Zhonghe Ruysui Water Reservoir Introduction
The Zhonghe area was originally inhabited by indigenous people until the sixth year of the Qianlong era (1741), when Han people from Fujian and Canton came to Taiwan to cultivate the land, and the first records of Han villages appeared. After Japan took control of Taiwan in the 28th year of the Meiji era (1895), in order to improve water quality and meet the coal washing needs of the "Shanben Coal Mine" in the Haishan area, construction of the Banqiao Waterway began in the third year of the Showa era (1928) and was put into operation the following year. The Ruìsuì Water Supply Reservoir, established in the fourth year of the Showa era (1929), serves as a boundary point for water delivery and distribution, built in the Ruìsuì Plateau. Following the construction of Banqiao Station, this led to rapid development in the area, resulting in a large influx of population. Therefore, the Japanese authorities planned to expand the Banqiao Waterway in the sixteenth year of the Showa era (1941), but this plan was halted due to the outbreak of the Pacific War. After the restoration of Taiwan, the waterway system suffered damage from the war, leading to a sharp decrease in water supply. The government planned repairs and expansions, during which the original waterway system established during the Japanese rule gradually ceased to exist. In the 52nd year of the Republic (1963), water was drawn from the Xindian River, gradually replacing groundwater sources. By the 63rd year of the Republic (1974), surface water from the Dahan River was adopted as the water source, completing the water supply system in the Banqiao area, with groundwater sources completely withdrawn from the supply lineup. The only well-preserved remnant of the waterway from the Japanese colonial period is the Ruìsuì Water Supply Reservoir. Throughout the Japanese era, the reservoir served its water supply function, with the source provided from the current Yonghe Water Source Road outlet, connecting the development of the two regions and serving as an important relic in the modernization of waterway development.
