National Historical Monument

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

When I first started writing about all of these historic buildings from the Japanese Colonial Era a few years back, I hadn’t realized that my interest in these buildings was something that was widely shared and that the central and local governments all across Taiwan were simultaneously in the process of investing a lot of time and money into their restoration. 

Fast forward more than five years and it’s almost like they want to ensure that this little project of mine is never going to end. 

Now that there are so many exciting things happening with regard to the restoration of historic places of interest all across the country, I’ve had to keep my ears close to the ground and have become rather adept at keeping track of all the on-going and future restoration projects. So when I plan my monthly schedule, one of the things that I make sure to keep in mind is all of the newly restored buildings that are opening to the public, so that I can get to them in a timely manner.

That being said, I’ve had this burning question in the back of my mind about these things for quite some time.

Maybe it’s just because I’m getting older and these are the things that you think about as you age.

The government has been very noticeably busy in its efforts restoring a very long list of historic structures all over the country, and I’m sure you can imagine, each of which tends to be quite expensive. 

So where does all the money come from and how can the government continue to invest so much in these historic properties when they could be investing more elsewhere?

Taiwan currently enjoys a very healthy and active democratic environment where transparency and accountability have become major considerations for taxpayers wanting to ensure that their hard-earned dollars are being spent responsibly. Gone are the days of the former authoritarian-era where the government could do pretty much whatever it wanted and get away with it.  

Understandably, given the controversial history of the five decades of Japan’s colonial rule, it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that society is often divided on the subject of restoring these old buildings. Certainly, not everyone agrees that precious public funds should be spent on the restoration of all of these Japanese-era structures around the country.  

This means that there is a considerable amount of bureaucracy and red-tape involved in all of these projects, and from start to finish, the public is consulted and constantly kept informed (if they are so inclined to pay attention that is).

Obviously the government doesn’t focus entirely on buildings from the Japanese-era with all of these restoration projects. There are a multitude of others that focus on Indigenous cultural preservation as well as the restoration of buildings that date back even further to the Qing Dynasty and beyond.

My focus here though is on the buildings remaining from the colonial era.

To better illustrate the point of what I’m going to try to make, allow me for a moment to use the recent completion (and re-opening) of the Zhongli Police and Teachers dormitories as an example.

Both the Zhongli Teachers Dorms and the nearby Police Dorms have been converted into culture parks (文化公園) by the Taoyuan City Government. Both of these parks consist of three former Japanese-era dormitories, which have been completely restored and re-opened to the public.

This means that within a city block there are currently six historic buildings that have been restored and reopened. 

To stay accountable to the public, the government can’t just leave the buildings empty, which means that they have to serve some purpose.

The problem for the government in this case is that they’ve already spent a considerable amount of money in Zhongli (中壢區), as well as in Taoyuan (桃園區), Daxi (大溪區) and other districts restoring similar historic buildings.

With so many new culture parks, I’m sure you can understand that they have been hard-pressed to come up with sustainable ideas for what to do with all these buildings. 

So, in the case of both of these parks (in addition to many others around the country), you’ll find that the government has reserved space for historic and cultural displays in some of the buildings while also making use of existing laws to allow local entrepreneurs to set up shop within the others.

Relaxing at the Zhongli Elementary Teachers Dorm

The Zhongli Police Dorm Culture Park currently features two buildings dedicated to local cultural and historic exhibitions while the other is currently occupied by a classy hot pot restaurant. The Teachers Dorms likewise feature similar exhibition space, but one of the buildings is currently home to a nice coffeeshop.

This is something that has been happening en-masse all over the country as the government has been investing heavily in buildings of cultural and historical significance. 

So here’s the purpose of this case study: In order to remain accountable and transparent, as well as attempting to attract a constant flow of visitors to these newly established culture parks, local governments have started to employ ‘operational transfer’ agreements for these historic properties.

This gives entrepreneurs an opportunity to set up shop in one of these recently restored buildings and provides the government with revenue in order to recoup some of their investment over time.

Japanese dorm prior to restoration

Today, I’m going to focus on how these operational transfer schemes work, because they have become an integral part of the cultural and historic preservation process and are an extremely important tool which allows the government to continue contributing funds for the preservation of historic buildings.

This is something that we can all benefit from for generations to come.

To do this, I’ll be using a combination of the dorms mentioned above as well as the beautiful Taimali Coffee Shop (太麻里文創咖啡館) in Taitung as examples of how these agreements work, and how they can be successful. 

As is the case with the things I find interesting, very little has been covered on the topic in English, or even mentioned very often in Chinese for that matter, so the information I’m going to be providing here required quite a bit of translation and research directly from government-provided resources.

I hope you’ll find it interesting, too!

Public-Private Partnerships in Taiwan

Families enjoying lunch at the newly opened Hsinchu Lakeside Ryotei

Families enjoying lunch at the newly opened Hsinchu Lakeside Ryotei

In order to better facilitate legal partnerships between the private and public sectors, the Taiwanese government makes use of the ‘Build-Operate-Transfer’ model as a method for ensuring transparency in public construction projects, and allowing for short and long-term leasing of historic properties. 

Link: Build–Operate–Transfer (Wiki)

Starting in the year 2000 (民國89年), the government passed the “Law of Private Participation in Public Construction” framework (民間參與公共建設法), which was initially meant to allow the public sector to assign publicly funded construction projects to private enterprises, and ensuring that the financial resources are efficiently made available for construction projects. 

The promulgation of this law was considered to be a win-win strategy for both the public and private sectors as it would ensure the vitality of private enterprises contracted by the government. It would also help to improve the quality of public infrastructure, and most importantly reduce the burden of government expenditures and bureaucratic red tape.

Link: Enforcement Rules of Act for Promotion of Private Participation in Infrastructure Projects | 促進民間參與公共建設法施行細則 (Ministry of Finance / 財政部)

In the two decades since the law has been enacted, it has been amended almost a dozen times (most recently in 2019) to reflect the evolving situation with regard to these partnerships, which don’t necessarily always have to involve large construction projects and huge sums of money.

Some of the recent success stories with these partnerships include none other than the construction of Taiwan’s High Speed Rail (臺灣高鐵路), Kaohsiung’s Mass Rapid Transit System (高雄捷運) and Taipei 101 (台北101), among others. 

Unfortunately, even though these policies are considered a winning strategy for interaction between the government and the private sector, there is also a dark side that has led to rampant corruption within the public procurement sector - Most often caused by government officials showing favoritism to conglomerates that are both ready and willing to bribe them.

Restaurant space at the Hsinchu Lakeside Ryotei

In one such case, Taipei City Councillor, and high-ranking Chinese Nationalist Party member Lai Su-ju (賴素如) was convicted and sentenced to ten years imprisonment for seeking NT$15 million (US $472,798) in kickbacks. In return, Lai would ensure that a ‘certain’ company would win a contract to develop the proposed Taipei Twin Towers Project (台北雙子星大樓) next the Taipei Railway Station. 

Link: Lai Su-ju guilty verdict upheld by High Court (Taipei Times) 

Even though on paper the system was set up to prevent corruption from taking place, controversies continue to persist; The Taipei Dome (臺北大巨蛋) project is another recent example of how problems can arise with the government interacting with the private sector.

In this case we have city councillors all the way up to a former president becoming complicit in the scandal. 

The ongoing case is one that has been widely covered by the media and has focused the collective anger of the public on the government, the FarGlory Group (遠雄集團) and the “deeply entrenched crony capitalism in Taiwan, with bribes paid by development companies to local politicians in order to secure lucrative infrastructure construction bids, and the use of organized crime by development companies to intimidate local opposition.” 

Link: The Taipei Dome Controversy and Issues of Entrenched Political Corruption in Taiwan (New Bloom)  

While it is important to be aware that even though mechanisms have been in place for a couple of decades, with watchdogs and amendments to the laws, corruption still rears its ugly head.

This means that “guanxi” (關係) is still a pervasive factor when awarding contracts, even in the smaller cases that are the focus of what I’m covering today.

Fortunately, what I’m focusing on here with Taiwan’s historic buildings are (considerably) smaller cases that aren’t likely to involve large corporations, bribes and kickbacks. They are however extremely competitive and are just as likely to suffer from the same issues, albeit on a much smaller scale than others.

In particular, one of the major issues when it comes to the leasing of these historic buildings is that the contracts are often awarded by local governments, which means that the mechanisms for ensuring equality and fairness may not be on par with those on the national level. This is especially the case with contracts and agreements that are more widely scrutinized when they are over a certain dollar limit.

Gift shop at the Hsinchu Lakeside Ryotei

First though, let me introduce the basic methods that the Taiwanese government has set up under the Ministry of Finance (財政部) within the framework of the “Act for Promotion of Private Participation in Infrastructure Projects” mentioned above. 

  1. Build-Operate-Transfer” BOT (由民間機構投資新建並為營運;營運期間屆滿後,移轉該建設之所有權予政府) is when the government grants a concession to a private organization to finance, build and operate a project for a specific period of time (in order to recoup its investment) before control is transferred back to the government.

  2. Build-Transfer-Operate” (由民間機構投資新建完成後,政府無償取得所有權,並由該民間機構營運;營運期間屆滿後,營運權歸還政府) essentially means that after an investment by a private organization, the government takes ownership of the property, while entrusting the organization with its operational rights for a specific period of time before control is returned to the government. There are variations on this scheme with the government eventually taking ownership of a property for free (無償BTO) and another where the government is required to reimburse the private institution for construction costs (有償BTO).

  3. Rehabilitate-Operate-Transfer” ROT (民間機構投資增建、改建及修建政府現有設施並為營運;營運期間屆滿後,營運權歸還政府) often referred to as “rehabilitate” or “restoration” in English, this is a method by which private institutions invest in the reconstruction or restoration of an existing government-owned property and operates it for a specific period of time before it is returned to government control.

  4. Operate-Transfer” OT (間機構營運政府投資興建完成之建設,營運期間屆滿後,營運權歸還政府) contracts are essentially the main focus of this case study and are a scheme for which the government invests in and completes a project and then entrusts private organizations to operate it (for a set period time) until control is eventually returned to the government or the lease is renegotiated.

  5. Build-Operate-Owner” BOO (配合國家政策,由民間機構自行備具私有土地投資新建,擁有所有權,並自為營運或委託第三人營運) are contracts that allow private institutions to invest in the construction of a new project and upon completion owning it and operating it (or entrusting a third party with its operation) with the inclusion of government oversight, which may or may not include financial incentives or tax-exempt status.

Restaurant seating at the Zhongli Police Dorms

When it comes to the leasing of historic properties that have been restored by the government and their operational control being handed over for private operation, we need to focus on the Rehabilitate-Operate-Transfer and Operate-Transfer method.

ROT/OT schemes allow the government to have a hand in the restoration of historic and culturally significant structures, as well as providing for the opportunity to lease them out for commercial use. 

The statute that governs these partnerships is outlined in Article 8, Paragraph 5 (第8條第5點) of the ‘Act for Promotion of Participation in Infrastructure Projects’ law which is as follows: 

“5. The private institution operates an infrastructure built with investment from the government. Upon expiration of the operation period, the right to operate reverts to the government;” (民間機構營運政府投資興建完成之建設,營運期間屆滿後,營運權歸還政府。)

As mentioned above, in order to help you better understand these partnerships, I’m using the Zhongli Police Dormitories as an example of how the ‘Operate-Transfer’ agreements work with regard to the leasing of historic structures to the private sector.

The reason for this is two-fold: I’ve already published articles on these dorms on two occasions, prior to their restoration and most recently after the restoration was completed.

More importantly is that the ‘licensing bid’ for the dorm (that was made available to the public) was published by the Ministry of Finance, and is easily accessible through the link below.

It provides the information necessary to help illustrate my point. 

Link: 桃園市中壢警察局日式宿舍群營運移轉案 (民間參與公共建設資訊)

Restaurant at the Zhongli Police Dorms

After a period of restoration, the Zhongli Police Dorms re-opened in 2020 as a Cultural Park which seeks to promote tourism in the area by featuring exhibitions focused on local history that are attractive to the public.

As mentioned earlier, two of the dormitories in the park have been reserved as a cultural space and their operational control is taken care of by the Taoyuan City Government’s Department of Cultural Affairs (桃園市政府文化局). 

The third (and the largest of the dorms) on the other hand was reserved for ‘private use’ as part of the government’s ‘Operate-Transfer’ program which helps to ensure that some of the public funds that were invested in the restoration of these three buildings is recouped.

The space is currently occupied by “Jing Ding House” (景町文煮), a Japanese-style restaurant and cafe operated by the ArtGo Cultural & Creative Company (雅鴿文創公司), which won the bid linked above for the operational rights for the building.

The bidding process that was published by the Ministry of Finance (in the link above) provides us with some some important information about how these operational contracts are formed. 

However, since not everyone can read Chinese, I’ll summarize below.

What we can see is that the ‘Operate-Transfer’ Agreement is licensed for a period of six years between 2019 (民國108年) and 2025 (民國114年), with the contract winner proposing a plan that would include a total investment of NT$9,757,066 (US $350,000) over that period.

As to whether or not the government will continue the lease when it is up, or make the space available to another private contractor is part of the risk that is taken when it comes to these Operational Transfer agreements. 

Similarly, unlike typical companies, which are generally free to decide if and when to close shop, if business isn’t going well, these agreements ensure that the space will be occupied for the period that the contract is valid, otherwise a large fine will be incurred. 

This obviously makes bidding for one of these projects somewhat precarious for the average person wanting to operate a business within one of those government-owned historic buildings.  

Generally speaking, for those interested in applying for one of these ‘OT’ cases that the government makes available, it is important that they pay close attention to the bids, which are published on the “Promotion of Private Participation” (民間參與公共建設資訊) website. 

Enjoying tea at the Taichung Martial Arts Hall

Each of which generally includes the following information and stipulations: 

  1. Public Announcement for bids (公告招商)

  2. Case name (案件名稱)

  3. Case Provider (主辦機關)

  4. Case Category (公共建設類別)

  5. Operational Contract Period (公告時期)

  6. Terms and Conditions for bidding (招標條件)

Most of these are pretty self-explanatory, but the frustrating part are the ‘conditions’ for bidding as they generally ensure that the majority of those who apply for the contract are automatically eliminated from contention, due to the strict stipulations that are put in place.

As I’m sure you can imagine, it is already difficult enough working with the government, but when it comes to protected historic structures, there are quite a few rules as to what you can and cannot do with the space and the liability for violating them can be quite high. 

At this point you’re probably thinking that the regulations for these OT agreements for historic structures come across as far too rigid and aren’t very cost-effective.

Surprisingly though, the opportunity to actually win a bid to operate one is low as competition is fierce.

The risks may be high, but running a business in a historic building within a culture park is an excellent one. 

The good news is that whether you’re running a coffeeshop, restaurant, bookstore, etc. You should have no problem attracting customers as people are generally interested in these spaces, and since they’re already part of what is sure to become a tourist attraction, its unlikely that there will ever be a shortage of business and/or that you’ll be able to recoup your investment.

There are of course exceptions to the rule, but it’s difficult to imagine that the majority of private companies that win these public contracts aren’t going to attempt to negotiate an extension on the lease when their time is up.

Private dining room at the Zhongli Police Dorms

What’s important to remember about the preservation of buildings of cultural and historic significance is that even though the government is willing to invest in their restoration, the involvement of governmental, non-governmental and private enterprises is required to ensure the success and viability of these projects.

If you’ve travelled anywhere in Taiwan over the past few years, you’ll have seen these OT agreements in action, but probably weren’t aware of what was going on.

Whether its one of the coffeeshops, restaurants or concert venues at the Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914文化創意產業園區) in Taipei, Miyahara Ice Cream shop (宮原眼科冰淇淋) in Taichung, or any of the galleries and shops at the Pier2 Art Center (駁二藝術特區) in Kaohsiung, these partnerships have become integral in the preservation process.

So while it’s tremendous that the Taiwanese government on the local and national level has a renewed interest in the preservation of historical sites, without these public-private partnerships, it would be difficult to actually be able to preserve these heritage assets in a cost-effective way.

Most importantly these partnerships ensure that preservation continues to take place around the country and on a macro level gives the general public have more incentive to visit. 

After all, cultural parks are likely to start getting boring after you’ve seen enough of them.

Taimali Coffee (太麻里文創咖啡館) 

While I’ve had all of this in the back of my mind for quite a while, what actually cemented my interest in getting to the bottom of these Public-Private Partnership schemes was my visit to the beautiful Taimali Coffee Shop in Taitung City.

In fact, Taitung is one of the areas of Taiwan where you can see these Public-Private partnerships on display in a very noticeable way - From the shops that have set up within the Rail Art Village (鐵花村), the Taitung Sugar Factory (臺東糖廠) and the hip coffeeshops that have opened in the old dorms near the Baoting Art And Culture Center (寶町藝文中心), you’ll find that quite a few entrepreneurs are taking advantage of partnering up with the local government in promoting Taitung to the rest of the country - and the world.

This coffeeshop in particular, located within the downtown core of Taitung city (not actually in Taimali Township (太麻里鄉) to the south), is the brainchild of the famed Taiwanese Film Director Huang Chao-liang (黃朝亮), who grew up in the area and is well known for telling stories about his home. 

One of his most recent films “Han Dan” (寒單), for example was set amidst Taitung’s iconic Bombing Master Han Dan (炮炸寒單爺) festival and tells an interesting story while also highlighting one of the most important religious festivals of his hometown. 

Link: Bombing Lord Handan (Taiwan Gods)

Admittedly, what drew me to the coffeeshop wasn’t the coffee. 

I was however quite surprised to find out when I sat down that all of their coffee is locally sourced from ranches in the mountains of nearby Taimali, and that the coffeeshop was more or less a showroom for the award winning coffee beans harvested in Taitung.

The beautiful interior of Taimali Coffee

Known as “First Rays Coffee” (日升之處咖啡) and “Taimali Ocean Coffee” (太麻里海洋咖啡), the area’s coffee beans are harvested at an altitude ranging between 600m and 1000m above sea level in Taimali’s Huayuan Village (華源村), south of Taitung City.

Apparently this is also where the ‘first rays of sun’ hit Taiwan every morning, hence the name.

Given that the climate is well-suited for growing coffee, the high-quality beans that are grown in Taimali are considered to be well-balanced in their acidity, sweetness and bitterness and deliver smooth flavors.

Over the past decade, Taiwanese-grown beans have won several international awards and Taitung’s beans are helping to ensure that Taiwan’s coffee export market will continue to grow as the nation makes more of a name for itself on the market.

Most of this wouldn’t have been possible however without the leadership of Director Huang, who has not only seized upon the opportunity to open this coffeeshop, but also to help consolidate Taitung’s various coffee beans producers and promote them to the world in a professional manner.  

Link: Taimali Coffee Brewing up a Name for Itself (Taiwan Today)

Guests enjoying the coffeeshop

Given that I spend so much time sitting in coffee shops writing all of these articles, you’d think that I’d be more aware of Taiwan’s resurgence on the international coffee market, but I actually had no idea before walking into this beautiful coffee shop. All I knew was that Taiwan has one of the best coffee-drinking cultures around and that many baristas here have achieved international acclaim.  

Located within a Japanese-era Police Dormitory that dates back to 1940 (昭和15年), the Taitung City Government spent NT$12 million (US $400,000) restoring the building. A hefty figure.

Upon completion, a PPP bid was opened to the public and was initially awarded to a Japanese-style Oolong Noodle (烏龍麵) franchise, which quickly set up shop inside.

According to what we learned above, these contracts typically last for a period of five years or more, so the fact that the noodle shop closed within two years of opening says a lot.

Business may not have been very good, but given that they were willing to take the loss on their investment to close up shop years before the contract expired is pretty serious.

The early closure likewise put the local government in a difficult position as the considerable amount of public funds used to restore the space weren’t being put to good use. This and the fact that there were other restoration projects simultaneously taking place around the city meant that there was a lot of pressure to resolve the situation quickly.

With the building empty, Director Huang seized upon the opportunity and submitted a proposal to the Taitung City Government to set up the coffeeshop inside. Given the government’s investment in the restoration of the building and the recent failure of the noodle restaurant, I’m sure that the opportunity to have a well-established film director open a business that would promote locally sourced coffee to the tourists who visit Taitung was probably too good to be true. 

Re-opening in 2018 as the “Taimali Creative and Cultural Coffeeshop” (太麻里文創咖啡館), it has become one of Taitung’s hippest tourist spots, especially with young people who come to enjoy the locally grown coffee in a nostalgic setting. 

As mentioned above, there are strict limitations within what those who lease these historic buildings can do with the interior design. While that might seem rigid for anyone wanting to bid for the operational rights to one of these buildings, it is also to their benefit as the majority of people who want to visit are coming to enjoy the simplicity of old-fashioned Japanese design. 

The interior of the coffeeshop remains true to that in that it features retro-style seating with carefully selected chairs and tables. The shelves used to showcase the coffee are made of wood, like the rest of the building and while they’re obviously an addition, they don’t take away from the rest of the interior design.

Save for the air conditioner and the kitchen area, the only modern additions to the building are some of the decorations on the walls, which for the most part include posters of Director Huang’s films.

The great thing about this dorm, similar to the nearby Baoting Art and Culture Center (寶町藝文中心) is that the interior, constructed from Taiwanese cedar (杉木) absolutely shines in the sun. The natural light that comes into the building in the afternoon is spectacular and makes the ambiance of enjoying a coffee inside well worth the price of your visit!

The exterior of the building is also quite beautiful and features a yard with ‘actual’ grass, something that is quite uncommon in cities in Taiwan.

Even though the building is located on the corner of Tiehua Road (鐵花路) and Fujian Road (復健路), the main entrance is located in a courtyard that faces away from the road.

The entrance features a beautiful Japanese-style covered porch and the walls are covered in beautiful sliding glass windows. 

The courtyard is large enough to allow for some outdoor seating and a covered pavilion where customers can wait for seating. It is also tree-covered with trees that were planted when the building was originally constructed in the 1930s. The tall trees offer quite a bit of shade, making the wait for a seat a lot more comfortable on hot days. One of them even has a swing hanging from it, which is pretty much Instagram gold, if you’re into that kind of thing.

On the opposite side facing the street, you’ll find a washroom where the original outhouse used to be located. These days however, the building has been upgraded with modern bathrooms.

Still though, to access the washroom you have to walk outside to the back entrance of the building.

If you’ve read this far, you’re probably wondering why I’m not including photos of the coffee or food thats available at the coffeeshop.

I won’t be including any of that. Simply put, I’m not a food blogger and my purpose here isn’t really to introduce or promote the products you’ll get at the coffeeshop.

What I will say however is that the coffee was tasty and the ambiance of sitting inside this historic building was worth the price of admission!

If you’re in Taitung, I highly recommend stopping by this beautiful coffeeshop to learn a little about Taitung’s coffee bean production, enjoy some coffee and more importantly, the former police dormitory which has been completely transformed - and a great example of how these public-private partnerships can be successful!

Getting There

 

Address: #307 Fujian Road, Taitung City (台東市福建路307號)

GPS: 22.75353240966797 121.15357208251953

Located within the downtown core of Taitung City, getting to Taimali Coffee shouldn’t pose any trouble for the average traveller.

The cafe is within walking distance from some of the city’s other popular tourist attractions including the Railway Art Village (鐵花村), Taitung Martyrs Shrine (臺東忠烈祠), Liyu Mountain (鯉魚山), Taitung Bus Station (臺東轉運站), the Taitung Night Market (台東夜市), the famed White House (台東阿伯小白屋) and even the Baoting Art and Culture Centre (寶町藝文中心). 

If you’re staying within the downtown core of the city during your visit, I highly recommend just walking over to the cafe.

If you’ve got a car or scooter, you should be able to find street-side parking nearby, but if you’re visiting during a national holiday, you may be a little trouble parking a car. 

That being said, if you’re staying outside of the city and want to visit, the best way to get there is to take any of the buses that terminate at the Taitung Bus Station, of which there are about 36 and far too many to list here. 

Unfortunately the website for the Taitung Bus Station is only available in Chinese, but you can still check it out to help plan your trip. Your best bet though is to simply click on the bus station on Google Maps to get the full list of buses that stop there and the one that is most suitable for you!

Link: Taitung Bus Station (臺東轉運站) 

You won’t actually find any bus stops along Fujian Road (復健路) where the cafe is located, but this is because the walk from there to the bus station only takes a couple of minutes. 

One thing that is important to note is that the coffee shop tends to be pretty busy, so if you are planning to stop by, I highly recommend heading to their Facebook page that I’ve linked below where you can easily make a reservation.

It would be pretty disappointing if you showed up and the place was so busy that you don’t have the opportunity to enjoy some coffee and a dessert in such a beautifully restored Japanese-era home! 

Hours

From 10:00 to 18:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. 

From 10:00 to 21:00 on Saturdays and Sundays. 

Contact: 089-330398 | Website | Facebook | Instagram

Some of Director Huang’s past work on display

Some of Director Huang’s past work on display

If you are as interested in the preservation of Taiwan’s cultural heritage as I am, this is a topic that should be of particular interest as it is the method by which the government has used to successfully fund restoration projects all over the country.

With hundreds of these projects completed over the past decade, heritage preservation in Taiwan has become a focal point for the rejuvenation of a cultural identity that was once on the decline.

While I’m sure that you’ll excuse me for painting a rosy picture here with regard to the preservation of historic buildings in Taiwan, the sad fact is that we have already lost countless buildings of cultural and historic value. As time passes, the number of historic structures remaining in Taiwan continues to decrease, so if we want to see all of this preservation continue, we should also do our best to support the businesses that set up shop within these places of cultural interest. By doing so, we ensure that these public-private partnerships remain healthy, and also contribute to the local economy.

Possibly the best seats in the house?


Taiwan Railway Museum (臺灣總督府鐵道部)

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)