Qidong Tunnel Introduction
Walking along the railway to the tunnel entrance, one can see that the design of the tunnel mouth is quite unique, made of concrete bricks, simple yet majestic in style. With the broad mouth of the double-tracked tunnel, many early photos of train advertisements in Taiwan were taken here. The upper half of the tunnel's arch is lined with red bricks, while the lower side walls continue to be constructed with concrete bricks. Further inside, at the south entrance of Tunnel No. 1, the walls are scattered with small pits, resembling bullet marks or shrapnel scars. Local elders point out that these are historical traces left during the latter part of World War II, when Allied planes flew over Taiwan, targeting trains. The weathered Qiding Old Tunnel bears witness to Taiwan’s rough history with railways and documents the developmental changes in the Zhunan area. Qiding Tunnel Brief Information: 1. Built in 1928 (Year 17 of the Republic of China) due to the diversion between Xiangshan and Zhunan, the south end of Tunnel No. 2 is equipped with a Qiding signal station responsible for controlling train meetings. 2. From 1975 (Year 64 of the Republic of China), Taiwan Railways promoted railway electrification. The Qiding Tunnels No. 1 and No. 2 were abandoned due to the adverse impact on the electrification project, considering safe operations. 3. In January 1978 (Year 67 of the Republic of China), the electrification project from Keelung to Zhunan was completed, and the two tunnels were closed for over 20 years, with surrounding weeds overgrowing. 4. On June 24, 2005, it was announced and registered as a historical building in Miaoli County. Zhunan Township Office organized the environment around the tunnel, transforming it into the Qiding Tunnel Cultural Park, rejuvenating the area and attracting railway enthusiasts and photographers to capture the charm of the old railway.
