In the lush mountainous Keelung City in northern Taiwan lies a remarkable testament to the island’s rich history and culture: Liu Ming-Chuan Tunnel (劉銘傳隧道). The Liu Ming-Chuan Tunnel, originally called the Shiqiuling Tunnel (獅球嶺隧道), is the first modern railway tunnel in Taiwan and remains a treasured relic of the Qing Dynasty era — a tangible link to Taiwan‘s past.
Origin of the Liu Ming-Chuan Tunnel in Taiwan
The Liu Ming-Chuan Tunnel owes its existence to Liu Ming-Chuan (1836-1895), who was Taiwan’s first governor when the government of the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911) decided to separate Taiwan from Fujian Province in 1885.
Watch the following video for more interesting images of Taiwan’s historical Liu Ming-Chuan Tunnel.
Liu Ming-Chuan, often referred to as the father of Taiwan’s railways, officially requested the imperial court in April 1887 to build a north-south railroad. A month after the imperial court approved the project, Liu quickly set up the government-run Taiwan Railway Business Administration and constructed the railway on June 9, 1887.
Under Liu’s auspices, a 28.6 km (17.7 miles) railway between Keelung and Taipei was constructed, one of the earliest railroad systems in China. The Shiqiuling Tunnel was also built at Shiqiuling in Keelung’s Anle District.
Construction of the Liu Ming-Chuan Tunnel
The tunnel’s construction was a formidable undertaking for its time. The soil structure presented a complex challenge, with hard rock in the northern section and moist, soft soil in the southern section. This variation made excavation particularly difficult. As a result, the tunnel was divided into seven sections to facilitate the construction work.
During the simultaneous excavation of the northern and southern sections, a significant height difference of 426 centimeters (14 feet) was discovered due to misalignment during construction. Subsequent corrective action addressed this discrepancy, allowing the tunnel to be joined and completed. With an arched roof reinforced by brick with Guanyinshan stone walls, this first railway tunnel in Taiwan was completed in 1890 after 30 months of construction.
However, after the Japanese began to rule Taiwan, the Zhuziliao Tunnel (竹仔嶺隧道) was built 1 km to the east in 1886 and put into operation in 1898, replacing the Liu Ming-Chuan Tunnel. Thus, the Liu Ming-Chuan Tunnel was used for only seven years and seven months.
Restoration of the Liu Ming-Chuan Tunnel
After the central government of the Republic of China (R.O.C.) moved to Taiwan in 1949, the Liu Ming-Chuan Tunnel was designated a military control area in 1958 when a military oil depot was built near the southern end of the tunnel.
The Keelung City Government launched the first restoration project between 1990 and 1991. Further restoration work began in August 2002 and was completed in May 2003. The tunnel was reopened to the public on December 20 that year, but only for guided tours by prior reservation.
It was closed in 2009 due to poor drainage and partial collapse in some sections. The Keelung City Government completed another restoration project in 2019, and the tunnel was finally reopened on December 30, 2023.
Historical significance
In addition to its engineering significance, the tunnel holds profound historical importance. As the sole surviving Qing Dynasty railroad structure in Taiwan, it is a tangible reminder of Taiwan’s intricate history and the transformative impact of infrastructure development spanning from the Qing Dynasty through Japanese colonial rule to the Republic of China era.
In light of this, the Ministry of the Interior designated the Liu Ming-Chuan Tunnel as a Level 3 monument in 1985, making it the first railway structure in Taiwan to receive such recognition and preservation status.
Inscription and symbolism
Above the tunnel’s southern entrance, visitors can still see the inscription “Kuang Yu Tien Kai” (曠宇天開), attributed to Liu Ming-chuan himself. This phrase, “Opening up the vast universe,” indicates more than just tunneling through mountains; it signifies the ambitious vision of the first official governor of Taiwan to propel the island into a new era of progress and connectivity.
Visitor experience
When visiting the Liu Ming-Chuan Tunnel, visitors can discover its historical importance as a key heritage site in Keelung, bearing witness to significant historical events and cultural aspects of the past. On top of that, visitors can appreciate its tourism value as a popular scenic attraction, offering insight into Keelung’s rich history and culture.
More interestingly, visitors can observe over a dozen Formosan leaf-nosed bats (Hipposideros armiger terasensis 臺灣葉鼻蝠) hanging upside down on the vault inside the Liu Ming-Chuan Tunnel. This bat species is a unique subspecies found only in Taiwan and is the second-largest insectivorous bat in the country.
from the Shiqiuling Fortification (獅球嶺砲台). (Image: Billy Shyu via Nspirement).
Moreover, visitors can hike on the trail at the northern entrance of the tunnel to explore the Shiqiuling Fortification (獅球嶺砲台), which represents the highest and only remaining small gun emplacement constructed during the late Qing Dynasty.
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