Taiwan Today

There are some 326 varieties of water plants in Taiwan, and 200 of them were discovered by Wu Sheng-yu. Wu has rebuilt three ponds in Lungtan Township to create a habitat for aquatic plants, and he is now raising the plants in an area of over 2,000 ping (approximately 6,600 square meters). This area is open to visitors from schools, organizations or communities free of charge. He hopes the idea of ecological preservation can be deeply rooted in people's minds, so that Taiwanese people will treasure the island's natural environment. Wu, 56, grew up in poverty in Pingzhen City, Taoyuan County. He and his friends always played in the mountain streams, where they caught fighting fish and brought them home to raise. Whenever they were bored, they would stage a fight between their fish. In 1993, Wu became aware of the increasing pollution and environmental degradation caused by industrial waste. Farmland was lying fallow, and agricultural waterways were being blocked up. The introduction of invasive foreign species such as the golden apple snail and red swamp crayfish from the United States have threatened the existence of indigenous water plants. "If they are not protected, our children and grandchildren will never see water plants," says Wu. He decided to throw himself into the preservation and propagation of the aquatic plants of Taiwan. A few years ago, Wu visited ponds, creeks, and even irrigation sources all over Taiwan, spending NT$50,000 just on gasoline for his travels. At times his efforts seemed to be in vain. "It is very difficult to collect 200 different types of aquatic plants. Usually, you're going somewhere for nothing, but it's worthwhile in the end. If I had waited until now to begin, I think I wouldn't have been able to collect so many species." Wu discovered that aquatic plants have very high economic value, and of the 326 types in Taiwan, about a third can be used as food. Rice grown in paddy fields is the most obvious of these, but others include Chinese water chestnuts, watershields, floating hearts, heartshape false pickerelweeds, and chickenspikes. Watershields in particular are used to make junsai paste, a must-have ingredient for Japanese cooking, so there is great potential in developing the cultivation of these plants. When water plants grow too luxuriantly and block off sunlight, the growth rates of green algae will multiply quickly and result in mosquitoes breeding in large quantities. Wu says that the only way to ensure a healthy environment is to properly clean out aquatic plants. Wu is particularly knowledgeable about Taiwan's yellow water lily, which is unique to the island. In fact, Wu's collection of water plants is so extensive, it has been called "Ph.D.-level" and has great scholarly value. Wu is happy to share what he has learned about these plants. "Water plants require clean water to live, so keeping water resources clean is important. Preserving our environment is showing our love for the land," he says.