The severely damaged Glutinous Rice Bridge in Nantou's Kuohsin Township (國姓鄉) got a new lease on life yesterday when Premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) visited the site and urged local officials to preserve the famous structure.
"This bridge is our historical relic and it is a miracle that it still exists today after so many natural disasters," the premier said. "We must try our best to recover it, renovate it and restore it."
The Glutinous Rice Bridge was completed in 1940. It takes its name from the fact that glutinous rice, lime and sugar were used as construction materials instead of metals. The bridge has survived through all kinds of natural disasters, including three floods and the devastating 921 Earthquake, but it has been unusable since flooding after last summer's Tropical Storm Mindulle washed parts of it away.
Hsieh initially asked local officials to try to preserve the remains of the bridge as they are now instead of repairing it, but Kuohsin Township Warden Lee Tseng-chuan (李增全) disagreed with that plan.
If repairs are not made, "The bridge will be naturally and gradually washed away and will probably be gone forever if flooded again," Lee said.
According to Nantou County's Bureau of Cultural Affairs, a blueprint for the renovation of the bridge will be completed by the end of next month and construction will begin in December at the earliest.
Nantou officials said that the bridge is easily flooded because its design did not include enough sluiceways to carry away water. Therefore the first thing technicians and architects will do is dig more sluiceways near the bridge, as repairs are conducted simultaneously.
The project will cost an estimated NT$25 million (US$789,000). Hsieh could not promise to provide that budget yesterday, but said he would support the proposal when it is submitted to the Cabinet for approval.
"In addition to its initial purpose of transportation, the bridge is also a scenic attraction in Nantou and attracts many Japanese tourists every year," the premier said. "This bridge is a miracle in the history of Taiwan's architecture -- as evidenced by the fact that it's still standing after being hit by so many natural disasters."
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
STAY COOL: The HPA recommended that people stay hydrated, use air-conditioning or fans while indoors, wear loose-fitting clothes and walk in the shade while outdoors Employers must implement measures such as installing cooling equipment, and providing drinking water and rest breaks for outdoor workers starting from Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Labor said on Sunday. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), the department said. Businesses in Taipei employing fewer than 100 workers, as well as registered self-employed workers with labor insurance coverage, could receive on-site assessments and guidance from occupational safety consultants to help them apply for central government subsidies to implement or improve heat-protection measures, it said. Under the Ministry of
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday briefed her party’s Central Standing Committee regarding her scheduled visit to the US between Monday next week and June 16, saying that her purpose would be to persuade the US that the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution was a “one China” constitution that would foster stable and peaceful cross-strait relations. The ROC Constitution is the most important defense for all Taiwanese citizens, as it upholds our democracy and has contributed to our robust economy, which aligns with international and US interests, she said. “We would not be troublemakers and drag the US under,”
RSS