Changhua TRA Dormitory Village 彰化台鐵宿舍村

Share

---

Tweet

 The Changhua TRA Dormitory Village is an abandoned village near Changhua Station that was used as housing for TRA employees and their families until 2004. It was originally set for demolition, but this did not happen due to local backlash. It still stands today abandoned, waiting to be renovated someday. It is the best preserved TRA dormitory area in Taiwan.

Background:
The Changhua TRA Dormitory Village was completed in 1922, built by the Japanese after the completion of Taiwan's coastal railway line from Zhunan to Changhua, across from the Changhua Roundhouse. The village had a community hall, convenience store, barber shops, and air raid shelters. In 1958, the village was damaged by a Typhoon. Cement apartments began to be built here in 1970. In 2003, the occupants were required to leave, and the village was going to be demolished and turned into a park by the city in 2011. When demolition work was about to begin in 2014, a local group called Banxian Xinshenghui (半線新生會) started a protest, which was successful in stopping the demolition. This involved finding old residents and explaining the historical significance of the village to authorities. In 2018 the village was listed as a historical monument. However, as of 2023 the village still sits abandoned. 

Hours:
24/7

Price:
​Free

​Accommodation:
We have stayed at and recommend Guide Hotel Changhua Jhongjheng, which is one of our favorite hotels in all of Taiwan, with great quality and service right in downtown Changhua. (book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Hotels.com here, Expedia here, or Trip.com here)
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation on the islands. Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.
You can also book Wifi and SIM cards for Taiwan on Gigago here.  
Need travel insurance? Compare prices on Insubuy here. 

Tours: 
Tours and activities in Changhua include Magical Mushrooms Leisure Farm, Cheng Mei Cultural Park, Changhua Love Farm, Gushengwu Paleontology Park, Taiwan You Good School of Cookie, Baiguoshan Amusement Park, Yunhe Starry Sky View Restaruant , Tianzhong, Yakuta Experience , Qingshui Hot Spring Glamping, Fruit Picking , Tonight Star Leisure Farm, Tianweiwang Scenic Spot, and more. 
You can find more tours of Changhua on Klook here or KKday here. 

Just to let you know, if you book using the links above, we get some commission at no cost to you, and you can help support our blog. 
You can click here to receive $5 USD on your first Klook purchase. 

How to get there:
By Car/Scooter: From Changhua TRA station, travel north and turn left on Zhangmei Road Section 1. The village is on your left next to the train tracks. There is limited parking on the side of the road. If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here. 
Looking for scooter rental in Changhua? Check out Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. 
By Train: The village is within five minute walking distance from Changhua TRA Station. You can book tickets to travel to Changhua via inter-city bus on Klook here. 
You can book tickets to Changhua via high speed rail (HSR)  on Klook here or KKDay here. 
Book tickets via the normal train (TRA)  on Klook here.
By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan's landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can search on KKday here and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. 

Map:
Please see below:

Our Journey:

We have been to the TRA employee dependent's village once. Like many dependent's villages in Taiwan, it is made of not so high quality materials and was likely a fire and earthquake hazard in its time. 

For an aerial view of the village, see our drone video above. 

Another 360 degree of the area above. 

Ditch next to the village, painted with dogs. 

Another view of the stinky ditch near the village. 

Closed up shops along the main road.

The end of the road here takes you to a set of tracks.

I guess there is some remodeling work going on here?

Walking into the abandoned village. 

An old sink and living room.

Front walkway.

Someone's old kitchen.

Living room with ceiling coming apart.

Another view inside a living room.

View inside a room filled with junk.

Empty classroom.

There was a truck parked here getting rid of garbage?

Overgrown alleyway.

Old wooden chair.

Rotten front room.

More junk.

A rotting living room.

Shed with piles of leaves.

An iron gate that leads to an overgrown park. 

Another view of junk.

House.

Old wooden house, likely built by the Japanese in 1922.

View inside.

Second story.

View inside a porch.

You will notice there are a lot of old photos here. I think they were placed here as part of the protest to show the historical significance of the place.

Another view down the road.

More old photos on display. Memories of times past.

View inside a living room.

Another patio.

More old photos.

A wedding took place here.

And someone uses the place as free parking. 

Exiting the village. The village is very extensive and there are quite a few squatters in there, so I did not explore everything. 

If you have time, you should also visit the Changhua Roundhouse across the street. For our full blog on Changhua's Roundhouse, click here.

You can find more tours of Changhua on Klook here or KKday here. 

Check out our full guide to Changhua here. 

You can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here. ​

Share