In the northwest corner of Shiping's ancient town, the railway station stands as a monument to defiance. In May 1915, Yunnan gentry initiated China's first privately owned railway to protect local resources from French colonial control. They chose a unique 600-millimeter inch-gauge track. By October 10, 1936, the line reached Shiping. The station building, constructed starting in 1931, is a symmetrical, concave-shaped stone-and-timber structure. Its yellow stucco walls, red-tiled roofs, and green wooden shutters reflect an Indochinese aesthetic. Underfoot, cool natural flagstones pave the floors, while high palm trees rustle along the platforms. In 1970, workers widened the tracks to a 1000-millimeter meter-gauge system. Regular services ceased by 2015. The station's historic warehouses reopened as a museum on May 1, 2021.

Inside the restored warehouses, history is tangible. Visitors stand beside a replica of the American-made Baldwin SN-class steam locomotive, the first to run here. Nearby, the physical remnants of labor remain. In August 2026, artist He Libin brought the railway's 111-year history into the space. He gathered 111 original wooden sleepers, their rough, weathered grain standing upright. Using a calligraphy brush dipped in chalky white lime water, he wrote the years from 1915 to 2026 across the wood. During his performance, he carried 80 kilograms of heavy ballast stones, each inscribed with one of Shiping's 99 community names, distributing them to the crowd before lying down on the tracks.

Today, the station operates heritage trains to destinations like Longjing and Tuanshan. The yellow walls and green windows preserve the memory of those who built this independent line, inviting visitors to touch the stones and feel the weight of a century.