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最新消息 / NEW
2025.12.29
Taiwan’s Artery An Overview of Waterwork Construction and Management in the Tamsui River Basin – Episode 2–Engineering Teaching Video
It has been nearly 300 years since our ancestors settled at and reclaimed the Tamsui River Basin and laid down the foundation of water conservation construction. There have been many different construction projects. From the early irrigation project to the subsequent development including hydroelectric power generation, flood control and prevention, drainage, water storage, water supply and sewage system, and other interrelated engineering systems.
To commemorate the hard work of our ancestors and senior engineers, and as an introductory guide for young students to learn water conservation engineering, the Foundation has specially prepared a series of engineering teaching videos, including “Taiwan’s Artery - An overview of waterworks developed in the Tamsui River Basin”, hoping to present the history of water conservation construction and the inextricable relationship among immigration, society, economy, trade, international politics, engineering technology, and other factors. This is the first time that the Foundation has tried to promote engineering and science knowledge through the use of audio and video combined with internet technology in the more than 30 years since its establishment. The project is entrusted to the National Taiwan University’s Hydrotech Research Institute, an important research center of hydraulic engineering in Taiwan, for writing the proposal and drafting the initial script and Dong Tai Communication’s director Huang I-chieh for scripting, film shooting, interviews, and post-production of the film.
The video series consists of three episodes: Episode 1 covers the 200-year period from the settlement of Han Chinese to the onset of the Japanese colonial era; Episode 2 spans the 50 years from the beginning of Japanese rule to the Restoration of Taiwan; and Episode 3 covers the period from the Restoration to the present day. Episode 1 was released in May 2022. Due to the gradual influx of immigrants and the development of trade specialization across the Taiwan Strait, the focus of water conservation during this period was on water transport, river ports, and irrigation projects. The relevant engineering technologies were introduced by Han Chinese from Southern China. This stage saw the completion of land reclamation in the Tamsui River plains, laying the foundation for subsequent modernization. Taiwan's economic center also gradually shifted to Taipei due to tea cultivation and the opening of Tamsui Port for export to Europe and the United States.
Episode 2 is released at the end of this year (2025). During the 50 years of Japanese rule, Taiwan gained early exposure to a new generation of hydraulic engineering technology. In the Tamsui River Basin, this included hydroelectric power stations along the Xindian River, tap water technology, and the unfinished Tamsui River flood control plan. Simultaneously, the influence of other infrastructure and new water conservation projects on existing ones became evident. Regarding the water conservation works developed in the previous stage: the functions of water transport and river ports were replaced by bridges and railways; the expansion of Taipei City led to a significant decrease in local farmland by the mid-Japanese colonial period, causing related irrigation systems to be converted into sewers. Furthermore, the ownership and management rights of water conservation enterprises, particularly irrigation works, gradually centralized toward the Government Taiwan, Taihoku. These trends have persisted, shaping the outline of future development. Due to the increased narrative content, Episode 2 has been divided into Part I and Part II.
The upcoming Episode 3 will focus on the post-Restoration era. Building upon the foundations established by the Japanese, the government adopted, modified, and expanded previous investigation and planning results. Significant achievements, far exceeding original plans, were made in integrated flood control for the Tamsui River, hydroelectric power and tap water construction along the Xindian River, the construction of the Shimen Reservoir on the Dahan River, and urban storm sewers. Additionally, new water conservation projects were independently initiated by the Taiwanese people, such as the Feitsui Reservoir on the Xindian River and urban sewage systems. Over these 80 years, as water conservation work gradually transformed, hydraulic engineering education also shifted from a flourishing focus on training engineers toward a management-oriented approach.
♦Taiwan’s Artery An Overview of Waterwork Construction and Management in the Tamsui River Basin – Episode 2 part I
♦Taiwan’s Artery An Overview of Waterwork Construction and Management in the Tamsui River Basin – Episode 2 part II