Tags: airport | architecture | Tamsui

During the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War in 1937, the Air-Mail Bureau of Japanese Government in Taiwan selected Bi-Tou Village to build an airport, which was completed in 1941. In the beginning, the airport was open to private use but with the increase in military missions, it was taken over by the Air Force of Taiwan and has been in the charge of the meteorological division until now.

The airport is the first, and one of the few, well-preserved riverside airport in northern Taiwan. It is located on the tip of Bi-Tou Cape and faces the mouth of the Tamsui River. With historical value added to its landscape design, the airport creates a unique fusion of architecture and nature. The patterns and structure of stones between the runway and the apron of the airport offer a glimpse into the engineering technology of Taiwan in the 1940s.

Text and images are provided byTamsui Historical Digital Archives Program,Taiwan (Department of Architecture, Tamkang University)