Chang Shan-Cheng Visits Taitung Railway Art Village, Recalls Kuang-Hua Train, Reveals 'Family Served as Head of Hualien-Taitung Section'

Taoyuan City and Taitung County have launched an in-depth cross-county exchange! Taoyuan Mayor Chang Shan-Cheng led his municipal team to Taitung County to attend the 'Taitung Expo Inter-City Exchange Event' and visited the culturally and historically significant Taitung Railway Art Village and Slow Food Base. A self-proclaimed railway enthusiast, Mayor Chang revealed that a family member once served as the section chief of the Taiwan Railways Administration's Hualien-Taitung line, rekindling his personal memories of riding the Kuang-Hua train from Taitung through Hualien back to northern Taiwan. He also co-constructed a new blueprint for collaboration between the two regions in tourism and agriculture with the Taitung county government team.

Chang stated that Taitung's railway culture holds unique historical value, and the well-preserved railway artifacts not only possess tourism potential but are also expected to attract great interest from railway enthusiasts across Taiwan.

Speaking about eastern Taiwan's railways, Chang shared that he is himself a long-time railfan, and his family's past role as chief of the Hualien-Taitung section has created a deep emotional connection to the line. Walking through the exhibition area and seeing many familiar vintage items, he recalled vividly his past journey on the Kuang-Hua train departing from Taitung, passing through Hualien, and heading north. He expressed warmth and familiarity upon seeing these historical assets properly preserved and displayed.

In addition to touring cultural heritage, the exchange of municipal governance experiences was another key focus. Chang noted that under County Magistrate Yau Ching-Ying's leadership, Taitung has successfully established highly recognizable local brand identities in both tourism promotion and agricultural development. He led his team to observe and learn from Taitung's localized operational model.

Taitung County Magistrate Yau Ching-Ying expressed gratitude for Mayor Chang's previous visit two years ago to participate in the hot air balloon festival, and welcomed his return to the Slow Food Base and Taitung Expo. She emphasized that these visits reflect the strong friendship between the two counties and their shared commitment to cross-regional development.