The nationally designated historic site, Taiwan Governor-General's Office Transportation Bureau Railway Department, was the location of the Taipei Machinery Bureau during the Qing Dynasty and was Taiwan's first modern train repair industrial park. It later became the administrative center for railway transportation throughout Taiwan. In 1989, with the completion of Taipei Main Station, the Taiwan Railway Administration relocated, leaving the space vacant. In 2006, in collaboration with the National Taiwan Museum and the Taiwan Railway Administration, efforts were made to transform the Railway Department into a museum park.
The park consists of six nationally designated historic buildings, including the main hall, cafeteria, octagonal tower, power room, engineering office, and wartime command center (air-raid shelter). These buildings were constructed during the Japanese colonial period. The main hall, completed in 1920, features a semi-wooden structure known as "brick below, wood above" and extensively uses Alishan cypress wood. Its exterior design follows the Queen Anne Revival architectural style, with red bricks and white simulated stone. The octagonal tower, also designed by Moriayama Matsunosuke, a technical officer of the Taiwan Governor-General's Office, is another representative work from the later period of the Japanese colonial era in Taiwan.
The Railway Department Park's historic site exhibition features four themed exhibition spaces, six digital guides, and twenty on-site displays showcasing the historical grandeur and architectural features of the Railway Department. From the perspective of restoration records, it leads the audience back to the restoration site, providing glimpses of the craftsmen, construction techniques, and restoration considerations involved in the process. The fascinating aspects of the Railway Department's historic buildings await your personal exploration and discovery on-site.
