Tainan Mounds Garden Waterway Museum Introduction
Located next to County Road 178, the historic site of the former Tainan Waterway is easily missed if you're not paying attention. This century-old monument stands as an important testimony to the development of water resources in the Greater Tainan area. After retiring from its original purpose, the Tainan Waterway has transformed into a waterworks museum filled with historical atmosphere. The Baroque-style factory is well-preserved, with intact machinery that offers a glimpse into the past, evoking a sense of nostalgia. The term "waterway" refers to the five facilities of the water supply system, which include water intake facilities, sedimentation basins, aeration chambers, pump rooms, and sedimentation tanks. The historical value of this monument includes a variety of architectural forms such as Western-style reinforced concrete, red-brick buildings, and stone-roofed structures. Additionally, it houses well-preserved machinery, including 14 British rapid filters and components, a courtyard crane, vertical electric motor units, and more, all of which are considered precious cultural heritage in Taiwan's water supply industry. To visit the sedimentation tank, visitors must ascend 189 steps along the sedimentation tank trail. The building, constructed from a combination of natural stone and faux stone, has a solid appearance akin to a fortress. On each side of the sedimentation tank, there are water quality testing labs, topped with earth and vegetation, featuring 59 cast iron vent columns. On the mountain wall above the water supply well at the back of the sedimentation tank, there is a circular sign with the words "南水" ("Southern Water") cut out of cement, which serves as the emblem of the "Tainan Waterway," narrating the splendid history of the site to visiting audiences. About the "Father of Taiwan's Waterway" - Kawai Yasushiro, known as the father of Taiwan's waterway, was born in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, in 1863, and graduated from the Department of Industrial Engineering at the Imperial University of Tokyo. In 1896, Kawai Yasushiro came to Taiwan as an assistant to the British engineer William Barton, serving as an engineer in the Civil Engineering Department of the Taiwan Governor-General’s Office. Throughout his 23 years in Taiwan, he participated in and completed significant waterway projects in Keelung, Taipei, Taichung, Tainan, and more, greatly contributing to Taiwan’s water supply systems.
