The other day, a friend of mine reposted an article via LINE stating that the incumbent mayor of Taipei City, Jiang Wanan, invited one of the former mayors, Mr. Huang Dazhou, to deliver a speech.

Huang, the last appointed mayor of Taipei City, not by election, is the planner and architect of modern Taipei. During his tenure, he mapped out or accomplished several big projects so as to give Taipei a new face. For example, removing the dilapidated Zhunghua Shopping Mall: a blot on the landscape; starting to build Daan Park, now the lung of Taipei City; initiating the project of Taipei subway systems; and so on. But now I want to talk about his other great task: the straightening of the Keelung River.

Now I live in the Dazhi area, not far from Meiti Park, a recreation place inside the dikes on the left bank of the Keelung River. I often get there before the sun sets and walk along the pedestrian lane for two or three miles. By the pedestrian lane is a long bike lane, which stretches from Neihu to Danshui. In the park, there are many courts for sports, such as basketball, volleyball, baseball, tennis, skating, croquat, and even a dog playground. Well, the other by-product pertaining to the project of straightening the Keelung River is to create a wealthy district: Mingshui Road and its vicinity. Rich guys, you should say thanks to Mayor Huang.

PS: There is an inscription on the ground in the central part of Meiti Park. I hereby quote it (English version only) below for your information.

QTE The lower reaches of the Keelung River enter the flat Taipei basin, with over meandering flows. Due to the twists and turns of the river to block the flow of water, floods occurred frequently, causing great pain to the residents of Taipei City., so the government implemented two projects of channel straightening to reduce flooding.

The second channel straightening project was implemented in 1994. The goal of this project was straightening the highly curving channel. This project also built the construction of dikes, pumping stations, water gates, river dredging, and bank protection. After project completed, Keelung River has finally reached 200-year flood control criteria.

This project also creates hundreds of hectare of riverbank, which later becomes new industry sites, commercial sites and riverside recreation areas in Dazhi and Neihu. Meiti Riverside is one of them. Inside Meiti Riverside Park, the Nature bay is imitating the image of the curved channel of the Keelung River. UNQTE