Qidong Tunnel Introduction
Walking along the railway to the entrance of the tunnel, you can see that the tunnel entrance is designed quite uniquely, constructed with concrete bricks. Its simple yet grand shape, along with the broad entrance of the dual-track tunnel, made it a popular location for many early train advertisements in Taiwan. Inside the tunnel, the upper half of the arch is lined with red bricks, while the lower half of the side walls continues to utilize concrete bricks. Moving further in to the southern entrance of Tunnel No. 1, the walls are scattered with small pits, resembling machine gun bullet holes and bomb impact marks. Local elders testify that these are historical traces left by Allied aircraft during the latter part of World War II, hunting trains over Taiwan. The weathered Qiding Ancient Tunnel has witnessed the rugged history of Taiwan's railways and records the trajectory of development in the Zhunan area. Qiding Tunnel Brief: 1. Built in 1928 (the 17th year of the Republic), due to the alteration of the route between Xiangshan and Zhunan, the southern end of Tunnel No. 2 has a Qiding signal field responsible for managing train crossings. 2. Starting from 1975 (the 64th year of the Republic), Taiwan Railways began promoting railway electrification; the Qiding Tunnels No. 1 and No. 2 were abandoned due to safety considerations and the unfavorable conditions for electrification, leading to rerouting of the tracks. 3. In January 1978 (the 67th year of the Republic), the electrification project from Keelung to Zhunan was completed, and both tunnels were closed, left unattended for over 20 years with weeds growing around them. 4. Announced on June 24, 2005 (the 94th year of the Republic) as a historical building in Miaoli County. The Zhunan Town Office has organized the surrounding environment of the tunnel, transforming it into the Qiding Tunnel Cultural Park, creating a revitalized scene that attracts railway enthusiasts and photographers to capture the essence of the old railway.
