2-1. Geology of Miaoli and Taichung

The Old Mountain Line Railway runs from Sanyi Township in Miaoli to Houli District in Taichung, passing through two train stations, two steel-beam bridges, and eight tunnels, with abundant scenery of hills and mountains along the way.

The Railway straddles the boundary separating Taiwan’s southern and northern climate zones, and passes through a unique area where warm and cool masses of air meet. Therefore, during spring and autumn, the area north of Shengxing is shrouded in fog while the area south of Shengxing is bright with sunshine, making this segment the most unique section of the route. 

The Railway segment in Sanyi Township is situated between the mountains of Houyenshan and Sanjiaoshan, which form a valley for trains to pass through. After passing through bustling towns and streets, the Railway enters the narrow valley and passengers are greeted by low red-earth hills dotted with Formosa acacia, tung oil trees, fruit trees, and vegetation. The terrain remains mountainous until the Railway reaches flatter land next to Daan River at the border of Taichung City.

The altitude of this section of the Railway is between 350 and 500 meters. In general, the east end of the Railway is of higher elevation as it runs alongside the mountains of Dahu Township, Miaoli. In comparison, the west end of the Railway is of lower altitudes.

Houli District is situated east of Houli Tableland. This section of the Railway is bordered by steep slopes on its east side and flat tablelands on its west side. The terrain is slightly tilted from southeast to west end, ranging between 220 and 230 meters high. Bordered by Daan River in the north and Dajia River in the south, Houli Tableland is categorized as an alluvial fan, a fan-shaped stretch of land created by sediment deposits from the two rivers. The terrain here is relatively flat in comparison to the hilly and mountainous Sanyi Township.

2-2. Ecology of Miaoli and Taichung

The area of land covered by the Old Mountain Line Railway is home to a copious number of animals, although none of the species can be considered endemic to Taiwan. Habitat and distribution is determined by environmental factors, including the degree of human activity, range of vegetation, and level of elevation.

Daan and Dajia rivers are home to catfishes such as Pseudobagrus brevianalis taiwanensis and Xenocypris schisturus, as well as carps such as Xenocypris medius. Additional fish species like the pond loach and Asian swamp eel can also be found in rice paddies of this region. With the exception of Xenocypris schisturus, most of these fishes are commonly found in waters across Taiwan.

The region is also home to a host of amphibians and reptiles, including the common Asiatic toad, East Asia bullfrog, two-striped grass frog, Fukien gold-striped pond frog, ornamented pygmy frog, black-spectacled toad, Gunther’s frog, Indian cricket frog, common Chinese tree toad, Taiwanese krait, oriental ratsnake, cobras, and geckos.

Many common species of birds also dwell in this region, while rarer and endemic species include the Mandarin dock and Taiwan partridge. Mammals tend to be of smaller size. There are also over 110 species of butterflies, including those from the Swallowtail family, Pieridae family, Danainae subfamily, Satyrinae family, Stichophthalma genus, Nymphalide family, Lycaenidae family, and Hesperiidae family.

Both Sanyi Township and Houli District comprise of hills that have evident human activity and development. The two regions do not contain high elevations, but are blessed with an abundance of natural resources that house many common species. No endemic or rare species live in this area.

At an elevation below 600 meters, the subtropical rainforest climate features high temperatures and considerable rainfall that averages 2,000 to 4,000mm per year. There is little difference in temperature between each passing month, and the year average remains a steady 25 to 26ﾟC.

The ground soil of the region is mostly of the red-yellow podzolic variety, and the multi-layered vegetation distribution is typical of subtropical rainforests. Species here can be grouped in eight categories – canopy trees, understory trees, shrubs, vines, groundcover plants, epiphytic plants, trees with buttress roots, and cauliflorous trees.

In addition to the vegetation mentioned above, the agriculturally developed areas around Sanyi Station and Houli Station offer crop plants and bamboo forests. Upon entering the areas of Shengxing Station and Longteng Bridge, passengers will see the scenery transition from domestic crops to the visage of tropical forests.

2-3. Comparison to World Heritage Sites

The Jungfrau Railway runs through the Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Alestsch, the first Alps region in Switzerland to be recognized by UNESCO as a natural site. The route terminates at Jungfraujoch Station, the highest train station in Europe at an elevation of 3,454 meters above sea level.

The greater Jungfrau region, which also contains the Aletsch Glacier and the Rhaetian Railway section from the Albula/Bernina area, was also inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage register under the name Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn in 2001.

The Jungfrau Railway started construction in 1896, took 16 years to complete, and began operations in 1912. Three-fourth of the route passes through rocky tunnels below the glacier riverbed, demonstrating the difficult architectural feats of this railway. The remarkable railway can also climb from 567 to 3,454 meters above sea level, covering 2,887 meters in just a span of 32.6 kilometers and standing testament to the marvelous Swiss construction.

In comparison, the Old Mountain Line Railway was completed in 1908. Limited by the mountainous terrain, the route starts to climb upwards after snaking its way among the mountains for approximately 16km. The summit of this Railway is at Shengxing Station, where an engraved monument reads, “402.3 meters above sea level, the highest railway point in Taiwan.”

In earlier days, it was an important juncture where northbound and southbound trains met. Running from Sanyi Township to Houli District, the Old Mountain Line is 15.9km in length. Since the Railway had to pass through the mountains of Kuantaoshan and Houyenshan, eight tunnels and bridges – including Longteng Bridge, Liyutan Arch Bridge, and Daan Iron Bridge – were built to connect the valley to Houli District, after which the terrain runs flat.

Other sites and surrounding cultural venues along the Railway include Shengxing Station and Taian Station, which are respectively designated as historic sites by Miaoli County and Taichung City.

The main difference between the Old Mountain Line and Jungfrau Railway is that the Old Mountain Line is more than just a transportation feat; it is a thread that links the island’s present and past. There are also numerous natural resources along the route, which meets the UNESCO’s selection criteria for a site of mixed properties.

Hundreds of years ago, the plains in western Taiwan were not heavilydeveloped. The Pazeh people of Pingpu tribe roamed in the region between Dajia River and Daan River, while the majority of Atayal people lived in the mountainous areas of northern Sanyi.

Commercial development of the region was marked by Han Chinese immigration to Taiwan proper. Hakka people of Canton descent also began to harvest camphor from the mountains. After the railway was constructed, gravel from Daan River, as well as coal, timber, and fruits from Miaoli mountains, were transported to meet demand in other parts of the island.

In the Old Mountain Line area, traces of human settlement, development, and power struggles among the immigrants from Zhangzhou and Quanzhou, Hakka people, and Taiwanese aborigines can still be seen. Every tunnel, iron bridge, and train station along the Railway route also embodies the history of how eastern countries acquired western technology.

Although it now stands fragmented, Longteng Bridge was once praised as the “Engineering Masterpiece of Railways.” Although the bridge was abandoned after its north and south ends became misaligned by an earthquake, Longteng’s masonry arches demonstrated the successful application of western technology by a modernized Japan in its pursuit of colonial expansion.

More than a century has passed since Taiwan began to develop its first railway in 1873. Under the Qing dynasty, railway construction was limited to northern Taiwan. In 1899, Japanese colonial authorities began to aggressively expand Taiwan’s railway network for political and economic purposes.

The Japanese railway system was based on the infrastructure constructed under the tenure of Taiwan Governor Liu Ming-chuan, who was appointed by the Qing government. The northern and southern sections of the Taiwan Trunk Line were constructed separately, and initial segments were operating before the line was completed and connected as one.

The Hsinchu-Taichung earthquake struck Taiwan on April 21, 1935. The epicenter was near the Kuantaoshan in Sanyi, and the 7.1-magnitude earthquake distorted railway tracks and cracked train tunnels of the Old Mountain Line. Liyutan Arch Bridge was damaged, Taian Station collapsed, and Longteng Bridge was fragmented and later became a unique landmark.

Train service was suspended for three years after the earthquake. Service finally resumed on July 15, 1938, returning public access to the settlements, natural resources, and historic sites along its route.

By 1976, Taiwan developed a railway electrification system, reflectinga high degree of technological sophistication and engineering breakthroughs. However, the automobile era soon arrived, rail transport became less competitive, and freight transport ceased at the Railway’s Shengxing, Taian, Sanyi, and Houlin stations by 1983.

1997 marked the completion of a new mountain line equipped with double railway tracks, and two more stops on the Old Mountain Line – No. 9 Tunnel and Daija River – were discontinued as well. The Railway officially ended its service after the last train departed at 9pm on Sept. 23, 1998.

Criterion I:

The Old Mountain Line was completed in 1908, a time when the technology for railway bridge construction was not fully developed by any nation. It was a challenging and difficult task to build train tracks through mountains and construct bridges on solid bedrock to travel over rivers.

The construction of the Railway set several records in Taiwan, including the records for the steepest descent, the sharpest curves, the longest truss bridge, and the greatest combined length of tunnels. These architectural achievements meet the first UNESCO selection criterion for world heritage.

Criterion II:

The Railway cuts through the mountains of Kuantaoshan and Houyenshan, where cultural and natural landscapes, human settlements, historic sites, and mountain forests all come together to create the unique Old Mountain Line environment.

The Railway has also played a significant role in the development of railway culture and history in Taiwan, which meets the second UNESCO selection criterion for world heritage.

5-1. History of the Railway

Hundreds of years ago, the plains in western Taiwan were not heavily developed. The Pazeh people of Pingpu tribe roamed in the region between Dajia River and Daan River, while the majority of Atayal people lived in the mountainous areas of northern Sanyi.

Commercial development of the region was marked by Han Chinese immigration to Taiwan proper. Hakka people of Canton descent also began to harvest camphor from the mountains. After the railway was constructed, gravel from Daan River, as well as coal, timber, and fruits from Miaoli mountains, were transported to meet demand in other parts of the island.

In the Old Mountain Line area, traces of human settlement, development, and power struggles among the immigrants from Zhangzhou and Quanzhou, Hakka people, and Taiwanese aborigines can still be seen.

According to old records from Sanyi Township, the route of the Old Mountain Line marked a natural boundary separating hunting territories between the Pazeh people of the plains and other aboriginal tribes that lived in the mountains. During the Japanese colonial era, the Pazeh people guided Japanese investigation teams to map out the mountain terrain to build railway tracks. To the Japanese authorities, the development of mountain train routes were also a way to establish their authority and resolve competition and conflicts among different tribes.

Japan decided to build railway tracks in such a mountainous area instead of an alternative coastal area because the later would require even more difficult work such as bridging flood-pronerivers. Moreover, a coastal line would have been more inconvenient to transport products to inland regions. Old Mountain Line engineers took advantage of unique geological characteristics such as solid bedrock valleys and narrower rivers to build a dependent route, and such architectural innovations add to the Railway’s charms.

Under Japanese rule, the Trunk Line in western Taiwan was established by connecting separately made sections in the north and south. The Old Mountain Line, which connected Miaoli and Taichung, required engineers to build tunnels and bridges to pass through mountains and rivers, making it the last section on the Trunk Line to be finished.

The Railway started operations in 1908. The enormous tunnels, Longteng Bridge, Liyutan Arch Bridge, and the steel-beam Daan Iron Bridge, which was equipped with enlarged piers to reduce interference from strong river currents, have all demonstrated the advanced railway techniques of Taiwan.

In April 21, 1935, the Hsinchu-Taichung earthquake struck Taiwan, measuring 7.1 in magnitude with an epicenter close by Kuantaoshan. The earthquake distorted railway tracks, cracked train tunnels, and brought down Taian Station. The misaligned Longteng Bridge even became a landmark. Train service was suspended for three years. After repairs, the Japanese Railway Ministry established a cannon-like monuments by the northern tracks in Taian Station to commemorate the earthquake.

In addition, the Old Mountain Line posed a great challenge for the railway electrification program under the Ten Major Construction Projects in the 1970s. Since engineers had to reduce the track height inside tunnels to lay wires without suspending train operation, they developed a rare engineering solution of upgrading the railway while maintaining its service. The aesthetics and construction success of the Old Mountain Line are considered one of the great milestones of Taiwan’s railway development.

5-2. Forefathers of Railway Construction

The Old Mountain Line is a classic example of ancestral creativity and an extraordinary achievement in 20th century railway development. Snaking its way through mountains and crossing steeply sloped rivers, the Railway offers a series of marvelous sights within a 16km span. It embodied the best railway techniques in 1908, and later became an example of efficient earthquake repair work made with limited resources and a tight budget.

Within three years, a new iron bridge replaced Longteng Bridge, and Liyutan Arch Bridge and Daan Iron Bridge were both repaired. Damaged tracks, tunnels, and stations were renovated as well, all of which reflect human perseverance and wisdom.

Due to the railway electrification project of the 1970s, the Old Mountain Line carried out the difficult construction work of upgrading railway infrastructure without suspending service, marking another extraordinary example of railway engineering in Taiwan. Looking into the history of the Old Mountain Line, each important railway construction breakthrough in the 20th century is included in its development.

5-2. Longteng Bridge

The Longteng Bridge was seriously damaged in the 1935 earthquake, collapsing from northwest to southeast. The piers cracked severely, and a beam at the southern end broke off following the fall of Pier No. 7. A new iron bridge was built later by using the LongtengBridge for transport. The construction project removed the cracked parts of the bridge and used a truss to support the old bridge to deliver materials for the new bridge. The truss was then dismantled after the new bridge was completed, leaving the remains of the old bridge as it is today.

5-3. Engineering Aesthetics of the Railway

The Old Mountain Line has an outstanding engineering record. Moreover, the eight tunnels, three iron bridges, and four train stations along the line all contain aesthetic value, creating beautiful views that merge with its surrounding landscape along the 16km-long track.

The Railway presents outstanding engineering aesthetics of the 20th century. Its Longteng Bridge was dubbed the “Engineering Masterpiece of Railways.” The damaged bridge remains invaluable in terms of architectural aesthetics, and the old bridge remains alongside the new iron bridge, blending with the natural environment and composing a view that shows the power of nature and mankind.

In addition, the truss structure used to support Daan Iron Bridge, the landscape and scenery along the No. 3, 4, 5, and 6 Tunnels, as well as the Shiliufen slope and forests, are also great feats of technology and aesthetics that demonstrate the interactive relations between human society and nature.

5-4. Acquisition of Western Technology

The Old Mountain Line was part of Japan’s rapid transportation development during the Meiji era for better managing and ruling Taiwan. The line was also known as Taichung Line, named after one of the sections in the Taiwan Trunk Line. It is also an extension of the Keelung-Taipei railway system built under the rule of Governor Liu Ming-chuan during the Qing dynasty.

The Railway system in Taiwan developed in a time when western countries were invading the East while the eastern countries were adopting technology and knowledge from the West. To the Chinese people, it was a process that documented the rivalry between western technology and eastern beliefs. To the Japanese people, it was proof that adoption of western methods helped drive economic growth.

Between the sections from Sanyi to Houli along the Old Mountain Line, there are eight well-preserved tunnels made of stones and bricks; three bridges each different in style; and four train stations designed with western elements, all reflecting the application of modern techniques by Japan after the Meiji Restoration.

Construction of a railway bridge was never attempted before in Japan, and it proved to be an extremely challenging task. Take Longteng Bridge for instance, its brick masonry arch is a representative design of modern knowledge, even though it did not survive the 1935 earthquake.  

5-5. Reflection of Global Market Trends

A key reason for building the Railway through the mountains was to transport forest goods. Before the Japanese colonial era, the Qing government had developed camphor and tea industries in the mountain area of Sanyi. Therefore, the Office of the Governor-General of Japan had paid great attention to the area’s development and administrative affairs.

When railway services started, agricultural production in the region had to change in accordance with international trends and market demands. The area shifted from growing camphor trees to Formosa acacia and tung oil trees to meet war demand and domestic needs of Japan.

The diminishing camphor business was the combined result of decreasing supplies of camphor trees and the advent of artificial camphor production. The fluctuating demand for lemongrass also indicated the rise of Western perfume markets and the invention of synthetic fragrances. Overall, the changes in landscapes and industries in this area were impacted by historic changes in global markets.

After the 1970s, traditional businesses was replaced by manufacturing industries, and railway transport began to carry mainly passengers instead of industrial products. Moreover, automobile highways gradually became the dominant method of transportation. The sheer difficulty of attempting to upgrade the Old Mountain Line to double rails and the uncompromising steepness of the route led to its eventual replacement by a new mountain line.

5-6. Tales and Gossip over Delayed Trains

Due to limited engineering skills and transportation requirements, the Old Mountain Line traveled on a slope of 26 per mille, encompassing curves of up to 300 meters in radius along its route. It was a great challenge for both those who constructed the Railway and those who operated the trains on the single-track route, but frequent delays gave rise to an endless stream of stories and affectionate speculation that are fondly remembered and discussed today.