Rail museums around Taiwan look at history through a unique lens.
Taiwan’s modernization was built on a foundation of railroad ties and iron rails. The country’s railway supported industrial growth and left a deep imprint on its social and cultural fabric. Three key heritage sites reflect Taiwan’s evolving relationship with this key element of its infrastructure: the Changhua Railway Roundhouse, the Miaoli Railway Museum and the Taipei Railway Workshop. Together, these sites offer a window into Taiwan’s transportation history and the broader regional connections it reflects.
Built in 1922, the Changhua Roundhouse in the eponymous southern county was designed to rotate locomotives for maintenance and routing. Its fan-shaped structure and manually operated turntable preserve early 20th-century engineering, and the fact that it is still operational draws rail fans from near and far. The nearby Huwei Locomotive Park complements the experience with outdoor exhibits and interpretive signage aimed at enthusiasts and casual visitors alike. Further north, the railway museum in Miaoli County offers a deeper look at Taiwan’s mechanical heritage. The site also integrates Hakka cultural elements unique to the region, presenting transportation history alongside community identity. In Taipei City, the former railway workshop is being transformed into a major museum complex. Once the main repair base for the island’s rolling stock, the location’s six buildings are now designated as national monuments. Its future as a public museum offering exhibits of rare equipment, among others, positions it alongside railway heritage sites in countries like Germany, Japan and the U.K.
Railways continue to shape Taiwan’s story and its ties to the wider world. Much of the country’s rail network was first laid out during the Japanese colonial period (1895-1945), including the engineering feat of the north-south trunk line, completed in 1923. Today, sites around the country not only safeguard the legacy of past eras but also reflect Taiwan’s place in a broader movement to honor industrial heritage. The country’s preservation and imaginative reuse of historic rail infrastructure reflects a shared international commitment to connecting past and present.
—by Liu Kun-hao
A passenger compartment from the mid-20th century is preserved at Miaoli Railway Museum in northern Taiwan.
Twelve diesel locomotives from the 1950s to 1970s are on permanent display in the museum’s main hall.
The CT152 steam engine, which ran on tracks all over the country, is the largest of its kind housed at the Miaoli Railway Museum.
Trains passing through Miaoli Station can be seen from the museum.
Technicians carry out daily maintenance work on the museum’s collection.
Miaoli Railway Museum in the northen county of the same name welcomes visitors of all ages with guided tours and family-friendly train rides.
A miniature model of Taiwan Railways’ EMU100 train is on display at the Miaoli museum.
A renovated passageway from the Japanese colonial era (1895-1945) is part of the indoor exhibitions at Taipei Railway Workshop.
Taiwan Railways’ button-operated ticket machines evoke nostalgia for many travelers.
Rail fans and philatelists can both appreciate the vintage railway stamps showcased at Taipei Railway Workshop.
Changhua Railway Roundhouse, built in 1922, welcome visitors to watch locomotives come in for maintenance.
The roundhouse, still in operation, is also home to a rotating lineup of restored locomotives.
The engine turntable at the roundhouse directs locomotives into the facility’s 12 bays for storage or repair.