Hengde Park Introduction
In the early days, Dadu Mountain lacked a water source, and residents had to use ox carts or carry water on their shoulders down the mountain to fetch water, or rely on ponds to collect rainwater, making life extremely inconvenient. In 1960, Dr. James Hunter, an American professor teaching in the Department of Sociology at Tunghai University, was concerned about the residents' difficulties in accessing drinking water. He initiated the establishment of the "Dadu Mountain Summit Community Improvement Committee," pledging to assist residents in installing tap water systems. At that time, the estimated total cost was around NT$2.4 million. In addition to seeking funding support from the Agricultural Rehabilitation Association, the Taiwan Provincial Government, and Taichung County Government, Professor Hunter contributed his life savings of NT$600,000 to help the residents of Dadu Mountain Summit set up simple tap water facilities. The water supply project was completed in April 1963. At that time, only Taichung City and Fengyuan had tap water supply in the Taichung area, while the nearby Tunghai Villa area did not have tap water supply until 1983.
