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There is a road, measuring 177 kilometers in length and climbing 3952 meters above sea level, that connects Taijiang Inland Sea with the tallest mountain in East Asia. This road is a hiking trail, a culture retracing path, and an environmental protection road. This road is the Mountains to Sea National Greenway.
The predecessor of the Mountains to Sea National Greenway is the Taijiangshan to Sea Greenway, built in 2007 by the local Taijiang community to protect the waterways, going from Chianan Irrigation to Wushantou Reservoir. The pedestrian and cycling trails, totaling 45 kilometers, has been extended to Taijiang in the west and Yushan in the east nowadays. This is a national level greenway that totals 177 kilometer in length.
The navigator of Xiaotaijiang River Book Club and CEO of Tainan Community University campus, Wu Mao-Chen, stated that Annan District, Tainan City, formerly known as Taijiang, was a sea of culture for Taiwan. In 1823, Zengwun River flowed into Taijiang from the south, turning the inland sea into tidal flats. The residents on the north bank of Zengwun River moved south to begin tidal flat excavation. They built villages and schools and formed the Taijiang sixteen villages. The area often flooded so the people of Taijiang adapted to the environment. They built fish farms for a living and developed a wetlands economy. When the area became flooded the fish ponds became natural runoff pools.
However, during the process of modernization, the environment of Taijiang was sacrificed. Industrial parks such as Ho-Shun, Zong-Tou-Liao, and Zhonglun were established, bringing new employment opportunities. But because of the inadequate management of waste water, the water ways, canals, and rivers became sewers for the waste water from the industrial parks. The waters of Chianan Irrigation were no longer clear and emitted a putrid smell, with garbage floating on the water, disgusting those who saw the sight.
Because of this, in 2005 the parents, students, and teachers of Municipal Annanquhaidian Elementary School who care about the Taijiang River environment formed the Xiaotaijiang Book Club to launch surveys, river bank cleaning, river monitoring, and other protective actions through exploratory learning, and to learn about the ecology, history, and culture of their area of residence. After the survey, the group and other Taijiang communities proposed two major initiatives for cleaning up the pollution and planting trees. The former required public departments to severely punish illegal waste dumping and construct a waste water processing plant. The latter aims to create a comfortable green tunnel along the banks of Chianan Irrigation, to bring back the water-friendly environment.
Chen Yan-He (student), a volunteer for the Xiaotaijiang Book Club, said that the members of Xiaotaijiang clean up the banks surrounding Municipal Annanquhaidian Elementary School every Wednesday, and they also conduct water quality testing and surveys of different species. Through this process, the students can learn that the Chianan Irrigation was not only a waterworks project taught in history books but a real and living waterway. At the same time, the process teaches them to be more observant and in tune with their environment.
Furthermore, since 2007 Xiaotaijiang Book Club has also partnered with other Taijiang groups to organize the Taijiang Water Day. Chang Chen-Shi, another volunteer for the club, said that on the first Sunday of May everyone rides their bicycles and follows the Chianan Irrigation waterways until Wushantou Reservoir. This event commemorates the engineer who designed Chiana Irrigation and Wushantou Reservoir, Yoichi Hatta, thanking him for his contributions. Moreover, this also raises awareness for water protection.
The two major initiatives proposed by the group saw massive progress after the merger and restructuring of the old Tainan County and City governments. In 2012, the Annan salt water sewer BOT case was awarded to a contractor. The Taijiang Mountain to Sea Greenway project was also initiated, and the trail was completed after two years. Whether on foot or on a bicycle, members of the public can start at Sicao Lake in Taijiang National Park and follow the Chianan Irrigation system. They will pass the National Museum of Taiwan History, Southern Taiwan Science Park Tainan Campus, then through Shanhua and Guantian, until finally reaching Wushantou Reservoir.
Those who are kind will not be alone, as the saying goes. This trail was later merged with the activities of the Taiwan Thousand Miles Trail Association, which resulted in the birth of the Mountain to Sea National Greenway. The Greenway stretches from Wushantou Reservoir and connects to the Dongkou and Xikou waterways, and passes Zengwun Reservoir. The trail then follows the Zengwun River valley, passes through the tribal villages of Chashan, Danaiku, Lijia, Debon, and Tefuyeh, Shishan service station, Lulin Lodge and follows the Yushan forest path to Yushan Trailhead. Finally the trail leads you to the top of Yushan, the tallest mountain in Taiwan.
Wu Mao-Chen pointed out that spatially, this trail crosses three different counties and cities (Tainan City, Chiayi County, and Nantou County), connects two national parks (Taijiang and Yushan), three national scenic areas (Yunchianan, Shilaya, and Alishan), two reservoirs (Wushantou and Zengwun), and four major rivers (Yanshui River, Zengwun River, Gaoping River, and Jhuoshuei River). In terms of the natural environment, the trail crosses five different climate zones and forests. In terms of culture, the trail passes through the three different cultural areas of the Tsou tribe, Shilaya, and Taijiang. The trail has become a national greenway that represents the local lifestyles and culture of Taiwan.
On the Mountain to Sea Greenway, you can walk, cycle, take the bus, or even ride a yacht in the reservoir. You can finish the entire trail in one go or finish it in sections, going home once you are tired. You can go towards Yushan from Taijiang or vice versa. The most important thing is to take the first step on your journey from mountain to sea.
Let us follow the navigator of Xiaotaijiang Book Club and CEO of Tainan Community University Taijiang campus, Wu Mao-Chen, and the three Xiaotaijiang sailors, Chen Yan-He, Chang Chen-Shi, and Wu Wun-Chi, on a journey of the Mountain to Sea National Greenway. Let us witness how they are protecting the environment of their homes through practical actions.