Not Just a Land Art Festival: Taoyuan’s Five Hidden Historic Sites Are Perfect for Photos

Text by / MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Team

Taoyuan has seen booming tourism development in recent years. Its natural beauty and local culture are becoming known to more and more people across the country. Aside from numerous land art installations that integrate with the environment, historic sites and buildings are also well worth visiting and photographing. Below are five ancient structures in Taoyuan—including a red bridge, a shrine, an ancestral hall, and traditional houses—that all look particularly striking and full of historical charm in photos.

1. Daping Red Bridge
Once voted one of Taiwan’s top 100 historic buildings, the Daping Red Bridge was built in 1923 and is located in Sankeng Village, Longtan District. It earned its name because the entire bridge is constructed from red bricks and has been designated as a Taoyuan City Historic Site. The area around the Daping Red Bridge has now been developed into a waterside park, making it a great leisure destination.

2. Taoyuan Shrine

Located on Tiger Head Mountain, the Taoyuan Martyrs' Shrine was completed in 1938. Originally the Taoyuan Shrine from the Japanese colonial period, it is the best-preserved Japanese shrine in Taiwan. Its architectural style blends Tang Dynasty influences from ancient China, Japanese elements, and modern Taiwanese styles, and it was constructed using premium Taiwan cypress. It has been listed as a national third-grade historic site. Due to its unique historical and cultural value, it was also chosen as a filming location for the movie *KANO*.

3. Yuching Hall
Yuching Hall, the ancestral shrine of the Qiu family, was used during the latter part of World War II as the headquarters for the commander of Japan’s kamikaze special attack units, as well as a communications command center for the evacuation zone of kamikaze aircraft. Today, the shrine is well preserved and offers a very pleasant cultural atmosphere. Its architecture blends Japanese and Baroque elements, giving it a strong sense of history.