National Railway Museum in Taipei Officially Opens After Nearly 9 Years of Restoration

Strategic Insights -

The National Railway Museum in Taipei officially opened its first phase of park and exhibition space to the public on March 31, 2023, after nearly 9 years of restoration and preparation of historical relics. Premier Zhu Rongtai, Minister of Culture Li Yuan, Minister of Transportation Chen Shikai, and other government officials, experts, and scholars attended the opening ceremony. The museum is located in the former Taipei Locomotive and Rolling Stock Works, a national monument since 2015, and features six historic buildings, three permanent exhibitions, and several special exhibitions.

Key Takeaways:

  • The National Railway Museum is a major cultural project promoted by the Ministry of Culture, Government of Taiwan, and represents the culmination of years of hard work and collaboration between government officials, experts, and scholars.
  • The museum's first phase features six historic buildings, including the Diesel-Electric Workshop, the Main Office, and the Technician Training Institute, which have been restored and preserved to showcase Taiwan's railway history and culture.
  • The museum will feature three permanent exhibitions, including "Power. Locomotives - Diesel-Electric Workshop," "Movement and Emotion - Culture and Memory on the Railway," and "Misty Times - Employee Bathhouse," which will draw on popular culture, literature, film, folk songs, and art to elevate trains as a cultural vehicle closely intertwined with people's lives.
  • The "Workers' Life in the Auditorium" exhibition will take visitors on a journey into the lives of past workers, preserving the original spatial memories of the Taipei Locomotive and Rolling Stock Works.
  • The museum's rotating exhibition system for railway vehicles and weekend rides on the collection's rolling stock embody the concept of a "living railway museum."
  • The 335-meter-long north-south passage running through the park will be open to pedestrians simultaneously with the museum's opening, connecting Civic Boulevard and Keelung Road and strengthening the connection to the surrounding streets.

Statistics:

  • The National Railway Museum is located in a 17-hectare site that was once the Taipei Locomotive and Rolling Stock Works.
  • The museum has taken nearly 9 years to restore and prepare for opening, with a series of events, including the protests following the relocation of the Taipei Locomotive and Rolling Stock Works in 2012, its designation as a national monument in 2015, and the launch of its revitalization and transformation plan in 2016.
  • The museum will feature three permanent exhibitions and several special exhibitions, including one on Taiwanese Railway History in Culture and another on Taiwanese Railway Photographer Gu Renrong.
  • The museum will also have a "Parent-Child Space" specifically designed for children, as well as dynamic rides of heritage vehicles on weekends and national holidays.

Sources:

  • Ministry of Culture, Government of Taiwan
  • Premier Zhu Rongtai
  • Minister of Culture Li Yuan
  • Minister of Transportation Chen Shikai
  • National Railway Museum Preparatory Office
  • Omiya Railway Museum in Japan
  • Civilian Railway Transportation Association
  • Taiwanese Railway Administration (TRA)
  • Taiwan Railway Administration's (TRA) Railway Bureau