The Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSR) inaugurated its first Islamic prayer room for travelers yesterday, following in the footsteps of the nation’s largest airport and railway station.
The prayer room was established at the Taichung bullet train station, which has the largest floor area of all the bullet train stations, the company said.
Before establishing the prayer room, the company said it consulted with Islamic associations and the Taichung Mosque to get the details correct, such as the direction of Mecca.
The wooden floor room is equipped with copies of the Koran and prayer rugs. A nearby bathroom also includes washing facilities, chairs and dryers for Muslim passengers, the company said.
The move came after prayer rooms were set up at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport several years earlier. Taipei Railway Station also established a prayer room in January this year.
Taiwan’s Muslim population is between 50,000 to 60,000 people. Taiwan is also home to more than 220,000 Indonesian foreign workers which is a predominantly Muslim country.
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