Train stations could very well be viewed in a new and different light following the recent publication of a book that sets out to explore the relationship between station development and the nation's social and cultural growth. Entitled Classic Railway Stations in Taiwan (
However far fetched the theme may appear, there is, according to both the Taiwan Railway Administration (
"People take stations for granted. But as gateways for the cities and towns they serve they are more than just buildings," Huang Min-ren (黃民仁), Taiwan Rail general engineer (台鐵總工程司) said. "Being the first and last impressions visitors get of places, train stations are in fact a very important social milieu."
Plotting the history of Taiwan's 114-year-old railway network through the use of essays and photographs, the crux of the book centers around seven train stations -- in Hsinchu, Taichung, Chiayi, Tainan, Keelung, Kaohsiung and Taipei -- and their cultural significance.
"The aim of the book is twofold. First, to give readers an insightful glimpse into the histories of the stations. And second, to show how the expansion of the railway system in Taiwan was reflected changes in society," CCA spokesperson, Wu Mi-cha (吳密察) explained. "As one of the oldest rail networks in Asia, the growth of Taiwan's railways was an important chapter in the history of rail development worldwide."
Filled with the specifications and architectural blueprints from the Japanese colonial era railway network, the book took four years to complete and takes readers on a step-by-step tour of the insides and outsides of the stations. Be it small beams, station entrances and exits, or the facilities found within, each part of the station reflects the social and cultural values of the periods in which they were built.
"The styles and designs used typified what people thought train stations ought to have been like," according to Liou Shuenn-ren (
The plans the book relies on were, until four years ago, slowly rotting away in an abandoned Taiwan Rail building in Taipei. Granted permission by Taiwan Rail to enter and search the building in August of 1998, Liou stumbled across upwards of 5,000 Japanese colonial era architectural plans for train stations dating from between 1908 to the mid-1940s.
Although not the first to make the find, the professor was the first individual officially granted permission by railway authorities to remove and study the plans. "About ten years ago a student managed to get hold of copies for his thesis, and I heard that a university professor had also gotten hold of copies once," Liou said. "But I don't think either was given permission to remove them from the building for further study." Built of wood, over 70 years old and awaiting demolition, the building's lack of ventilation and damp interior meant that much of Liou's find was in very poor condition and in serious need of restoration. This is one of the reasons he feels Taiwan Rail was so forthright in granting him permission to use them.
"I think we were granted permission to remove them because Tunghai University has the equipment and personnel specializing in the restoration of old documents as well as a nationally respected history department," Liou continued. "I'm sure that had we not been in possession of such faculties the documents and plans would have been destroyed when the building was demolished roughly a month after we'd gotten them out."
Published at a time when restoration of several of Taiwan's oldest train stations is already underway, it is hoped that the book will prove popular not only with those interested in trains or architecture, but also with the layperson.
"With Kaohsiung and Taitung's Japanese era stations making news in recent months, I'm hopeful that the book will stoke a great deal of interest," the professor said. "And not just amongst architects and historians. Everybody uses train stations."
In order to lighten the book's technical side and make it appeal to a wider audience, poetry recreating the mood of the cities and the periods in which the stations were constructed is also included in the book.
"Obviously we realized that filling it exclusively with technical drawings would severally limit its readership," Liou said. "So we decided to add poems, photos and essays pertaining to the history of Taiwan's rail network."
While creating a lot of interest not only at home, but also in Japan, where, according to Liou the book has proven extremely popular with train hobbyists, its chances of making the best seller list are virtually impossible.
Only 1,300 copies have been made available to the general public and, because of the involvement of the CCA, the small number of copies that have been published can only be found at Eslite bookstores (
"It's a pity that we can't put the book on wider release, but because there's a government body involved this is impossible. Government publications cannot be sold at public bookstores," Liou explained. "Because we obviously couldn't have undertaken the project without their help, there's little we can do about this."
Cheng Ching-hsiang (鄭青祥) turned a small triangle of concrete jammed between two old shops into a cool little bar called 9dimension. In front of the shop, a steampunk-like structure was welded by himself to serve as a booth where he prepares cocktails. “Yancheng used to be just old people,” he says, “but now young people are coming and creating the New Yancheng.” Around the corner, Yu Hsiu-jao (饒毓琇), opened Tiny Cafe. True to its name, it is the size of a cupboard and serves cold-brewed coffee. “Small shops are so special and have personality,” she says, “people come to Yancheng to find such treasures.” She
Late last month Philippines Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro told the Philippine Senate that the nation has sufficient funds to evacuate the nearly 170,000 Filipino residents in Taiwan, 84 percent of whom are migrant workers, in the event of war. Agencies have been exploring evacuation scenarios since early this year, she said. She also observed that since the Philippines has only limited ships, the government is consulting security agencies for alternatives. Filipinos are a distant third in overall migrant worker population. Indonesia has over 248,000 workers, followed by roughly 240,000 Vietnamese. It should be noted that there are another 170,000
Hannah Liao (廖宸萱) recalls the harassment she experienced on dating apps, an experience that left her frightened and disgusted. “I’ve tried some voice-based dating apps,” the 30-year-old says. “Right away, some guys would say things like, ‘Wanna talk dirty?’ or ‘Wanna suck my d**k?’” she says. Liao’s story is not unique. Ministry of Health and Welfare statistics show a more than 50 percent rise in sexual assault cases related to online encounters over the past five years. In 2023 alone, women comprised 7,698 of the 9,413 reported victims. Faced with a dating landscape that can feel more predatory than promising, many in
“This is one of those rare bits of TikTok fitness advice with a lot of truth behind it,” says Bethan Crouse, performance nutritionist at Loughborough University. “Sometimes it’s taken a bit too literally, though! You see people chugging protein drinks as they’re scanning out of their gym.” Crouse recommends the athletes she works with consume 20-30g of protein within 30-60 minutes of finishing a resistance training session. “The act of exercising our muscles increases the breakdown of muscle proteins,” she says. “In order to restore, or hopefully improve them — and get gains such as increased muscle mass or strength —
RSS