Datong Theater

The Datong Theater was a multiplex cinema with six screening halls, allowing visitors to watch two different films with a single ticket. The facility offered more space and variety compared to smaller cinemas in the region at that time.

The cinema opened in 1956, at a time when films had to be transported by airplane from Taipei to Hualien and then by rail to Taitung. This complex logistics shows how isolated the city was and what value a modern cinema held for the community.

During the 1960s and 1970s, this venue served as a popular gathering place where residents came together to enjoy films. It held an important place in the social life of the city before new forms of entertainment emerged.

The site is no longer accessible today, as the building was severely damaged by fire in 2009 and was subsequently demolished. The demolition began in December 2020, so only memories and historical photographs of the original structure remain.

After closure, nature gradually reclaimed the deteriorating building, and papaya trees sprouted between the crumbling walls and auditoriums. This process of vegetation reclaiming the space documented the site's decline until its final demolition.