1

Rail Travel

This month we engage in a dialogue with our land through railroad journeys, and discover that one of this island’s greatest charms lies in the firm attachment between the land and its people. With this under­standing, we hope to bring readers into a sense of belonging with their homeland. This kind of travel not only can strengthen our links with the land, but even more can help us to calmly reflect and reexplore the value and meaning of life. Finally, I heartily recommend that as a way to slow down the pace of your life, you take time to make a railway journey in Taiwan. You will discover the heartbeat of this land, the beauty of local lifestyles, and warmhearted people. Most importantly, such a journey can nourish your vitality and allow you to shine once again. 


Home

> 

Selected Topics

> 

Rail Travel

Selected Topics

Readers’ Photos

Railway Images: Winding Through City and Country

Railway Images: Winding Through City and Country......

Selected Topics

A Century-Old Cultural Treasure

The Alishan Forest Railway

A sight that one would have thought could only be seen via time travel reappeared for all in the spring of 2021. The Forestry Bureau’s Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Office worked with the bureau’s Chiayi Forest District Office to put the 105-year-old SL-31 steam locomotive onto ......

Selected Topics

Railways, Old Trails, Hot Springs

Taipingshan Forest Recreation Area

Taipingshan National Forest Recreation Area in Yilan County used to be one of Taiwan’s three most important logging areas. Today it is a forest getaway where you can ride the “Bong Bong Train” to get a sense of the glory days of the forestry industry, and stroll along trails that were once use......

Selected Topics

A Trip Through Hakka Country

The Neiwan Line

From the late 19th to the mid-20th centuries, Taiwan was known as the camphor kingdom. Over 70% of the world’s camphor was exported from Taiwan, to be used as an ingredient in smokeless gunpowder and in celluloid for movie film. These days natural camphor has largely been replaced other materi......

Selected Topics

From Mines to Culture

The Downhome Charm of the Shen’ao Line

Nestled between mountains and sea, the Shen’ao Line hugs Taiwan’s Northeast Coast as it navigates the ­area’s beautiful scenery.......

Selected Topics

Experiencing Slow Travel on the South Link Train Line

They came to capture images of trains against the backdrop of the blue ocean at the mouth of the Jiajinlin River in Taitung County’s Dawu Township or at Duoliang in Taimali Township. All last year train buffs headed to locations along the South Link Line in Taitung and Pingtung to snap images ......

Selected Topics

What's In a Name?

The Unexpected Charms of Japanese-Era Train Stations

When Japan’s postwar economy took off in the 1960s, young people began traveling overseas. When they arrived in nearby Taiwan, they discovered that many Taiwanese, young and old, could speak fluent Japan­ese. Even more surprising was that in Taiwan they could see the same models of steam train......

Selected Topics

The TRA in Transition

An Aesthetic Renaissance Gets on Track

Whether riding the refurbished tourist trains that launched at the end of last year, or passing through innovative stations in Eastern Taiwan that are fruits of the “Hualien‡Taitung new train station movement,” travelers can see that change is afoot: The “railroad scenery” that people encounte......

Selected Topics

Railway Bento

New Flavors for a Nostalgic Travel Icon

Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) offer a traditional pork chop boxed meal, but they also feature a new series of mouthwatering combos with ingredients sourced from all over Taiwan; the railroad-­fan owner of Fu Jing Restaurant sells lunchboxes in his hometown; and the Satoyama Animal Train......

Selected Topics

Venturing Forth —Taiwan’s Branch Rail Lines

Extending into remote townships, rural backwaters, and coastal areas, the branch lines of the Taiwan Railways Administration network are giving passengers on Taiwan’s main north‡south rail lines the opportunity to set out in search of new adventures. Coastal lines snaking between land and sea,......

Selected Topics

Weaving urban legends —the Taipei MeTro

Unlike the high-speed rail or regular trains, which enable travel throughout Taiwan, mass rapid transit (MRT) systems are most useful for journeys within dense metropolitan areas. It doesn’t take long to get from historic Fort San Domingo in Tam­sui to Tai­pei 101 on the bustling east side of ......

Selected Topics

A "Living" Museum of Trains

The Transformation of an Industrial Relic

Following the traffic circle around Tai­pei’s historic North Gate, one catches sight of the old Taiwan Railways Administration building to the roundabout’s northwest. With brick and half-timbered walls and protruding towers to the right and left of the entrance, the two-story building with a d......

Selected Topics

Embracing Taiwan:

Southeast-Asian TV Teams Take a New Look at Formosa

The Department of International Information Services (DIIS) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently worked with broadcasters from the Philippines, Vietnam, India and Thailand to produce travel programming in different languages under the title Embracing Taiwan. The production teams include......

Selected Topics

Station to Station

—Encounters with Southeast-Asian Cultures

“It’s no big deal if you don’t understand Southeast Asian cultures—it’s just that you’ll lack the perspective of seeing the world map turned upside down.” So says Lin Zhouxi, founder of the bookstore “SouthEastAsian ­Migrant inspired” (SEAMi). Looking closely at the languages and customs of So......