The century-old Tainan Railway Station bears witness to a better Tainan

Text by MOOK Scenic Spots compiled and reported

Its distinctive features include the three round arches of the main facade, plus one additional round arch on each side, with a circular ventilation window on each of the two corner walls. The eaves are adorned with delicate relief carvings. The second floor of the building’s front has seven round arched long windows, with the middle three framed by four pilasters. Originally, a round clock was embedded above the central long window, and the flat roof’s upper front had a small gable wall, currently covered by an electronic clock panel, with plans to restore it to a traditional round clock in the future. The exterior of the station emphasizes practical simplicity, with the upper part of the outer wall finished in ceramic tiles and the thick waist wall made of artificial stone.

When the railway station was completed, the second floor housed a Western-style hotel, including a public telephone room, restaurant, changing rooms, etc., making it the most luxurious and modern station of its time. Currently, for safety and maintenance reasons, it is temporarily not open to the public. However, the plan to revive the railway hotel has been completed, and it is expected that the station hotel and restaurant will reopen in three years, restored to their 1936 appearance. At present, Tainan Railway Station largely retains its Japanese colonial-era architectural style, and those who have been to Japan may notice similarities between some Japanese stations and platforms and those of Tainan Railway Station. For example, the platform of Tosu Station in Kitakyushu, Japan, closely resembles Tainan Railway Station’s Platform 1; in terms of appearance, it also resembles Otaru Station in Hokkaido. Tainan Railway Station, one of the large station buildings from the Japanese colonial period alongside Taipei Main Station, has become Taiwan’s only remaining representative of such architecture after the renovation of Taipei Station. To this day, it ranks as the fourth busiest in Taiwan in daily passenger traffic, exceeding 50,000 people.

The Realities and Romance of a Railway Station Chief Speaking of railway culture, the Japanese film "Railway Man" depicts the emotions and life of a railway worker, played by Takakura Ken, who devoted himself dutifully to his post for decades, once moving countless viewers. Current Tainan Railway Station Chief Xu Zhuping said: "Being a railway station chief is indeed a romantic profession. Amid the bustling flow of people, you witness many stories of joy and sorrow, partings and reunions, intertwining, unfolding, and continuing here."