The east extension of the Taipei MRT's Xinyi Line entered service on Aug. 30. Guangci and Fengtiangong stations began operating, pushing the line's eastern end beyond Xiangshan.

The final train departing Xiangshan as a terminus ran at 2 p.m. that day, closing out nearly 12 years of the station serving as the line's end point since the Xinyi Line opened in 2014.

A subway built over a quarry

Geology explains much of the long construction period. The route crosses the site of a former quarry, where ground conditions varied sharply from section to section. Engineers said excavation repeatedly encountered rock and fill that differed from expectations.

Standard tunneling methods cannot simply be applied under such conditions. Reinforcement was varied section by section, extending the schedule.

Changes to the neighborhood

The areas around the two new stations are residential districts that have depended on buses. Near Fengtiangong stands a temple that serves as a center of local worship, drawing steady foot traffic.

Station-area commercial districts take time to form. Shorter journey times register immediately on opening; effects on retail and property values follow in sequence.

For visitors

For travelers from Korea and Chinese-heritage visitors, eastern Taipei becomes easier to reach. The Xinyi Line runs past Taipei 101 and the city hall district, so the eastern residential areas are now accessible from downtown without a transfer.