Located on Guangming Road in Keelung, the Qidu Old Railway Station was built during the Japanese occupation and has a history of over a century. Among railway stations in Taiwan, it is one of the few that has remained intact since its construction. However, in order to promote land use and support local development, the former Qidu Front Station (old station) was demolished in 2007 to accommodate the Taiwan Railway line relocation. The wooden old station building was handed over to the Keelung City Cultural Affairs Bureau free of charge. The Cultural Affairs Bureau hired a professional design company to renovate the station according to its original appearance. The entire wooden railway station was dismantled and reassembled in the railway park 30 meters away from the original site of the Qidu Old Station. The all-wooden railway station has thus been restored to its original splendor, preserving the old culture while creating a resting environment.
The old Qidu Railway Station (front station) faced the choice of demolition or preservation in response to the widening of Guangming Road. After the efforts of local public opinion and cultural and historical groups, as well as the strong promotion of the city government, the Taiwan Railways Administration agreed to demolish and relocate the station for preservation. The aim was to preserve this rare wooden station in Taiwan and enrich the cultural heritage of Taiwan's railway assets.
The Qidu Old Railway Station, originally built with cypress wood, was a beautifully designed and meticulously assembled Japanese-style wooden railway station. Notably, the beams and columns were connected directly using notches and interlocking joints, unlike other wooden stations that relied on bolts. Therefore, during the dismantling and reconstruction of the Qidu Old Railway Station, each building material was individually numbered and preserved. After being moved to the designated location, they were reassembled according to their numbers. Older materials were rebuilt and reassembled according to their original materials and styles.
During the assembly process, it was also discovered that many beams and pillars had the words "Governor-General's Office" written on them, indicating that during the Japanese colonial period, the construction of this railway station was directly ordered and supervised by the Taiwan Governor-General's Office. This shows the importance that the Japanese government attached to Qidu Railway Station at that time. In addition, the roof ridge of the old station had "insulators" for electrical wire insulation, which was quite special. Besides the station, two banyan trees that were already eighty years old were also transplanted to the railway park.
In addition to preserving the original wooden structure, the old Qidu Railway Station has been renovated with platforms and railway tracks to recreate the original image of Qidu Station. Visitors feel as if they are visiting an old friend, evoking a sense of nostalgia and reflection on the past.