北投

Xinbeitou Historic Station (新北投車站)

For most of us from North America, there’s nothing really special about a train station. 

The culture surrounding public transport just isn’t as important to us.

So if you’re not living in a major city or a model train hobbyist, trains are probably just one of those things that may or may not pass through your town once in a while.

Here in Taiwan though, trains are life.

Taiwan’s railway is not only a popular, convenient and cheap way to travel but has also been an important part of the past century of Taiwan’s development.

And I’m not exaggerating when I say that for a large portion of the population of this country, trains have been an important part of their commute to and from school and work, or at least for domestic travel. 

With over 1691 kilometers of track and a ridership surpassing a billion passengers a year, the importance of the railway here cannot be understated. Likewise the connection that the railway has had culturally with the past few generations of Taiwanese is one that creates a certain level of nostalgia.

With all of that in mind, imagine for a moment how a small Taiwanese community would feel if their historic train station was suddenly uprooted and moved to some random place in another part of the country.

It should be noted that the Taiwanese government has done an exemplary job in recent years preserving (some of) its historic buildings - especially those from the Japanese Colonial Era - but twenty to thirty years ago, the situation was considerably different.

Likewise, the people of Taiwan weren’t as interested, organized or mobilized to fight for the preservation of historic buildings as they are today.

Given that so many buildings of historic importance have already disappeared, so you can be sure that if there is an opportunity to right a wrong and restore one of the most important buildings in your community to its rightful place, the people of Taiwan are going to work together for that common goal.

And they’ll make so much noise that the government will eventually have to do something. 

Such was the case with the historic Xinbeitou Train Station, which today sits beautifully near its original location in Taipei’s popular Beitou Hot Spring resort, as a testament to the past, and the local community’s determination.

The Xinbeitou Train Station (新北投車站) 

For the better part of a century, the Xinbeitou Train Station has been a constant fixture of life in Taipei’s popular Hot Spring Resort.

In fact, if it weren’t for this station, the term ‘Xinbeitou’ (新北投) wouldn’t have even existed. 

The history of the Xinbeitou Train Station is one that goes hand-in-hand with the construction of the popular hot springs resort in Beitou, and it is safe to say that if it weren’t for the station, the resort, which predates the station by only a couple of years, would never have achieved the success that it has over the past century.  

In 1910 (明治43年), plans were made by the Governor of Taipei, which was then known as “Taihoku-Cho” (たいほくちょう / 臺北廳) to start construction on a hot spring resort in the ‘Hokuto’ (北投) area of the city, which was to include public baths, inns, hotels, tea houses, shrines and parks.

When the resort area opened to the public after years of construction, it proved to be quite popular, but there was a problem - getting there took a considerable amount of time.

Not only did it require a long train ride out to Beitou, but once you got there you had to find a way into the valley where the resort was located, which was about a one or two kilometer walk, depending on where you were going.

To solve this problem, authorities constructed a branch-line off of the Taipei-Tamsui Railway Line (台鐵淡水線) which made traveling to the resort area more convenient.

The rail line, which set off from the Beitou Train Station (台鐵北投停車場) travelled a total distance of 1.2 kilometers to its final destination at the hot spring resort which would be named, “Shinhokuto” (新北投), or Xinbeitou, in order to differentiate the stations. 

Link: Tamsui Railway Line (Wiki) | 台鐵新北投線 (Wiki) 

The Xinbeitou branch-line officially opened to the public on April 1st, 1916 and became an instant hit as it made the hot spring resort area much more accessible to the general public.

As the years went by and more and more hotels and resorts were constructed, the modest little train station proved to be far too small to accommodate the crowds, so in 1937 (昭和12年), the station was expanded.

For three decades, the Shinhokuto Station was operated and controlled by the Japanese Colonial government, but as their situation became more desperate in the latter stages of the Second World War (and resources started to become scarce), the government tore up the rail line and used the iron to create a defensive wall along the coast in Tamsui to prevent a ground invasion by the allies.  

That ground invasion never actually happened, but as I’m sure you’re already well-aware, the Japanese lost the war and were forced to give up much of the territory that they conquered, including Taiwan. 

The track was rebuilt in August of 1946 (民國35年) and stayed in operation for another four decades until service on the TRA Tamsui Line was officially terminated on July 15th 1988 (民國76年).

This is where the history of the station becomes a little strange.

The station sat abandoned in its original location for a couple of years after the closure of the rail line and was scheduled to be demolished. Just before the wrecking-crew was about to show up, it was randomly donated by the Taipei City Government to the owner of the Taiwan Folk Village in Changhua, and relocated there. 

The Taiwan Folk Village (台灣民俗村), which opened in 1993 was an odd mixture of an amusement park and a space meant to preserve traditional Taiwanese architecture.

The park featured not only the historic train station, but other unwanted, but historically or culturally significant buildings, which the owner spent decades preserving. 

Link: Taiwan Review - Taiwan Folk Village (Taiwan Today) | 台灣民俗村 (Wiki) 

Not only was the Folk Village home to the train station, but you could also find several historic mansions and temples including the Liuying Liu Family Mansion (柳營劉氏洋樓), Lugang Shih Family Mansion (鹿港施家古厝), Madou Lin Family Mansion (麻豆林家古厝), Chiayi Tsai Family Mansion (嘉義蔡家古厝), Chiayi Liao Family Clinic (嘉義廖氏診所) as well as temple dedicated to Mazu (北斗奠安宮媽祖廟) and the former Taichung Martial Arts Hall (台中武德殿). 

When the Folk Village opened to the public in 1993, it proved to be quite popular with the public and played an important role in the preservation of certain cultural relics that the government was unable or uninterested (at that point in time) in preserving.

The station when it was located at the Taiwan Folk Village.

The station when it was located at the Taiwan Folk Village.

For more photos about the Xinbeitou Station as it looked when it was located in Changhua’s Taiwan Folk Village click the link below from a 2012 Chinese language blog post:

Link: 遺忘等待。彰化台灣民俗村新北投

In 1999, when the infamous 921 Earthquake (921大地震) rocked Taiwan, a considerable amount of damage was done to the historic relics in the park, which forced its closure until 2003.

Unfortunately, the novelty of the park eventually wore off and with declining visitors, revenue and the death of its owner, it became impossible to keep it (and the large hotel he had constructed next door) open.

The property was eventually appropriated by the government and was auctioned off to the highest bidder to recoup almost NT $3 billion in cash that was owed to creditors. 

It was then purchased by a local (and tremendously wealthy) Buddhist organization (大佛山股份有限公司經營), which had some plans for the property, but between 2007 and 2012 not much happened, so it was decided to permanently shut it all down. 

While all of this was taking place in central Taiwan, there was a growing cry from the residents and local officials in the Beitou area, who lobbied for the return of the station to its original home.

In 1996, an article was published in a Beitou Community Newsletter (北投社) calling for the return of the station. The article, which is considered to have been instrumental in starting a movement quickly caught the attention of a local borough chief (里長) and other politicians, who worked with the community to lobby for the return of the station. 

After several years of negotiations, it was agreed that the station would be donated to the Taipei City Government, which would be responsible for the relocation of the station to its original home and to ensure its preservation for future generations

Suffice to say, I’ve summarized things a bit here and it was most certainly not an easy process. 

In 2014, the station was finally returned home to Taipei and after a two-year restoration project, which cost the local government NT $20 million dollars, it finally reopened to the public in 2016.

Today the station is open to the public serving as a tourist information centre as well as an exhibition space that educates visitors about the history of the station and the Xinbeitou area.

Brief Timeline of Xinbeitou Station’s Complicated History  

  • 1910 - Plans for the construction of the Beitou Hot Springs Resort Area are started by the Governor of Taihoku-Cho (臺北廳). 

  • 1913 - The Beitou Public Springs and Beitou Park are inaugurated.  

  • 1916 - The Tamsui Rail Line (淡水線) was extended to ‘Xinbeitou’ to promote tourism.

  • 1937 - Due to the popularity of the resort area, the station is expanded and renamed.

  • 1979 - In a major blow to the local economy, prostitution is made illegal. In a major blow to the railway, the Beitou Bus Station is completed and more people elect to take buses to the area. 

  • 1988 - To make way for the construction of the MRT system, the Tamsui Rail ceases operations and the last train out of Xinbeitou departs on July 15th.   

  • 1989 - The historic station is relocated to the Taiwan Folk Culture Village in Changhua to be put on display. 

  • 1996 - An article is published in a local Beitou Community Newsletter titled 「尋回失散親人,重迎新北投車站」which promotes the return of the train station to its original location. 

  • 2003 - 2005 - Several groups of local residents and borough chiefs pay the owner of the Taiwan Folk Culture Village a visit on several occasions to lobby for the return of the station. 

  • 2007 - With the assistance of the Taipei City Cultural Bureau, an association (北投古蹟公益信託基金專案) is set up to raise funds for the restoration and preservation of the station.

  • 2007 - The owner of the Taiwan Folk Culture Village passes away and the park is auctioned off. 

  • 2012 - Representatives from the local community and the Taipei City Cultural Bureau pay several visits to the new owners of the Taiwan Folk Culture Village to discuss the future of the station.

  • 2012 - The Taiwan Folk Culture Village and hotel are permanently closed. 

  • 2013 - The ownership group of the Taiwan Folk Culture Village agrees to donate the station to the Taipei City Government. 

  • 2014 - The station is disassembled and transported back to Taipei. 

  • 2017 - The reconstruction and restoration project was completed with the station finding a new home in Qixing Park, across the street from the Xinbeitou MRT Station and 50 meters from its original location. 

  • 2019 - The second phase of construction is completed with a platform and rail track constructed in the park adjacent to the Xinbeitou MRT Station. The park also welcomed one of the original trains that would have visited the station when it was still operational in the late 80s. 

Architectural Design and restoration

Today the historic Xinbeitou station sits parallel to the Xinbeitou MRT station. 

If you’re a purist, you might argue that the current location of the station is about fifty meters from where it originally stood - Unfortunately when it was decided that the station would be relocated back to Beitou in 2013, it was already impossible (due to traffic considerations) to place the station in its original location.

So, the bureaucratic process, something that Taiwan is well-known for, took place and several public hearings were held with the local community to discuss the best options for the placement of the station, with several options available for consideration.

In the end, it was decided that the station would be placed within Qixing Park (七星公園), a short distance from its original location with a mock version of the original track running parallel to the current Xinbeitou MRT platform. 

The next decision that had to be made was whether they would restore the station to its original 1916 design or the 1937 expansion.

One of the complaints I have with some of the restoration of historic Japanese Colonial Era buildings around Taiwan is that they often take liberties with the process and that could have happened here as well.

Fortunately it was decided that the restoration project would restore the 1937 ‘Xinbeitou Station’ (新北投車站) and not the 1916 ‘Xinbeitou Platform’ (新北投乘降場), which had considerable design differences.

Photos of the original 1916 version (above) of the station are beautiful, but it was an open-air platform with the only enclosed area being where the ticket office was located. The problem with this design is that it would leave the station open to the elements and limit the ability to use it as an exhibition space.

It would have also meant undoing the architectural changes that took place when the station was expanded.

As it is, the station was faithfully restored to how it looked in 1937 (below) with the exact same dimensions and using 72% of the original materials from when it was constructed over eighty years ago.

The remaining materials are currently used in displays and exhibitions about the history of the station. 

Note: One thing you’ll want to note in the historic photos below is the colour of the roof - the photo on the left was taken just after the expansion, so you can easily see how much was added.

In terms of its design and architecture, the station was constructed with local red cypress and as I mentioned earlier maintains the original dimensions (276m2), but has been earthquake-proofed with a strong foundation to ensure its continued survival.

In addition to being constructed completely of Taiwanese red cypress, the station features a beautiful “Irimoya Hafu” (入母屋破風) Japanese-style eaved roof with copper tiles (銅板瓦) and four round dormer (oxeye) windows (老虎窗) on the front and back.

The roof, which is larger than the building itself, is supported by a network of beams both on the interior and exterior of the building (with a modern addition of a network of thin metal rods connected in place to ensure that the roof remains in place in case of earthquake or typhoon.

On the trusses on the exterior of the building you’ll want to pay close attention as there are carved designs on each of them showing a great attention to detail.   

The round dormer windows on the front and back of the building are one of the characteristics that allows the building to stand out architecturally, but there is something a bit odd about them. 

Uncharacteristic of Japanese design (and attention to detail), the original three windows from when the building was first constructed in 1916 were placed an equal distance from each other.

When the building was expanded in 1937, a fourth window was added, but was further apart than the rest of the windows making the design somewhat off-balance and awkward.

This was done for practical reasons as the construction of the roof and the beams that kept it in place prevented the window from maintaining the same distance as the others.

The interior of the station is currently home to exhibitions about the station’s history, while the ticket booth area serves as the permanent home for the local tourist information bureau.

The interior is spacious and the red cypress shines in the sun with light coming in from the windows on all four sides as well as from the eight windows on the roof. 

For more detailed information about the location selection and photos of the reconstruction process, check out this Chinese language article, which expertly logged the restoration of the station in its current location. 

Link: [台北市] 新北投車站重組 (FORMOSARACE) 

Getting There

 

The historic Xinbeitou Train Station is located directly next to (parallel) the current Xinbeitou MRT Station, which makes getting there a piece of cake. In fact, once you arrive on the elevated MRT, you’ll be able to see the park from the platform.

That being said, not everybody elects to take the MRT to Beitou, so if you’re looking to visit the area and want to make use of another one of Taipei’s excellent forms of public transportation, I’ll provide details below. 

Address: No. 1, Qixing St., Beitou District., Taipei City (台北市北投區七星街1號)

Website: Xinbeitou Historic Station (新北投車站)

Bus Service to Xinbeitou (新北投) or Beitou Garden (北投公園): 

#129, #216, #218, #223, #230, #602, 小6, 小7, 小9, 小22, 小25, 小26 

Click on any of the links for the route map and real-time information. If you haven’t already, I recommend using the Taipei eBus website or downloading the “台北等公車” app to your phone. 

Link: Bus Tracker (臺北等公車) - Apple | Android

If you’re riding a YouBike up the riverside bike way path, you can easily make a detour and ride into Beitou.

To get there, follow the map above or input the address provided above into your Google Maps and choose the bike directions option. Likewise if you are riding a scooter or driving a car, you can input the address above into your GPS to get there.

A word of advice though, parking in the area is quite limited, so if you’re driving a car, expect to circle the area looking for a parking lot or roadside spaces.

The closest parking lot is the Qixing Park Underground Parking Lot (七星公園地下停車場), which has space for around 334 cars but fills up quickly, especially on weekends. 

Once you’re in the area, you’ll be able to enjoy the thermal hot springs (public or private) as well as a number of other locations including the Beitou Hot Spring Museum (北投溫泉博物館), Ketagalan Culture Center (凱達格蘭文化館), Beitou Thermal Valley (地熱谷), Puji Temple (普濟寺), Beitou Public Library (臺北市立圖書館北投分館), etc. 

There is quite a bit to do when you’re in the Beitou Hot Springs Resort area and you can easily fill a day or more checking out some of the sites and enjoying the beautiful Japanese-style community at your leisure.

And hey, while you’re in the area why not try some of the local street food which includes eggs and corn boiled in the thermal water or the popular noodle restaurant Man-Lai Ramen (滿來溫泉拉麵), which serves up Japanese-style ramen using the thermal water in its soup.

The Xinbeitou Historic Station is open for visitors Tuesday to Thursday from 10:00 am - 6:00pm and Friday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 8:30pm (closed on Mondays) and entry is free of charge.  

All over Taiwan we have seen a resurgence with regard to the appreciation of what remains of the Japanese Colonial Era. Former residences, police stations, dormitories, Martial Arts Halls, Shinto Shrines and railway stations like this one have become popular tourist spots all over the country and adds to the list of destinations for tourists to visit. 

The colonial era might only have been but a small piece of Taiwan’s long history, but the effect it has had on the country in terms of its development and its culture has had long-lasting effects.

Certainly one of those long-lasting reminders is the excellent railway network that was designed and constructed at that time and continues to be a popular method of transportation today.

Xinbeitou’s historic train station is an excellent example of that history and its inclusion onto the list of destinations that tourists can visit while in the area is a welcome addition. 

If you’re heading to Beitou to enjoy some hot springs, I highly recommend stopping by the station as well as enjoying some of the other sites in the area.


Beitou Thermal Valley (北投地熱谷)

Winter is often a miserable time of year for those of us living here in the north of Taiwan. The weather becomes a bit chilly, it rains non-stop and the humidity makes it feel like you’re constantly dripping.

Luckily though, Taiwan’s natural environment provides for a bit of respite from the cold, damp weather in the form of volcanic hot springs which are abundant in places like Wulai (烏來), Jiaoxi (礁溪) and Taipei’s very own Yangmingshan (陽明山) where the people of this country can enjoy a relaxing dip in geothermally heated pools of water that are thought to have therapeutic uses that help with anything from chronic fatigue to soothing to pain of arthritis.

When the Japanese took control of Taiwan, they brought with them a rich and well-developed Hot Spring (onsen) culture and sought to develop Taiwan’s various hot spring locations into popular destinations for rest and relaxation.

Taiwan’s first hot spring hotel opened in Taipei’s Beitou district (北投區) in 1896 only a year after the Japanese took control of the island and from that time on the Japanese love of hot springs has became an inseparable link between the two nations.

Beitou (北投)

The Beitou area of Taipei has since been developed as a resort destination for the people of Taipei with public and private baths, hotels, tea houses and parks set up to cater to visitors. In the past all visitors had to do was take a train from the city to get to the resort, but today it is much more convenient as Beitou (北投站) and Xinbeitou stations (新北投車站) are connected to the popular Taipei Metro System.

If you are travelling to Beitou during the winter or on a weekend, it is important to remember that the Hot Springs resort area is extremely popular and if you are wanting to find a private space in a hotel, it is best to reserve your time ahead of your visit to ensure that space is available.

If you aren’t shy and prefer to save some money, you should probably consider taking the public bath option where you’ll be able to enjoy hot spring culture at its finest. It’s important to remember that each of the public baths may have different etiquette and rules with regard to gender separation and whether or not you’re permitted to wear clothing in the water.

While Hot Springs are the main attraction for visitors to Beitou, there is also quite a bit for people to do when visiting apart from taking a bath. The area has coffee shops, parks, museums, temples and great food as well.

If you are visiting you may want to consider checking out some of the historic Japanese buildings left over from the Colonial Era - The Beitou Hot Springs Museum (北投溫泉博物館) is one of the best examples of modern architecture of that era while Puji Temple (普濟寺) and the Plum Garden (梅庭) are much more traditional.

While visiting the area you may also want to consider checking out some of the museums, which include the Hot Spring Museum, the recently reconstructed Japanese-era Beitou Train Station, the Ketagalan Culture Center (凱達格蘭文化館) or the Taiwan Folk Arts Museum.

One of the coolest attractions however is the Beitou Thermal Valley or “Hell Valley” (地熱谷) which is a short walk away from the resort area and puts on display the awesome power of the natural environment in a way that you may not have ever seen before.

Thermal Valley (地熱谷)

If you are visiting Beitou to take in some Hot Springs, a visit to the Thermal Valley is one of those things that you absolutely have to do in order to really appreciate the awesome power of the geothermal springs in the area.

The Beitou Thermal Valley, otherwise known as “Hell Valley” (地熱谷) in Chinese is a small nature park that is free of charge for visitors and consists solely of a small lake with a fenced off walkway (for your safety). You may not think that sounds very interesting, but the lake is the main attraction and is one of the primary sources of hot spring water for the resort area.

The main attraction of the lake apart from the emerald green colour of the water is probably that of the year-round sulphuric steam that rises up from the water and blankets the valley in a haze of extremely humid fog. If you are visiting during the hot Taiwan summer days, prepare to sweat buckets while walking along the path.

The temperature of the water in the lake varies between 80-100℃ and is considered to be the hottest of any of the hot spring sources in the Datunshan Volcano Group (大屯火山群). The water itself isn’t your typical H2O and contains a number of additional chemical elements, most notably the sodium carbonate which is corrosive (that’s why there are protective barriers) and gives the spring water its beautiful green colour.

In the past, people would bring eggs to the valley to boil them in the hot spring water - Today hard-boiled hot spring eggs (溫泉蛋) are still popular with the people of Taiwan, but for safety reasons it is now prohibited to boil eggs or get close to the water at the Thermal Valley. You can however buy some ‘hot-spring eggs’ at a stop near the entrance of the park, which is highly recommended if you’re a fan of eggs. I’d also recommend trying the hot-spring ramen restaurant “Mankewu Ramen” (滿客屋拉麵) which is also nearby.

Another interesting aspect of the Thermal Valley are the naturally occurring rocks known as Hokutolite or “Beitou Rocks” (北投石) which are strange-looking calcified rocks that come in many strange-looking shapes and sizes. The rocks contain minute traces of strontium and the radioactive element radium and the Thermal Valley is one of the two places in the world where this occurs naturally which is why the area has been protected for conservation.

With this in mind, don’t try to jump the fence and take a swim in the lake - not only will you be cooked alive, you might also come out breathing fire like Godzilla.

If you are planning a trip to the Beitou area for some hot springs, then a visit to the Thermal Valley is recommended. If you’re not going out to Beitou for any particular reason however, I think its probably not really a worth the long MRT ride if you don’t have anything else planned. If you aren’t going for hot springs, but still want to go check out the valley, I’d recommend including a trip to the beautiful Guandu Temple or the Guandu Marshlands for a bike ride along the river. You could also head out to Danshui to check out the popular tourist street there.

Getting There

 

The valley is a ten minute walk away from Xinbeitou MRT Station (新北投捷運站) and isn’t far from the Public Baths or any of the private hotels that offer hot springs. When you leave the MRT station simply just walk straight and you’ll arrive after a short walk. The Thermal Springs are also quite close to the historic Puji Temple, so you may want to check that out as well while you’re there.


Gallery / Flickr (High Res Shots)

Puji Temple (普濟寺)

Whenever you see travel articles about Taiwan, you’re likely to see the same themes mentioned over and over again - This country prides itself on its culinary prowess, its beautiful landscapes, the friendliness of its people and of course the thousands of 7-11s and ornate temples that line the streets of this tiny island nation.

When it comes to promoting Taiwan to the outside world, the food and the friendliness of the people of this country are often good enough reasons to attract a bit of attention. 

There is however a lot more to this country than friendliness and food but you’ll rarely find much else in terms of in-depth articles from official sources or the Taiwanese media which markets the country to both domestic and international tourists in the same way. 

For travellers who only have a short time to visit the country, there is a wealth of things to do here that cater to particular interests and hobbies.

Unfortunately the biggest problem is that information for a lot of these places isn’t readily available or even useful when it is.

As the government aims to promote tourism and attract more foreign visitors than ever before, these issues will eventually have to be solved to help make travelling here much easier for the average non-Chinese speaking visitor.

When I first arrived in Taiwan, one of the first things that caught my attention was the ornate temples that are found throughout the country.

Longshan Temple, Xing-Tian Temple and the Xiahai City God temple for example have all been promoted really well and each of them attract hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. This made learning about the temples really easy. When it came to the other temples however, I had to spend a considerable amount of time researching their history to learn about them.

So even though those three are beautiful examples of Taiwanese temple architecture and design with interesting histories, you might be surprised to find out that you can easily find larger, older and more beautiful temples in other parts of the country which pretty much receive little-to-no attention from foreign tourists. 

Some might argue that not all of these historic temples want thousands of foreign tourists invading each and every day while others might insist that it would be extremely difficult to promote all of these temples to foreign travellers, but that’s not the point.

No one expects an article about all of these places, but one would hope that the situation continues to improve so that people can make much more informed decisions while visiting. 

Today’s post is about one of Taipei’s under-appreciated temples which is situated only a short walk away from the popular Beitou Hot Spring resort area.

It would only make sense that this century-old Japanese Colonial Era temple, one of the few left remaining in Taiwan, be promoted to tourists who are visiting the area but so far it remains somewhat of a secret despite some vague signage.

I’ve spent quite a bit of time over the last year searching for the remnants of Taiwan’s Japanese Colonial Era to learn their history and take photos.

This particular temple was on my list of places to visit for quite a while but when I finished my research about Taipei’s Huguo Rinzai Temple (臨濟護國戰寺) and realized the historic relation of the two buildings, I decided to make a visit to Beitou’s Puji Temple (普濟寺) as soon as I could find a free day with some agreeable weather!

History - Japanese Buddhism in Taiwan

The ‘Japanese Colonial Era’ (日治時代) began on April 17th 1895 when representatives from the Qing signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki (下関条約) which signalled the end of the first Sino-Japanese War. The treaty, which is still a sour point in Sino-Japanese relations today forced the Qing empire to cede both territory and copious amounts of cash to the Japanese Empire.

When the Colonial Era started, the Japanese were quick to take care of any opposition to their control and also wasted no time in their effort to develop the island with modern infrastructure and also put systems in place to create a thriving economy that would contribute to the Japanese.

As Taiwan was considered to be an important part of the empire, both strategically and economically, the Japanese took special effort to construct buildings of Japanese cultural influence while at the same time building schools, banks, roads, etc.

The buildings of Japanese cultural origin which include the various Martial Arts Halls (武德殿), Shinto Shrines and Buddhist temples, etc. were constructed with the sole intention of helping to ‘convert’ the people of Taiwan into loyal citizens of the Japanese empire. The goal was ultimately to have an island of people who were Japanese in everything but ancestry.

Buddhism, having established a foothold on the island several centuries earlier was one of the tools that the Japanese used to help bring the two peoples together. Initially, the Japanese brought Buddhist monks with them to serve roles in the military as chaplain-missionaries offering spiritual guidance during the initial years of the occupation.

The monks who came to Taiwan eventually began to construct language schools and charity hospitals where they would focus on improving the lives of average Taiwanese citizens as well as promoting Japanese-style Buddhism. This effort didn’t last long however thanks to the language barrier and the fact that Japanese Buddhism was viewed by the locals as a colonial system of beliefs which only benefitted the colonial power.

The lack of results in terms of cultural conversion led to funding ultimately being cut off by the Japanese central government and forced the monks who had come to Taiwan to focus less on the native population and more so on the benevolence of the Japanese people who migrated to the island.  

Despite Buddhism being a tool used by the Japanese to help endear the people of Taiwan to their new colonial rulers, the religion had taken a major hit in both its support and its funding within Japan thanks to the Meiji Restoration (明治維新).

The restoration which started in 1868 sought to modernize and reform the country and focused its efforts on aspects of society which were deemed to be ‘feudalistic’ or ‘foreign.’ Buddhism, despite its immense importance to the development of Japanese culture was a religion from outside of Japan and was thus viewed as inferior to state Shintoism.

Interestingly, even though Buddhism was originally used as a way for the colonial powers to endear themselves to the people living in Taiwan, the religion ultimately became a tool for the people of Taiwan to use in an attempt to brush shoulders with the higher-ups in Japanese society to gain political or economic favour and also to use religion as a cover for activities that the colonial powers might frown upon.

Today, most people in Taiwan, if asked would say that they are Buddhist. The history of Buddhism in Taiwan is a long and confusing one and despite the religion being a tool for state control (for both the Japanese and the Chinese Nationalists) the legacy of the Japanese Colonial Era can still be felt today as most of the largest Buddhist organizations operating in Taiwan today adhere to the philosophy and practices of the schools of Buddhism brought to Taiwan by the Japanese.

Puji Temple (普濟寺)

The relatively unknown Puji Temple, one of the few remaining Japanese-style temples in Taiwan today sits quietly on a hill above the popular hot spring resort area in Taipei City’s Beitou District (北投區). The temple, which dates back to 1905 (明治38年) is now over 110 years old and is considered one of Taipei’s most important historic sites.

The temple, which was originally named “Tetsu’shinin Temple” (鐵鎮院) was constructed with funds donated by Japanese railway workers and engineers who wanted to celebrate the completion of the project with a newly built temple.

The (now defunct) Tamsui Rail Line (淡水線) was completed in 1901 and followed pretty much the same route as Taipei’s Danshui MRT Line (淡水信義線) today. When the rail line was completed it provided service between Tamsui and Taipei as well having a special off-shoot line of the railway which transported tourists between (the former) Beitou Railway Station (北投車站) and the Xinbeitou Train Station (新北投車站).

Hot Spring culture, known as “Onsen” in Japan has been popular throughout Japanese history, so when the Japanese arrived in Taiwan, they wasted little time developing Beitou, which was then known as Hokutō Village into one of the premiere hot-spring resorts in the empire - one so luxurious that even Prince Hirohito enjoyed a stay!

Puji Temple, which was constructed on a hill above the hot spring resort area belonged to the Shingon school (真言宗) of Buddhism, one of the most history and most widely practiced schools of Buddhism in Japan, founded by Kōbō-Daishi (弘法大師), one of the most prolific figures in the history of Japanese Buddhism.

 Note: Kōbō-Daishi has appeared on my blog before @ Taipei Mazu Temple

The temple which was constructed with traditional Japanese architecture and beautiful Hinoki cypress is extremely well-preserved and is one of the finest examples of Japanese temple architecture in Taipei today. The small temple, which has only been renovated once since its original construction maintains the original design.

The roof of the main hall features a typical Japanese swallow-tail or hip-and-gable roof in its original state and still in excellent condition. The roof has yet to be restored, so the tiles on the top have faded in colour from the original black but despite their age are still quite impressive.

One of the most important things to notice on the exterior of the temple are the bell-shaped windows on either side of the main entrance which are known as katōmado (火灯窓) and are common in Japanese temples, shrines and even in castles built after the sixteenth century but rare here in Taiwan.

The interior of the temple itself hasn’t changed much in the years since the end of the colonial era - the interior design remains the same and the religious ceremonies that are held within still adhere to the original Japanese way of worship. The interior is almost perfectly square in dimensions and when you enter there is an elevated area covered in tatami mats where people sit to meditate. The wooden beams on the ceiling and to the sides are all large single-piece hinoki cypress and even today a century after the temple was finished still smell amazing.

If you have a keen eye, you’ll notice that the two bells to the sides of the entrance are not the originals and are only about 30-40 years old evidenced by the ROC era dates (民國) on the side. I asked the monk who was at the temple what happened to the original bells but he didn’t have any idea and was surprised to find out that the bells in the room weren’t actually the originals.

The temple’s main shrine is dedicated to Guanyin (觀音菩薩) but interestingly the Guanyin that is worshipped inside is a bit different than the typical Guanyin that you’ll find in other areas around Taiwan. This Buddha is a special one that is known as the ‘Protector Deity of Hot Springs’ (湯守觀音) and sits cleverly above the hot springs resort protecting the people who come to visit.

When the Japanese Colonial Era ended in 1945, ownership of the temple transferred to a new Buddhist association which then in turn changed the name to Puji Temple. Initially the temple was used by Tibetan lamas who escaped to Taiwan with the Chinese Nationalists. The temple was then later transferred to the ownership of the same Rinzai Buddhist association who control the beautiful Huguo Rinzai Temple (臨濟護國戰寺) in Taipei.

Today the temple sits peacefully and somewhat secretly on a hill above the popular hot-spring resort area. There are signs that lead tourists to the temple, but it seems like most of them are unclear and without the aid of Google Maps, I would have had a hard time finding it myself. The relative seclusion and the beautiful view of Datun Mountain (大屯山) from the front entrance however make for a zen-like experience.

For tourists there isn’t a whole lot to see when you visit this beautiful temple - you don’t need a lot of time but if you are interested in Taiwan’s history, a quick visit to this century-old temple should be able to shed a little bit of light on a period of Taiwan’s history that is quickly disappearing as time goes by.

Getting There

 

Getting to Puji Temple is quite easy if you are visiting Taipei's Beitou District - Simply take the MRT to Xinbeitou Station (新北投站) and when you exit, walk up either side of the road that takes you to the Hot Spring resort area. You'll see signage along the way that will lead you to the temple. It is a short ten minute walk from the MRT station and is very close to Beitou's Thermal Valley which is also a pretty popular spot for tourists.