A Mini Train Trip to Jiji ~ The 921 Leaning Tower Memorial Park

Written / Compiled and reported by Wei Rwei, MOOK Travel Life Network　

Located at the 232-kilometer mark of Provincial Highway 3, you can see a leaning tower with the sign “921 Earthquake Memorial Iron Tower.” This is the “921 Leaning Tower Memorial Park” in Mianjian Township, Nantou County. After the 921 Earthquake in 1999, the massive energy released by the seismic fault caused significant changes to the landscape along the fault line, making it unsuitable for large-scale development. As a result, the Nantou County Government specifically preserved the earthquake-stricken landscape, turning it into a site that serves both educational and recreational purposes.

As you walk into the park and follow the lush tree-lined path, you’ll come across a giant protractor. Through the signage, visitors can easily understand that the tower is tilted at 16.5 degrees. Additionally, the park has preserved the twisted tracks of the Jiji branch line. Landscape designers cleverly placed a pathway alongside the tracks, allowing visitors to safely view them up close.

Due to the dramatic changes in the terrain, cold springs emerged within the park. To echo the old railway tracks, the park’s water play area features winding water channels that cut through the park, guiding the flow toward the leisure cycling path that connects to Jhushui Station, making it the most popular area in the park during summer. The county government’s tourism bureau also planted a variety of vegetation in the park, allowing other forms of life to gradually inhabit the healing land, enabling visitors to enjoy the diverse aspects of nature.

The “921 Leaning Tower Memorial Park” is only about 500 meters away from Jhushui Station. Visitors can take the Jiji Line to get here or use it as a starting point to explore other attractions along the railway for a mini train trip. Additionally, located on Provincial Highway 3, about a 3-minute drive from the Mianjian Interchange of National Freeway No. 3, there is a tourist meat market — “Pig Paradise” — which sells local agricultural specialties from Mianjian, Nantou, and is well worth a visit.

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