Taiwanese Councilor Proposes Hiking Trail at Historic Railway Ruins to Boost Tourism

New竹 County Councilor Cai Yu-hsiung is urging the county government to explore the development of a hiking trail at the Fengshan Creek bridge abutment ruins. This proposal aims to create a new railway tourism attraction in New竹, integrating natural ecology and existing cycling paths.

Hukou Township boasts a rich railway history, with its main line dating back 133 years to the Qing Dynasty. The original railway, built by Liu Ming-chuan, left behind remnants in Hukou, including the Fengshan bridge abutment, railway roadbeds, and former military structures. The county's Cultural Affairs Bureau is working to register the Japanese-era dormitories at Hukou Station as a "settlement architectural group" cultural asset, with plans to potentially transform them into a New竹 County Railway Cultural Museum.

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The Fengshan bridge abutment ruins witness the difficult civil engineering technology of crossing the creek at that time, which is deeply meaningful.

Local cultural preservationists have also nominated the 1902 Fengshan Creek red brick bridge abutment and the 1929 double-track cement brick bridge abutment for historical building status. The proposed hiking trail, envisioned with a concept similar to the "Dragon's Roar" bridge in Hualien, aims to combine with the "Fengshan Coiling Dragon" ecological area to create a unique tourist destination.

Councilor Cai emphasized the historical significance of the Fengshan bridge abutment, highlighting the engineering challenges of its time. She suggested developing a hiking trail on the site, prioritizing safety, and connecting it with the Fengshan Creek bicycle path system. This would link various townships like Zhubei, Hukou, and Xinpu, promoting low-carbon tourism and establishing a distinctive tourism brand for New竹 County.

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On the premise of considering safety, it is recommended that this area first carry out hiking trail planning, and cooperate with the Fengshan Creek bicycle path system, connecting Zhubei, Hukou, Xinpu and other townships, promoting low-carbon tourism in New竹 County and shaping characteristic tourist attractions.