Taiwan Today

The Tainan Railway Hotel opened its doors after 24 years marking its anniversary and allowing railroad buffs to take photographs of the establishment’s authentic period architecture. Originally a one-story wooden structure, in 1936 it was redesigned as a two-level building to fulfill the Japanese colonial government’s needs. The first floor was the station hall, while the second floor was used for a restaurant as well as the Tainan Railway Hotel. At the time, the Railway Hotel featured two rooms with baths attached and seven rooms with shared baths. Large and small restaurants were also available. Because the hotel was the only Western-style hotel in the city, the Japanese managers catered to high-end businesses, attracting many to simply look around. Western decorations and design were used, and the facility was used for high-level meetings and events for the Tainan City Government. After WWII, the hotel was split into two parts, separating the accommodations and the food court. But the restaurant facilities were not able to be upgraded, and the food court proved uncompetitive. In 1965, the hotel ceased operations, while the food service area kept operating, although not making much profit, until 1985. The hotel has remained closed for many years, and to maintain the old face of the building and the cultural significance of its contents, many railroad buffs have long desired to visit it. The Tainan Station now says that it will hold a celebration each year to open up the facility for a day and allow people to visit in order to maintain the traditional features of the station and give people a chance to revive nostalgia about the railways of days gone by.