The revival of highway manual toll booths: A nostalgic mini-trip at Gukeng Service Area

▲ The manual toll booth at Gukeng Service Area has been given new life through integration with cultural creativity (Photo / Sourced from the National Freeway Bureau website)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

Highway manual toll booths have long been a common sight for drivers on the freeway, but unfortunately, due to full digitization, they could only exist in people’s memories. Now, you can once again see the manual toll booths at Gukeng Service Area!

The National Freeway Bureau and Haijing World Company specially planned four highway toll booths as creative displays, which were opened to the public at Gukeng Service Area on Freeway No. 3 on July 31, 2015.

Due to its proximity to the Gukeng Toll Station, Gukeng Service Area has worked to effectively preserve and showcase the old-style toll booths. Through design renovation by a team from National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, and with the incorporation of creative cultural concepts, the rebirth significance of the manual toll booths has been reshaped. This allows the public to understand the historical evolution of highway toll booths and, in today’s era of electronic toll collection, gives new functionality to the old booths and creates a different kind of value.

The National Freeway Bureau stated that there are four display toll booths at Gukeng Service Area, with the design and exhibition content divided into four major themes:
“Toll” – Collecting Memories
Using the original architectural features and nature of toll stations as design models, these spaces carry the memories of station staff and are given a cultural and creative transformation for creation and sharing.
“Fee” – Caring with Heart
Through the story of Qiongwen, the young girl (named Eudora) who often plays the piano at the service area, the exhibit connects the touching stories of care for vulnerable groups at the national freeway service areas.
“Ticket” – Book Drifting Sharing
An outdoor book drifting booth has been created, evoking the idea that knowledge is magical power. The booth becomes a hub for magical exchanges, allowing Happy Manor to spread happiness and knowledge through book sharing.
“Booth” – Pausing at Gukeng
Inspired by the idea of stopping to take a look at yourself, your surroundings, and rediscovering the unknown, the booth uses a gashapon machine as the theme for exploring the unknown. Depending on what item is dispensed, it creates different surprises.

Next time you’re traveling on the highway, be sure to stop by Gukeng Service Area to experience the transformation and extended meaning behind the creative rebirth of the highway toll booths.