A national historic site and home to exhibitions related to Taiwan’s railway culture, the Railway Department Park (鐵道部園區) under the administration of the National Taiwan Museum (國立臺灣博物館) is presenting a permanent "Monument Exhibition (鐵道部園區歷史暨古蹟修復常設展)" from April 28, 2020 to Dec. 31, 2025.
The Railway Department Park was once the seat of the Machinery Bureau during the Qing Dynasty. It became the first modernized rail-served industrial park after it was renamed the Taipei Railway Factory under the Railway Department of the General Governor of Taiwan when Taiwan was under Japanese rule. After World War II, it operated as the center of the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA). After the completion of the new Taipei Main Station in 1989, the TRA moved out, leaving the area unoccupied. In 2006, the NTM and the TRA began pushing for its transformation into a heritage center.
The Railway Department Park consists of a hall, a canteen, an octagonal building, the electrical room, an engineering building and a bomb shelter, all constructed and completed during Japanese rule. The main building hall which was completed in 1920 comprises of bricks on the bottom and Formosan cypress wood on top, while the Queen Anne Revival style exterior is made out of red bricks and white synthetic stone. The main building as well as the octagonal building were the representative works by Japanese architect Matsunosuke Moriyama (森山松之助), who was also the architect for the Presidential Office Building.
Renovation of the Railway Department Park began in January 2014, and it was completed in October 2016, having lasted for almost three years. Featuring different architectural styles and the unique construction techniques applied had contributed to the difficulty of the refurbishing process.
The "Monument Exhibition" will include four heritage exhibits, six digital tours and 20 detailed investigation exhibits, highlighting both the historical context and the architectural uniqueness of the Railway Department Park. The exhibition will likewise offer a glimpse into the renovation process and the construction methods employed during those years.