This year marks the 130th anniversary of the start of construction of Taiwan's first railway, back when the island was part of China's Qing Dynasty (1644-1912).

Among the commemorative events, Taiwanese officials earlier this year celebrated two Japanese colonial-era train stations: the main station in the central industrial city of Taichung and a smaller terminal constructed north of Taipei in 1916 for visitors to Beitou's famous hot springs.

Japan has long been credited with Taiwan's rapid modernization during its 50-year rule of the island, when colonial planners embarked on a range of large-scale infrastructure projects including ports, irrigation and sewage systems, and communications networks.