Shifen Station is the largest train stop in Pingxi. Trains going both ways stop here and here one can see conductors exchanging credentials-a throwback to a more bureaucratic age dur ing Japanese occupation that's worth a contemplative glance. There are two picturesque sites at shifen: where the train crosses the street and where it runs parallel to the street. Villagers here are accustomed to waiting for the train to pass and then carrying on once it's gone.