Taiwan’s Railway Bento Festival has finally reappeared in the Taipei Main Station lobby. The event is organized by the Taiwan Railway Administration and will run from Friday to Monday.
The festival aims to display the history and culture of rail travel. A big part of that culture are bento or lunch boxes. The event is back on schedule after being suspended during the COVID-19 epidemic.
Minister of Transportation Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) presided over the opening ceremony. He says this year's Railway Bento Festival is the grandest in history, as it was organized with cooperation from Taiwan’s high-speed rail and Japanese railway operators. The expanded exhibition includes a total of 39 different lunch boxes with foods offered by platform bento restaurants, department stores, and others. Bento from a number of other countries are also featured, celebrating railway culture all over the world.
The well-loved Taiwan Railway Bento has been on sale since 1949, prepared by six canteens and sold at 31 Taiwan Railway Bento stores. This year, 19 different lunch boxes will be launched, and the traditional eight-sided bento will be retiring due to rebranding and redesign. The festival brings focus to Taiwanese travel history and innovation, highlighting regional preferences and local specialties.