Qidong Tunnel Introduction
Walking along the railway to the tunnel entrance, you can see that the design of the portal is quite unique, made of concrete bricks with a simple yet majestic shape. The wide opening of the dual-track tunnel has been the backdrop for many early train advertisement photos in Taiwan. The upper half of the tunnel's arch is lined with red bricks, while the lower side walls continue to use concrete bricks. Further in, at the south entrance of Tunnel No. 1, the walls are scattered with small pockmarks that resemble machine gun fire or marks from bomb fragments. Local elders recount that these are historical traces left by Allied aircraft during the latter part of World War II in the Pacific, which flew over Taiwan in pursuit of trains. The weathered Qiding Old Tunnel bears witness to Taiwan's arduous history of railways and records the changes in the Zhunan area's development. Qiding Tunnel Brief: 1. Built in 1928 (the 17th year of the Republic of China) due to the rerouting between Xiangshan and Zhunan, the south end of Tunnel No. 2 is equipped with Qiding signal station (signaling station) for train passing control. 2. Starting in 1975 (the 64th year of the Republic of China), Taiwan Railways began promoting railway electrification; due to the unfavorable conditions for electrification, the Qiding Tunnels No. 1 and No. 2 were abandoned as the route was shifted westward for safety considerations. 3. In January 1978 (the 67th year of the Republic of China), the electrification project from Keelung to Zhunan was completed and the two tunnels were subsequently closed, remaining neglected for over 20 years with weeds overgrowing around them. 4. On June 24, 2005 (the 94th year of the Republic of China), it was registered as a historical building in Miaoli County. The Zhunan Town Office organized the surroundings of the tunnel and developed it into Qiding Tunnel Cultural Park, giving it a new look and attracting railway enthusiasts and photographers to capture the charm of the old railway.
