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Shengxing Station
Built in 1916, Shengxing Station is a great place to examine the history of Japanese occupation in Taiwan. This station was once the highest train station in Taiwan at an altitude of over 402 meters. The station building reveals the art of Japanese carpentry at its finest in that it was finished without using a single nail! Just imagine a structure like this has survived catastrophic earthquakes and beating rain for almost 100 years! That is really something, isn’t it?
If you have time, you could walk around the station on the remains of the railway to experience the harsh working conditions endured at the time of building it. There are 7 tunnels and 3 bridges near this station, and, yes, these structures were also made almost 100 years ago, surviving the river of history with only minor damage. It leads you to wonder how people at that time accomplished all these amazing feats with only pencils and paper, and of course, hours and hours of human labor. Where there is a will, there is a way, and the people involved in its construction certainly put their minds to it!
For an eerie delight, make sure to explore the main tunnel near Shengxing Station. At 726 meters in length and no lighting except the ambient glow from the opening at the other end, you’ll feel like you’re walking through a dream!
