Taoyuan Canal---A Century of Nourishment

Xue Mountain Range
is world
renowned for its misty forests
The vast, lush
and pristine woodlands nurture
abundant water sources
and the trickling streams converge
to form the largest watershed in northern Taiwan
the Dahan River
Water is the origin of Taiwan's culture
For centuries
Taiwan's early settlers settled along water
utilizingthe natural environment to clear land for farming
This has shaped the current
landscape of settlements in Taiwan
where one can still see agricultural features
that have existed
for hundreds of years
On the rugged northern coast
vast water terraces
have been developed into grand settlements
while on the flat Taoyuan Terrace
thousands of large ponds have been created
These man made ponds glisten
resembling pearls scattered across the Taoyuan Terrace
As a result,
the TaoyuanTerrace is also known as the
" Hometown of a Thousand Ponds
Thanks to abundant irrigation resources,
the Taoyuan
Terrace is the most important grain producing area in northern Taiwan.
The ample food supply has
supported the development of metropolitan ar eas housing millions of people,
and has contributed to Taiwan's emergence as the "Island of Technology."
A century
old irrigation canal is the unsung hero behind the bustling city.
It’s hard to imagine that this canal, built over a hundred years ago,
is the origin of the Taoyuan
Terrace s Hometown of a Thousand Ponds "
and was also key to the development
of Taipei.
The Taoyuan Canal: a historical mystery.