Co-existing harmoniously with Nature
Trains pave the way for bonds between people, and tighten the connections between humankind and Nature.
Taiwan’s Forestry Bureau and the TRA have joined forces to launch the “Satoyama Animal Train.” On the body of a commuter train, four Satoyama ecosystems have been painted in color: secondary forests; streams and rivers; irrigated paddies and wetlands; and rural fields and villages. The creatures that inhabit these environments have been rendered in adorable images that spring to life on the train’s exterior, as if beckoning travelers to take an ecological tour.
If you observe carefully, on a seat inside the carriage you will find a sculpted leopard cat, made from Taiwanese materials. When you look up, you may discover a wooden carving of a Taiwan barbet in flight.
But the Satoyama Animal Train, full of creatures that delight the young, is not a sightseeing train on a fixed route: it is a commuter train that is reassigned to a different service daily. For passengers who take it by chance, such a random encounter is always a pleasant surprise.
“Satoyama” is a word that has often been heard in recent years, but it is not a place name. This Japanese term refers to piedmonts, hills, and plains at low elevations, and the secondary forests, streams, and fields embedded in them, while the creatures that inhabit these environments are dubbed Satoyama wildlife. Human development has caused animals’ original habitats to become divided and fragmented, hindering migration; animals may be killed when crossing roads, or they may inadvertently eat pesticides or poison baits laid on agricultural land. To address this situation, Taiwan’s “National Green Network” was born.
Through cooperation with its sister agencies at the Council of Agriculture, as well as with the Ministries of the Interior, Transportation and Communications, and Economic Affairs, and with local governments, the Forestry Bureau has established wildlife migration corridors by planting ecologically managed woodlands along east‡west running rivers; by installing fences next to highways that guide animals to cross via elevated passages or underground culverts; and by encouraging farmers to practice eco-friendly farming that provides animals with livable habitats.
Passengers can get to know these creatures who share this land with us by watching onboard videos or scanning the QR codes. Local offices of the Forestry Bureau also organize guided eco-tours related to the Satoyama Animal Train.
As nature writer Liu Ka-shiang mentioned in the promotional video for the Formosa Railroad Bento Festival, when he travels by train he likes to munch on a railway bento while enjoying the scenery outside, get off at a small station with few travelers, and take a stroll or go hiking in the hills to check out the local culture and scenery. Or we can ride the Satoyama Animal Train, then venture into nature for an ecological journey and experience the beauty of travel.
A bento kiosk—outfitted to mimic a train carriage—is located in the B1 level of the Taipei Railway Station.
To awaken memories of days gone by, TRA recreated the interior of an erstwhile railway restaurant especially for the Formosa Railroad Bento Festival.
Fresh, good-quality ingredients, combined with careful stewardship by the chefs, are the secrets behind Taiwan Railway’s tasty boxed meals.
Railway time tunnel: Why not take a trip to Fu Jing Restaurant’s railway museum, and experience Chen Zhaoqiang’s passion for preserving railroad culture?
Railway time tunnel: Why not take a trip to Fu Jing Restaurant’s railway museum, and experience Chen Zhaoqiang’s passion for preserving railroad culture?
Railway time tunnel: Why not take a trip to Fu Jing Restaurant’s railway museum, and experience Chen Zhaoqiang’s passion for preserving railroad culture?
Chen Zhaoqiang explains with a smile that he’s just a naïve fellow who has taken the modest profits from selling bento and invested them all in collecting railway mementos.
All aboard the Satoyama Animal Train!
The carved wooden leopard cat sits quietly in its seat, awaiting playmates.
The threefold beauty of travel: good food, scenery, and our yearning to live in harmony with with Nature.