A bridge too far for Ma Ying-jeou

For some it is a cultural treasure that should be preserved. For others it is a symbol of Japanese occupation and a cause of traffic jams and flooding along the Keelung River.

For Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) it was a bridge too far. The Taipei mayor last week said the Chungshan Bridge would be relocated -- putting to rest years of controversy over its fate.

Ma said the 72-year-old bridge needed to be moved because of "hydraulic reasons." Scientists say the bridge contributes to flooding along the Keelung River during heavy storms.

But while Ma vowed to preserve the bridge at a different location -- saying the cultural treasure was worth keeping -- historians are unhappy with the decision, arguing that the announcement was politically motivated.

"Some people who have insisted that the Chungshan Bridge be demolished have long harbored a strong anti-aggressor sentiment," said Hsu Yu-chin (徐裕建), associate professor in architecture at Huafan University, referring to Japan's occupation of Taiwan between 1895 and 1945.

The 100m long, 17m wide bridge was constructed in 1930 in Taipei's Chungshan district and was originally called the Meiji Bridge (明治橋) to commemorate the Japanese emperor by the same name.

Over the years, residents have long complained about the bridge -- saying it caused flooding along the Keelung River and transportation problems -- but Hsu says anti-Japanese sentiment also played a role in opposition to the bridge.

"Because of these people's attitude toward the aggressor role that Japan played during World War II, they turned their hostility to structures such as the Chungshan Bridge that were left behind by the Japanese," Hsu said.

"The Chungshan Bride has become like a scapegoat" for problems such as traffic jams and flooding, the scholar said.

The fate of the bridge was a hot issue in the 1998 race for Taipei mayor. While Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), then Taipei's mayor, promised to preserve the Chungshan Bridge for its cultural value, Ma took the opposite stance.

"I feel that there is something of a political motive behind the decision to move the Chungshan Bridge, so that Ma can claim that he has fulfilled his election promise," Hsu said.

Still, the compromise allows Ma to do something about flooding while also taking steps to preserve a culturally important structure.

"The Chungshan Bridge was once considered the most beautiful bridge in Taiwan," said Lin Wan-chuan (林萬傳), researcher at the Committee for Historical Records for Taipei's Cultural Affairs Bureau.

The Chungshan Bridge was originally built to serve as a "pilgrimage bridge" connecting Taipei and Chietanshan (劍潭山), where the Japanese kept their designated Shinto Temple.

According to Lin, the bridge was constructed with a mixture of steel and concrete, "a technique that was considered advanced during that period."

Parts of the bridge were made of granite, which had to be imported from Japan. Pairs of lanterns made from bronze also once decorated the sides.

"The Chungshan Bridge was then considered a landmark and held passers-by in awe of its beauty," Lin said.

But when the Japanese left in 1945, the bridge lost its importance as a "pilgrimage bridge."

In the 1960s, under a city modernization plan promoted by the KMT government, highways, fly-overs and the Chungshan Second Bridge sprung up, surrounding the Japanese-designed bridge.