. 

Unfortunately the lower section of the bunker is still in the process of being restored, so its not open to the public as of yet.

I’ll update in the future when it becomes available and I can get in to get some photos. 

Electricity Building (電源室)

The Electricity Building, located to the rear of the Administration Building was originally constructed in 1925, but has been reconstructed and expanded on several occasions over the years. 

The building is a single-story brick structure with an arched wooden truss roof that was especially equipped to allow for the ventilation of heat to ensure safety.

When the building was later expanded, designers were forced to curve the new section due to a lack of space - The interesting thing about this is that the curve of the building somewhat mimics the shape of the Administration Building, which wasn’t entirely intentional, but cool nevertheless. 

The electricity generated in the building was used to assist in power generation and storage for the usage of the construction buildings nearby, which required more electricity than the grid at the time was able to provide. 

Today the building has been cleaned up, all of the equipment removed and is now a pretty cool place to sit down and enjoy one of the Taiwan Railway’s iconic Railway Lunchboxes (鐵路便當) in a cafeteria-like setting. 

Construction Buildings (工務室)

The two “construction” buildings were constructed to the rear of the Administration Building’s southern wing and are located directly next to Yanping North Road. 

Constructed in 1934 in the Japanese style, both of the buildings are about 44 meters in length with windows covering almost 80% of the walls, stressing an importance for natural interior light.

Constructed almost entirely of wood, the buildings were brilliantly elevated off of the ground with an ‘anti-termite foundation’ that helped to protect and preserve the buildings.

There is currently an interesting display in one of the buildings about how the Japanese had to quickly adapt to the problem of termites upon arrival in Taiwan and how the buildings on-site are a product of lessons learned.

The buildings were constructed just as the Taipei Railway Workshop was making its move to an off-site location (between Taipei and Songshan) and were used by the engineers employed at the Railway Bureau to coordinate the various construction projects that would take place around the island, as well as ensuring that operations at the nearby Taipei Railway Workshop went smoothly. 

Today the engineering buildings are used as exhibition spaces with one focusing on the restoration of the railway bureau while the other is a space where children can go to learn more about the railway in an interactive and fun way. 

There is also another set of green buildings that have yet to be fully restored, so in the future it’s likely that they’ll be open to the public in some capacity.

Railway Museum (鐵道部園區)

A replication of the interior of the historic Beimen Station (北門車站)

The Railway Bureau is currently open to the public and is under the ownership and control of the National Taiwan Museum (國立臺灣博物館), which has various exhibition spaces around Taipei. 

The interior of the building features exhibitions and displays historic objects and memorabilia related to the history of the railway in Taiwan.

The museum is pretty much a paradise for anyone who enjoys learning about Taiwan’s modern development - or those who just love trains. 

The former offices within the building are now home to exhibition spaces, which will continue to grow as the restoration process on some of the other buildings on the site is on-going. 

Historic train seats on the rear balcony of the building basking in the afternoon sun.

So, even though I was able to visit the museum during its soft-opening, it most certainly won’t be my last. 

Link: Railway Department Park (National Taiwan Museum)  

Currently the museum features a number of exhibits covering a wide variety of subjects and even though the majority of exhibition space covers the history of the railroad in Taiwan, there are also some other interesting exhibits deserving of your attention.

When you visit the museum, you’ll be treated with some of the following exhibits (in no specific order):

  • The history of the railway from 1887 - 2020.

  • A model of the historic Beimen Station.

  • A mockup of the inner office space and tools of a train station

  • Interactive maps of the development of the railway network.

  • Displays of the various types of trains used throughout history.

  • Displays of discontinued trains and the presidents former train.

  • Spaces for children to learn about the railway in a fun way.

  • The history of the Railway Bureau building.

  • Exhibitions about the Restoration of the Railway Bureau

  • A giant and extremely detailed model railroad of Taipei.

  • Exhibition about the 1935 Taiwan Exposition.

  • Exhibition about the Taiwan Railway Hotel.

Modern exhibit in a century-old building.

This obviously is an incomplete list as some of the exhibitions are permanent while others will constantly be changing in order to keep things fresh. My first visit during the soft-opening and my second visit several months later were quite different experiences with some of the exhibits becoming more refined while others had already been completely removed and replaced.

The great thing about this space is that there are a long list of possibilities when it comes to new and interesting exhibitions about Taiwan’s railway network and thus far they’ve only scratched the surface, which is what makes this museum an exciting one as it continues to grow into one of the most important places to learn about Taiwan’s modern history in Taipei.

One thing that most certainly won’t be replaced is the expertly detailed model railway of Taipei, which you should most definitely check out. The model train show takes place twice an hour and is one of the things that any visitor to the museum absolutely has to check out.

Hours

Tuesday - Sunday from 9:30 - 5:00.

  1. Closed on Mondays

  2. Closed during the Lunar New Year holidays 

  3. Closed on National Holidays

Admission 

  • Railway Bureau: NT$100 (Adult) | NT$50 (Children/Seniors)

  • Museum Pass: NT$130 (Adult) | NT$65 (Children/Seniors) 

Notes about Admission Prices

  1. The price of admission for children is limited to those aged 6-12.

  2. Children under the age of six are free.  

  3. During the week, anyone over the age of 65 is free. On the weekends, tickets are half price. 

  4. The Museum Pass is a discounted ticket that gives access to the National Taiwan Museum, the Natural History Branch, Nansen Branch and the Railway Bureau.

  5. The ticket booth closes thirty minutes before the museum closes.

  6. The price of admission can be paid with cash, credit card and EasyCard (悠遊卡)

Waiting for the model train to arrive

Something that is important to remember about the Railway Bureau Museum is that restoration projects are still underway and there are still a few areas that are yet to be completed and opened to the public.

Over the next year or two, the museum will continue to expand with the original Taipei Railway Workshop slated to reopen relatively soon.

As the newer buildings open, I’ll make sure to update this article with more information. 

Getting There

 

So, how is one to get to the Taiwan Railway Museum? 

This is probably one of the easiest ‘Getting There’ sections I’ve ever written. 

The museum is located in the North Gate (Beimen) area of Taipei and is a short walk from either the Taipei Railway Station, Taoyuan Airport Metro Station, Beimen MRT Station or the Taipei Underground Mall (台北地下街). 

  • From Taipei Main Station: Exit the station from the “West Three” door (西三門) and walk west along the park or Chung-Hsiao West Road to arrive at the museum. 

  • From Beimen MRT Station: Exit 1, 2 or 3 more or less surround the back end of the museum. 

  • From Taipei Underground Mall: Exit Y24 or Y26, each of which are a two minute walk away. 

  • From Taoyuan Airport MRT: Exit 6 or 7, both of which are directly across the street. 

Exhibits on display from the Railway Bureau

The Taiwan Railway Museum kind of blew me away - Sure, you could argue that I’m an unbiased critic as I’m somewhat predisposed to enjoying any historic building from the Japanese era, but there’s much more going on here than just the historic building.

The museum and the exhibits on display are pretty much candy for any Taiwanese history buff and the well-thought out displays are easily enjoyed by people of all ages. 

As I’ve already mentioned, I’ve never really been this impressed by a museum in Taiwan before, and no, I’m not being paid to say that.

I think all of this is likely is a reflection of the fact that the National Taiwan Museum did an extremely professional job restoring the building while also collecting all of the historic objects that have been put on display. 

If you have a chance to visit, I highly recommend spending some time at this museum.

A view of the modern city from the perspective of one of its oldest residents.

Likewise, as I mentioned above, in the coming months I’ll be updating this space with photos from some of the areas that have yet to be opened to the public and I’ll also be adding more articles about the Railway Bureau in Hualien, which has also become a pretty cool spot to hang out and learn about the history of the Railway in Taiwan!

Footnotes

  1. Railway Division of Taiwan Governor-General’s Bureau of Transportation (Ministry of Culture)

  2. Railway Department Park (National Taiwan Museum)

  3. Ministry launches Railway Bureau (Taipei Times)

  4. Railway Park in Taipei Opens to Public (Taipei Times)

  5. A Living Museum of Trains (Taiwan Panorama)

  6. 台博鐵道部園區6日開幕 重現百年古蹟建築 (CNA)

  7. 臺灣總督府交通局鐵道部 (Wiki)

  8. 鐵道部之空間變遷與建築特色 (國立臺灣博物館)

  9. 臺博館鐵道部園區新揭幕！歷經16年修復，走入百年古蹟群，動態模型、鐵道文史展一次看 (Shopping Design)

  10. 抵達軌道運輸第一站，回味「鐵道部園區」百年歷史 (遠見)

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