Society Care
Carrying for Society and Developing Local Area
In addition to fulfilling our responsibilities in the travel industry, THSRC has also invested in the social welfare sector, aiming to contribute to society through our corporate influence and fulfill our responsibility as a social citizen. In 2023, we invested nearly NT$15 million in sponsorships for various social welfare activities to promote co-prosperity in Taiwan.
THSRC has been a longstanding supporter of railway culture and has invested in the development of the arts. In 2023, we supported the "Arts project for Taiwan's high-speed rail", the "ROC's 110th Double Tenth National Day Celebration Sponsorship Case", the "ROC's 111th Double Tenth National Day Celebration Sponsorship Case" and the "ROC's 111th Double Tenth National Day Celebration Party Sponsorship Case". These projects won the “Gold Award” in the 16th Arts & Business Awards. Further details on THSRC's initiatives to promote arts and culture, social care, and ecological restoration will be provided in subsequent sections.
Enhancing Arts and Culture
Since 2015, THSRC has been promoting the "THSRC ART Together Program" to provide a platform for domestic arts and cultural groups to perform and to increase opportunities for people to participate in and learn about the domestic arts and cultural industry. As of the end of 2023, the project has facilitated 658 performances with a total of 19,000 participants at various THSRC operating bases. This initiative provides passengers with the opportunity to experience arts and cultural performances up close and promotes the beauty of Taiwan's arts and culture to the public.
THSRC is committed to preserving railway culture and has been at the forefront of collecting railway cultural relics since the construction period. In 2003, the Company launched the "THSR Memorabilia Collection Project" and showcased the collection of cultural relics at the "Taiwan High Speed Rail Museum," which serves as a historical testament to Taiwan's high-speed rail from its inception. The museum was opened at the THSR Operation Management Center on January 5, 2017. To date, it has received over 223,007 visits and has become a vital platform for promoting high-speed railway culture and public services.
THSR core system contractor introduced the world's first commercial high-speed rail system - 0 series Shinkansen trains from Japan, and transformed it into a "Structure Gauging Car". The Structure Gauging Car arrived in Taiwan in August 2004 to carry out the measurement of the building limits of the entire high-speed rail line. Upon the completion of the task, it is stored in Liujia Maintenance Depots, and later it has been transferred to THSRC as collection. In 2018, Literary and Historical Research and Remediation Project was launched, it was relocated and officially displayed to the public at the Tainan Station Square after restoration on December 22, 2023. The renovated 0 series was nicknamed " Oiran Train " because of the detection probe surrounding the body, and the contractor engineer complimented it as the hairpin of the Oiran of the highest grade geisha in the Edo period of Japan, and nicknamed it " Oiran Train ", which also became the origin of the name of the " Oiran Train Scenic Park".
In order to expand the audiences of the Taiwan High Speed Rail Museum, the "Digital & Virtual Navigation for Taiwan High Speed Rail Museum" was launched at the same time as the opening of the "Oiran Train Scenic Park", providing a VR guided theme area, which can experience the fun of immersive and free exploration of high-speed rail stories and railway knowledge without geographical restrictions, and has accumulated 71,000 views since its launched.
Promotion of Social Care
THSRC has always been committed to supporting disadvantaged groups and has actively collaborated with non-profit organizations. Since 2010, we have partnered with several foundations to implement the “High-Speed Education Endowment Program”, which serves as a fundraising platform. All funds raised are then handed over to the annual collaboration unit for coordinated use. To date, THSRC has organized 14 consecutive sessions of activities, with a cumulative donation of over NT$166 million. This has successfully aided more than 30,000 children in need. In 2023, THSRC and the Children Are Us Foundation raised over NT$6.85 million to support children with intellectual disabilities in becoming self-sufficient and achieving a better future through study programs.
Since 2012, THSRC has organized a “Annual THSRC Winter Outreach Blood Drive” at the headquarters office and stations at the end of each year. The event has garnered active participation from numerous enthusiastic employees, caring travelers, and the public, adding warmth to society. In 2023, a total of 2,328 people responded to the event, donating 3,503 units of blood. Cumulatively, the event has raised more than ten thousand units of blood, creating a warm atmosphere during the cold winter months when blood inventory levels were insufficient.
Since 2009, THSRC has implemented the “THSRC Smiling Train Program”, collaborating with non-profit and social welfare organizations worldwide to offer free or discounted HSR train travel to disadvantaged individuals. This initiative has enabled them to experience the convenience and efficiency of HSR service while also providing opportunities to explore the unique customs and beauty of various counties and cities in Taiwan. As of 2023, the “THSRC Smiling Train Program” has aided 863 disadvantaged groups, with a total of 148,504 passengers benefiting from the program.
Since 2008, THSRC has been organizing winter and summer “HSR Camp” activities for students. The camp activities are categorized into four groups based on school age: college, high school vocational, junior high school, and national. Each group conducts one tier during the winter holidays and two tiers during the summer holidays, totaling 12 tiers annually. In 2023, 299 students participated in the events, which were well-received.
Promotion of ecological restoration
To safeguard the habitat and survival of the Pheasant-Tailed Jacana, THSRC has collaborated with government and non-governmental organizations to establish the “Pheasant-Tailed Jacana Ecological Education Park”. We not only actively collaborate with experts and scholars, but also seek the participation of volunteers. Over the past 22 years, THSRC has invested over NT$69.89 million in Pheasant-Tailed Jacana preservation. According to statistics from the Wild Bird Society of Tainan, the number of Pheasant-Tailed Jacana groups in the park's habitat has significantly increased from 9 (including females, males, and fledglings) in a single year in 2000 to 87 in a single year in 2023. The expansion of the Pheasant-Tailed Jacana population's habitat area has resulted in a rise in the number of Pheasant-Tailed Jacanas in the Greater Tainan region from 275 in 2009 to 2,882 in 2023, demonstrating the effectiveness of our promotion of Pheasant-Tailed Jacana preservation.
THSRC has not only constructed a “Pheasant-Tailed Jacana Preservation Park” but has also actively promoted ecological education, assisted in the creation of park instruction facilities, and designed display and interactive areas to showcase the effects of restoration efforts. Since its establishment, the “Pheasant-Tailed Jacana Ecological Education Park” has received nearly 285,000 visitors up until 2023. This park not only offers the public an opportunity to learn about the ecology of Pheasant-Tailed Jacanas but has also gained recognition from international ecological conservation organizations, making it a rare and successful example of “coexistence between development and conservation”.
In response to the 2050 net-zero goal, THSRC has collaborated with the Council of Agriculture's Forest Bureau to carry out the "Co-planting Beauty – Low-Carbon Sustainable Activity" since 2022, exerting social influence and demonstrating the power of one plus one is greater than two. On April 21, 2023, the eve of Earth Day, THSRC announced its collaboration with the Hsinchu Forest District Office, Tungshih Forest District Office, and Pingtung Forest District Office of the Forestry Bureau to promote station seedling gifting activities. The aim is to actively enhance people's awareness of green consumption and take advantage of green transportation. A total of 3,600 seedlings of Taiwan's native species, such as Vaccinium wrightii Gray, Taiwan camellia, and Chinese holly, were distributed simultaneously at THSR Taoyuan station, Taichung station, and Zuoying station. To reduce the possible waste of traditional plastic pots, seedlings made of environmentally friendly decomposable pulp were used.
THSRC collaborated with the Forestry Bureau, Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan to implement a three-year plan aimed at reforesting 1.35 hectares of state-owned forest land in the Xiluo township, Puxin section of Yunlin county, and 5 hectares in Hengchun township, Pingtung county. In early May 2022, the chairman of the board of directors, accompanied by the president and 150 staff members, planted 3,807 saplings of Taiwan's native wind and sand-fixing species, including Taiwanese rain tree, priyangu, neem, Heliotropium arboreum, beach naupaka, and Hibiscus tiliaceus, at the reforestation site in Yunlin. This initiative was undertaken to demonstrate our unwavering commitment to environmental protection.
Since 2016, THSRC has been promoting "Trash Collection" public welfare beach activities, which have received more than 3,774 enthusiastic responses and resulted in the removal of 18,083 kg of marine garbage. Starting in mid-April 2023, THSRC has organized "2023 Environmental Sustainability Action" including public welfare tree planting and beach cleanup activities from Yan Chao Main Workshop, Tainan Guantian Jacana Ecological Education Park, Yangang Village, Taixi Township, Yunlin County, Fanyagou Estuary, Xianxi Township, Changhua County, to Luzhutan Fishing Harbor in Taoyuan City., Gathering all enthusiasm into ESG, THSRC achieved environmental protection concept and low-carbon life's visions. In 2024, a new two tiers "One-Day Farmer" campaign will be added to promote environmentally friendly consumption and enable human live in a sustainable manner.