Taiwan Today

Construction of a memorial park commemorating Japanese engineer Yoichi Hatta’s contribution to water conservancy in Taiwan some eight decades ago is set to kick off Feb. 10 in Guantian Township, Tainan County. The Tourism Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications has earmarked NT$80 million (US$2.5 million) to the project to honor the water conservationist who turned southern Taiwan’s infertile land into a “rice barn” by designing and building the Wushantou Reservoir. At the time of its completion in the 1930s, the dam was the largest in Southeast Asia and the third largest in the world. The park is expected to formally open to the public May 8, 2011. Chen Yu-hung, head of the bureau’s Siraya National Scenic Area Administration, said the focus of the project will be restoring Hatta’s former residence and that the site of the memorial park will cover 5.1 hectares. The renovated site encompassing four buildings will give visitors a glimpse into the architectural and courtyard style during the later period of Japanese colonial rule in Taiwan in the 1930s, he added. The Tourism Bureau is coordinating with the Chia-Nan Irrigation Association, which owns two of the buildings, to convert them into a document preservation center and tourist center. Chen said they are expected to begin operations at the same time as the park itself. A bronze statue of Hatta’s wife will be erected in front of his former residence. In a grief-stricken state following Hatta’s sudden and tragic death, she committed suicide by jumping into an irrigation channel constructed by her husband. Chen pointed out that the statue is aimed at commemorating her dedication and deep love for her husband. Guantian Township is also currently home to a memorial hall dedicated to Hatta. However, the site is in a state of disrepair. Although the hall is located just a three-minute drive from an interchange of National Highway No. 3, no public buses run to the site. As a result, there are few visitors, most of whom are Japanese tourists traveling in tour groups. Chen said in addition to contributing funds to the construction of the new memorial park, the Tourism Bureau has also coordinated with the local government and bus operators to set up bus routes to the site from the High-Speed Railway’s Chiayi and Tainan stations. He noted the bus service is aimed to serve visitors when the site finally opens to the public. (SB) (This article originally appeared in "The China Times" Feb. 7, 2010.)