Since Chien’s storyline covers a 100-year history of railway transformation, conducting research on the designs of various trains and the cultural backgrounds of different eras — such as the distinctive features of costumes and the currencies in use at the time — was the most arduous part of the creative process.
“Historical research was rather painstaking. While there is plenty of information and photographs, I still couldn’t get the whole picture and could only try to fill in the blanks myself,” Chien said.
When asked about what kind of reaction he expects from readers, Chien said: “As long as people get the feeling of wanting to ride on one of those trains in my book, it’s good enough for me.”
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