Step back in time to 1960s Taiwan at Baodao Times Village and experience old-school life

By MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel & Lifestyle Network Editorial Team

Dubbed Asia’s only indoor retro-themed park, “Baodao Times Village” showcases the fusion and evolution of four major ethnic groups—Fujianese, Mainlanders, Hakka, and Indigenous peoples—condensing a century of life into one space and faithfully presenting a rich and colorful social landscape as well as grassroots economy. The interior architecture replicates early Taiwanese society, highlighting Taiwan’s distinctive features over the past hundred years. It is regarded as an ideal educational yet entertaining destination and has also become one of Nantou County’s most renowned cultural and creative new attractions.

Covering an area of 5,000 pyeong, Baodao Times Village’s exterior mimics the Governor-General’s Office during the Japanese colonial period, instantly transporting visitors back to Taiwan’s olden days. To authentically portray Taiwan’s early appearance, the village is divided into themed sections such as the military dependents’ village area, an old train station and traditional three-section compound, and an Indigenous area. Along the way in each themed zone, visitors can see vintage shops, stone-paved roads, old-style archways, and old rural life scenes like grain-drying areas in the Fujianese farming village area. Especially in the Indigenous area, you might even encounter a nearby member of the Seediq tribe who may suddenly run up to you and kneel to pay respect. The Baodao Times Village train station is also a must-see feature area, modeled after the pre-earthquake Zhushan Station and recreated at two-thirds scale to bring back memories of the quaint old railway station. A single trip here offers a glimpse into a century of Taiwan’s cultural development, and it now also collaborates with schools to provide outdoor learning spaces.