A red train traveling through a dense, green forest with tall trees and lush foliage.

A Train Ride Deep Into a Forest, and Into the Past

On a recent morning, a red and cream-colored train departed a city in southern Taiwan, passing through neighborhoods and slowly pulling uphill into misty mountain forests. Passengers peered out their windows at the lush scenery, which fell into darkness as the train passed through a tunnel half a mile long.

“I was counting how many tunnels on the way, and there were 49,” said Huang Yu-mei, a retired government office worker who was aboard. “The same as when I last took the train nearly 30 years ago!”

Text By Amy Chang Chien

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