The Ministry of Culture is working with the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and the Taiwan Railways Administration to handle the revitalization of the Taipei Railway Workshop (臺北機廠) - marking the first major step towards establishing the National Railway Museum and Park (國家鐵道博物館園區).
The project plan for revitalizing the heritage site of the 1935 Taipei Railway Workshop was approved by the Executive Yuan on Dec. 13, and the project budget was subsequently approved by the Education and Culture Committee of the Legislative Yuan on Dec. 15.
Encompassing a total area of 16.79 hectares, the Taipei Railway Workshop is home to over 40 buildings and facilities. As the designated site of the proposed National Railway Museum, it will become a center for the research, collection, and display of Taiwan's railway culture and history.
To ensure the financial sustainability of the museum's operations and ease the monetary burden of a national infrastructure project of such a scale, non-governmental funds and agencies will be introduced to the park to provide future visitors with more diversified services.
Currently in Taiwan, Regulations Governing the Application and Review of Public Construction Projects and Peripheral Integrated Planning stipulates that the self-liquidating ratio of public construction projects must exceed 30%.
However, given the cultural, educational, and public value of cultural infrastructure projects such as the Railway Museum, the Ministry is proposing a draft Regulations Governing the Review of Financial Planning for Cultural Construction Projects of the Ministry of Culture, which is aimed at avoiding the improper introduction of excess commercial behavior at the expense of the site's cultural, artistic, and educational functions.
The initial stage of the project will be carried out by the Ministry of Culture by obtaining usage rights via a leasing agreement and repairing the heritage site from 2017 through 2019. The Ministry will then cooperate with the Ministry of Transportation and Communications to discuss the details of the second stage of implementation.
The National Railway Museum and Park is set to become the first cultural heritage site to offer an immersive experience in Taiwan's railway culture and history. Moreover, the immense park will combine culture and tourism to become a new model of cultural preservation.