Neigou Creek Ecological Trail Introduction
Neigou Creek is a tributary of the Keelung River, with a length of approximately 5.5 kilometers and a watershed area of about 7 square kilometers. To the west of Neigou Creek is Taipei City, while to the east is New Taipei City, making it a great place for residents in the Donghu area to walk, relax, and socialize. It is also the best location in Donghu for close encounters with nature. Since 2013, an overall landscape renovation has been conducted along the swimming section of Neigou Creek in Donghu, extending almost 1 kilometer of riverside walkway from upstream. With the installation of scenic bridges and waterfront paths, the wandering routes connecting the previously separated banks of Taipei and New Taipei have been unified while also removing accumulated soil to restore the environment of Wufen Pond, creating ecological habitats at different depths. This has established an ecological education space that allows visitors to engage with the mountains, waters, and nature day and night, enhancing residents' willingness to approach and utilize the area, leading to awareness, understanding, and collaborative conservation. It also aims to recreate the beautiful memories that the local elders hold in their minds. The project focuses on four major aspects: 1. To incorporate unique creativity and restore the former natural and cultural living environment of the area, the overall engineering structure and design will primarily adopt a lightweight approach, blending in the desired features of Jiangnan gardens while respecting and integrating the natural environment of Neigou Creek, balancing aesthetic appeal with considerations for water conservancy and flood control. 2. To preserve existing waterfront green corridors and increase opportunities for greening on top of embankments, considering flood control functions, greening will be implemented in areas where space permits, enriching the waterfront's ecology and promoting growth of greenery. 3. To prioritize the preservation and improvement of waterfront habitats, while ensuring bank safety, the design will respect the natural ecological aspects of preservation and improvement. Overall design will follow existing bank slopes and topography, avoiding excessive excavation and disruption of ecology aside from dredging works. 4. To consider energy conservation and carbon reduction, low-level lighting will be primarily used along the waterfront for safety during night walks, while key scenic bridges connecting the two cities will be planned with lighting to create the imagery of stars along the waterfront. (Some data sources: Public Works Department, Taipei City Government)
