The Formosa Star:A Locomotive for Taiwanese Tourism

The success of the Korean soap opera "Winter Sonata" prompted many Japanese to converge on the sites where the shows were shot, including Myeong-dong in Chuncheon City and Sorakasan National Park. When Shintaro Ishihara, mayor of Tokyo and a friend of Taiwan, came to attend the presidential inauguration on May 20, 2004, he raised this phenomenon with the then premier, Yu Shyi-kun. Since the eastern part of Taiwan is even more scenic than Korea, Ishihara expressed the hope that he would one day be able to tour the Hualian-Taitung region by train. Ishihara further promised that when he did so he would bring along with him Japanese television writers who could turn the region into the setting for a Japanese soap opera. In this way, Taiwan could be introduced to Japan, which would surely attract large crowds of Japanese tourists.

Because of that spark, in late October of that year the Formosa Star, the premier train service of the Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA), was launched. As promised, Mayor Ishihara was present at the train's debut journey and served as the Formosa Star's spokesman, spreading the news to his countrymen in Japan, who have traditionally been strong supporters of Taiwanese tourism.

After its first journey in October 2004, the Formosa Star ran once a week, its five cars carrying 120 passengers. Seats on the train were difficult to come by, and reservations had to be made three months in advance. The TRA, seeking to capitalize on its success, has since the beginning of this year expanded service to a twice-weekly schedule. Through providing warm and meticulous service, the TRA hopes to bring Taiwan into the age of luxury tourism.

It's 6:30 a.m. at Sungshan Station in Taipei. The Formosa Star slowly pulls into the station, its carriages painted with various well-known scenic spots of Taiwan. Youthful workers move swiftly to load onto the train food items and juices in packages large and small. They then busy themselves with last-minute preparations, boiling water, pouring soy milk and ice-cold juice, heating up breakfast, and laying out the day's newspapers.

At 8:00 a.m. the train pulls into Taipei Station. Female attendants wearing sweet smiles and modified versions of the traditional garb of the Amis Aborigines welcome travelers as they board their cars. Passengers awaiting other trains on the platform cannot help pointing at the Formosa Star out of curiosity and casting envious glances its way.

At 8:15, the Formosa Star begins to move and the stationmaster, who has been waiting for quite a while, gives a friendly wave to the passengers inside, wishing them a wonderful journey as he sends off the slowly departing train with his gaze. Just this moment of departure suffices to demonstrate the way in which this exclusive set of travelers is being pampered.

The royal treatment

The Formosa Star departs Taipei. Its seats, made to custom specifications, resemble an airliner's business class seats. While an ordinary train car will have 52 seats, the Formosa Star's expanded legroom means that each of its cars has only 33. In addition, what used to be rows of four seats are now rows of three seats. Each seat can swivel 360 degrees and includes such features as a hidden meal tray as well as a stereo headrest. Out of five carriages, aside from the three deluxe passenger carriages, there is a dining car as well as a karaoke car.

The four-hour trip from Taipei to Hualien winds along a beautiful coastal route where sea and sky meet. From Hualien to Taitung, the train passes through steep canyons. All of the windows in the Formosa Star have been enlarged so that passengers can lose themselves in the beauty of the surrounding scenery. Some even swivel their seats to face the windows, reveling in the magnificent mountain- and seascapes set to the accompaniment of clacking rails.

According to Hsiao Kuan-chun, product manager for ezTravel, which has been responsible for designing the Formosa Star's itinerary, the ticket price includes four days and three nights of food, lodging, and transportation. Passengers do not have to spend any extra money during the journey, and may enjoy such amenities as unlimited fine wines, drinks, and Starbucks coffee in the dining car.

Since the train leaves at such an early hour, as soon as the passengers are settled, attendants bring out steaming-hot soy milk, rice balls, pork buns, steamed buns, and other foods. For lunch on the first day, passengers are treated to the pleasure of retro-style railway lunchboxes. The lunchboxes, which would cost NT$300 elsewhere, are an essential part of the experience. Passengers are invited to keep these round lunchboxes as souvenirs. Such thoughtful touches delight Japanese passengers, who are aficionados of Taiwan's railways.

Sampling local wares

It was originally thought that since at just past eight in the morning one's singing voice is generally not opened up, there would not be any passengers congregating in the karaoke car. Unexpectedly, a group of 60- and 70-year old passengers gathers in the car, happily singing the Taiwanese and Japanese songs they knew so well.

Among the passengers is Lin Hsien-chi, CEO of Tung Ho Steel Enterprise Corporation. He good-humoredly relates that he was born in 1930. When he found out about the Formosa Star on the Internet, he called together a group of friends and their spouses to come along on this journey. Lin, who has been to 40-some countries, feels that Taiwan has the most enchanting scenery anywhere. To him, even the scenery of South Africa's Cape of Good Hope cannot compare to that of Taiwan's northeastern coast, which now lies before his eyes.

Among the travelers can also be found quite a few foreigners, most of whom are married to Taiwanese, trying to fit in some travel time while on trips back in Taiwan. Wen Pei-yu is the spouse of one of them. She had already heard of the Formosa Star while abroad, and on this holiday trip back home wanted to acquaint her British husband with Taiwan. Her husband stands shyly to one side, nodding and praising the train, exclaiming that the service here is much better than can be found in Great Britain.

Mr. Chen, a Taiwanese living in Japan, has also brought his lovely Japanese wife on a trip back to Taiwan. Though they interact with a Japanese-style reserve, they are inseparable throughout the trip, happily snapping photographic souvenirs. Both express satisfaction with the way the trip has been arranged.

Hsiao of ezTravel says that fine cuisine is one of the main draws of the Formosa Star. On the trip, passengers are provided not only with main meals, but depending on the leg of the journey might enjoy their own portions of "cow tongue" biscuits from Ilan, preserved fruits, mochi and sweet potato snacks from Hualien, apple custard cookies from Taitung, tea biscuits from Luyeh, square cakes from Chiayi, sun cakes from Taichung, and other local specialties designed to create memorable impressions for the palate.

Championing luxury travel

TRA director-general Hsu Ta-wen personally oversees every aspect of the service's operation, and has been praised as the guiding force behind the Formosa Star. As Taiwan's railways undergo transformation, Hsu hopes that they can not only realize their potential for transportation, but give domestic and foreign passengers a way to fully enjoy the beauty of Taiwan through a superior travel experience. Thus, since the Formosa Star's debut, from in-car service, itinerary arrangement, and pricing, to alliances with domestic travel agencies, Hsu has spared no effort in his quest to delight the TRA, travel professionals, and travelers.

In a little more than three months, the Formosa Star has successfully built up a glowing reputation. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Hsu has shouldered considerable pressures and anxieties. While at first there was no budget for the renovation of the rail cars, Hsu gathered together various experts from within the TRA to redo the interiors, and was personally involved in selecting the illustrations that adorn the train's exteriors. He hoped that a vibrant image would appeal to a broad range of travelers and give the Formosa Star a sparkling debut.

Later, when Hsu invited Mayor Ishihara, along with Japanese media and television writers to participate in the Formosa Star's maiden journey, it just so happened that Typhoon Nock-ten also descended upon the island. Roads collapsed, power went out, and all trains were halted. It appeared as if the Formosa Star would not be able to make this journey.

Hsu recalls, "This was a prime opportunity to promote the Formosa Star and Taiwanese tourism. How could I let it slip away just like that!" Girding himself for the challenge, Hsu asked all of his employees to brave the rain and rush to complete the needed repair work, asking them to at least restore one train line. Early the next morning, before departure, a crossing 40 minutes away on the Fulung section of the line was still not repaired. Based on his experience, Hsu reckoned that it could be repaired on time and decided to let the Formosa Star depart on schedule, slowing down for the first part of the journey to buy time. Hsu was calm as he directed affairs in the presence of his superiors, VIPs, and the media. It was not until the train had reached Juifang and he received word that the repairs were done that his burden was finally lifted from him. Unexpectedly, Hsu later came under attack by a portion of the Taiwanese media for what it considered preferential treatment of the Formosa Star. Hsu even had to appear before the legislature and submit to questioning.

The Formosa Star rolls on

The Formosa Star is the hottest ticket in Taiwanese travel right now. However, since the events surrounding that first journey in the typhoon, the service has landed in the headlines again due to squabbles between ezTravel and fellow members of an alliance composed of over 30 travel agents that sell railway tour packages around Taiwan. The dispute has centered around an attempt to dislodge alliance member ezTravel as the sole authorized online vendor for the Formosa Star. One can only attribute such disputes to the competitive culture arising in sluggish economic times.

Lu Chieh-shen, deputy director of the TRA's Transportation Department, responds that the Formosa Star had from the beginning been defined within the luxury segment of the travel industry. He says that ezTravel won the rights to the route that includes Yuanlai in Hualien, Chihpen in Taitung, and The Lalu at Sun Moon Lake after an impartial evaluation process, so there was nothing improper about that. Other routes such as the Hualien Tourist Train, Hot Spring Princess, Kending Star and South Link Star were taken up by other members of the alliance. These travel agencies would be responsible for their own profits or losses, with the TRA supplying only the transportation infrastructure. This initial agreement, however, was modified at the end of last year, with the TRA taking back a number of the seats on these routes so that travelers who did not want to purchase the entire package would still be able to ride the trains.

As for the Formosa Star, the TRA is responsible not only for transport, but also retains full management rights. Its working relationship with ezTravel is one in which the agency designs travel packages to fit market demands and serves as the Formosa Star's ticket window to the public.

This whole dispute between ezTravel and the alliance has caused quite a few prospective travelers who had wanted to take the Formosa Star during the Chinese New Year holidays to fear that their tickets might be in jeopardy. To calm its customers, ezTravel has offered up to NT$100 million as part of the Travel Insurance Fund for New Year's Rail Travel under the auspices of the Travel Quality Assurance Association, ROC. If any passengers are unable to make their journeys because of this dispute, ezTravel is contractually obligated to reimburse them for double their losses. The TRA, for its part, has promised that passengers' right to travel will not be affected, and that the Formosa Star will continue to run, in cooperation with ezTravel.

Not just a mode of transportation

The success of the Formosa Star has also led to its being open to attacks. But what people do not realize is all of the effort that has been put forth behind the scenes. Hsu, who traveled all over Taiwan to plan out the Formosa Star's itinerary, says that routes will vary depending on seasonal factors. In the summer, for example, one can view lilies that cover the mountains near Taimali station in Taitung, while in the fall rape flower fields adorn the mountains. As the train heads down the South Link Railway and pulls into Fangliao station in Pingtung, passengers are treated to the enchanting views of a seaside fishing village. Whether it might be possible, without affecting other trains, to make short stops in these scenic spots for passengers to enjoy a cup of coffee, is something that is being carefully considered.

Hsu continually ponders, "How can we promote the scenic beauty of Taiwan? How can we attract international tourists to Taiwan in such a competitive world market?" He points out that after the TRA's recent transformation, the rails should not be seen as simply a transportation device, but as full of potential for travel and tourism. Whether speaking of Taiwan or the TRA, visibility is key, for if there is not continual innovation and improvement Taiwan will be left by the wayside.

The Formosa Star has brilliantly and successfully driven Taiwanese tourism to new heights. Whether it can navigate its current crises is a challenge not only to an idealistic and ambitious TRA, but also one that affects the very future of Taiwanese tourism.

Around the Island in Four Days

(departs Saturdays)

Day One: Taipei Station - North Link Railway - Luotung - National Center for Traditional Arts - Taroko National Park - Hualien - Hualien Bellevista (overnight)

Day Two: Hualien - Hualien-Taitung Rift Valley - Taitung Bunun tribal village - Chihpen Hot Springs - Hotel Royal Chihpen (overnight)

Day Three: Chihpen - South Link Railway - Tainan City - Changhua - The Lalu at Sun Moon Lake (overnight)

Day Four: Sun Moon Lake excursion - Taichung - Taipei

Price: NT$25,000 per person

Around the Island in Three Days