Yuanshan Aircraft Bunker
The Yuanshan Aircraft Bunker, also known as the Kamikaze Bunker, is located in Yuanshan Township, Yilan County. It is a military relic from the Japanese colonial period. During that time, Japan built several airfields and underground shelters across the Yilan area to strengthen the defense system of northeastern Taiwan, and the Yuanshan Aircraft Bunker was one of them. In the later stages of World War II, this site served as one of the preparation bases for Kamikaze pilots — a somber reminder of the tragic and reflective chapters of wartime history.
The Japanese military took advantage of the flat terrain of the Yilan Plain to construct the bunker. To prevent Allied bombing, they even created bamboo-made fake airplanes to mislead enemy attacks. The bunker was solidly built and well-concealed, allowing for aircraft parking, maintenance, and serving as an air-raid shelter for soldiers. After the war, as the military withdrew, these facilities were gradually abandoned and at one point repurposed by local residents as housing. It was only after the local community and government recognized its historical value that restoration and revitalization efforts began, bringing the Yuanshan Aircraft Bunker back into public view.
Today, the Yuanshan Aircraft Bunker is open to the public as a “War Landscape Museum.” The exterior design incorporates imagery of airplane wings and flight trajectories, with semi-arched steel structures evoking the silhouette of an ascending aircraft. Some damaged or broken elements are intentionally preserved to symbolize the irreversible fate of the Kamikaze pilots. Within the park, visitors can see air bridges, steel arches, and bamboo airplane installations. These designs balance a sense of solemnity and contemplation, transforming history from mere text into tangible, experiential memory.
Inside the tunnel exhibition area, visitors can view photographs and artifacts related to the Kamikaze pilots and the Yuanshan military base. Illustrated panels and comics on the walls help make the serious history easier to understand. As the lighting gradually dims along the path, visitors feel as though they are walking into that long-buried era. Besides the permanent exhibits, the site regularly hosts guided tours and special exhibitions, which require advance reservations.
Currently, the Yuanshan Aircraft Bunker is jointly maintained by the Yilan County Cultural Affairs Bureau and local organizations. The address is No. 398, Jinshan East Road, Yuanshan Township, Yilan County. Opening hours are from Wednesday to Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is free, though guided tours must be booked by phone at least three days in advance. Although modest in scale, the Yuanshan Aircraft Bunker remains one of the few well-preserved wartime structures in Yilan, standing as both a witness to history and a model of cultural preservation and adaptive reuse.
