Tianzhong Railway Culture and HSR Changhua Station

This site is a railway heritage area in Changhua County that pairs the century-old Tianzhong Station with the award-winning HSR Changhua Station a few kilometers away. Tianzhong Station, established in 1905, retains a Japanese-era station building now repurposed as an art space beside its modern elevated terminal. The HSR Changhua Station's curved-arc facade, designed by architect Kris Yao, won the Popular Choice Award in the Station category at the 2016 Architizer A+ Awards in the United States. Standing close together but a century apart in style, the two facilities clearly illustrate the aesthetic and engineering thinking behind Taiwan's transportation infrastructure across different eras.

Tianzhong Station was established on March 26, 1905, initially named "Tianchuo," and renamed Tianzhong in 1920; its Japanese-era station building underwent several expansions before a new elevated, cross-platform terminal was completed on January 23, 2003, with the old station building preserved beside it and now repurposed as the Tianzhong Art Gallery. HSR Changhua Station was designed by architect Kris Yao of Artech Architects, featuring a continuous curved external arc form and petal-shaped skylights; in April 2016 it won the Popular Choice Award in the Station category at the Architizer A+ Awards in the United States.

What to see at the Tianzhong and HSR Changhua railway sites

The Tianzhong Station building retains the architectural vocabulary of the Japanese colonial period. The wooden roof and platform components have been repaired but still maintain their early form. The plaza in front of the station features an agricultural display, reflecting the historical roots of Tianzhong Township in farming. The HSR Changhua Station is located to the north of Tianzhong Township. The designer used a continuous curved external arc-form volume whose appearance stands out amid the rice paddies and has become one of Changhua County's landmark buildings.

Both stations are surrounded by well-preserved rice paddy landscapes. The farmland visible from outside the HSR station means that even passengers in high-speed motion can still sense Taiwan's agricultural setting. Rice cultivation is the main farming activity in Tianzhong Township, and some traditional rural shophouses remain in the town — an entry point for understanding the development of an agricultural township in Changhua County.

How to make the most of your visit

Practical information

Source: Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation, Tianzhong Township Office records, Changhua County Government Construction Bureau. Photos to be replaced with Dio's own shots.