Takao Railway Museum (Takao Railway Museum)

No. 32號, Gushan 1st Rd, Gushan District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 804

Takao Railway Museum is known as the birthplace of the contemporary culture of southern Taiwan. Opened in 2010, since the last freight service two years ago. The opening of the Takao Railway Museum is to introduce the formation of the early days of the freight office in the 70s, which was also an important time for rail freight in Taiwan. Exhibits display vehicles, signal boxes as well as other valuables. Takao Railway Museum is located in Pier-2 Art Center area, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Kaohsiung city.

The former port of Takao was merely a lagoon surrounded by fishing villages and salt fields. This place became the attention of neighboring countries when the Treaty of Tianjin was signed in 1858, the treaty agreed to open the door to trade and commerce on the international trade route. Under the Japanese colonial rule in 1895, they began to build the Taiwan railway and turned the port of Takao into one of the major ports at that time. At that time, the Ministry of Railways under the command of the General Government was in charge of not only the southern leg of the Taiwan Railway, but also the construction of the Port of Takao. The ministry wants to unify the agency to manage and develop an efficient road and sea transport network, making the port inseparable from the railway. It was for this that, in 1905, a coastline was built to the south, intended to connect the port area and the station area. So the area was named "Hamasen" which means coastline in Japanese.

Takao Station was originally set up 1 km north of the Takao Railway Museum and remained operational shortly after the Taiwan Railways came into full operation in 1908. In 1941, to supplement a large scale project. In the new urban plan, a new passenger terminal was built, it was through this planning that passengers and cargo were separated into two separate terminals.

For the past 100 years, Kaohsiung Station has been the largest freight station in Taiwan and plays an important role in the development of Taiwan's economy, with hundreds of trains running regularly every day and night. However, in modern times, rail freight transport is profoundly influenced by the convenience and accessibility of highway transportation. By the end of the 20th century, the rail freight business had plummeted. And in 2008, due to the Kaohsiung Metro Project, the Kaohsiung port station had to be closed. Because of these reasons, in October 2010, the Cultural Bureau of the Kaohsiung City Government proposed to the station's management and converted it into the Takao Railway Museum. The museum aims to introduce the original setting of the 60's and 70's, the pivotal time of rail freight transportation in Taiwan, to create richness and enjoyment for visitors. It is the most meticulously preserved freight station in Taiwan, and is said to be a rich source of historical treasures for the railway industry.

It is also this change that has brought the museum an average of more than 200,000 visitors each year to visit. The Takao Railway Museum has become a must-see in Hamasen.

Operating time:

Exhibitor: every Tuesday – Sunday: 10:00AM – 06:00PM

Outdoor exhibition: open all year round

Note: The Railway Library is only open by reservation, and for more information, please refer to the official website: https://trm.tw/en/ .

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