Tainan Mountain Top Garden Waterway Museum Introduction
Passing by County Road 178, one might easily miss the century-old monument - the Original Tainan Waterway, an important historical site that witnesses the development of water management in the Greater Tainan area. After its retirement, the Tainan Waterway has transformed into a water museum rich in historical ambiance. The Baroque-style plant is well-preserved, with a complete set of old machinery that are rare antiques, evoking a sense of nostalgia. The so-called waterway comprises five facilities of the water supply pipeline, including water extraction facilities, sedimentation basins, filtration chambers, pump rooms, and purification tanks. The historical value of this monument includes its various architectural elements such as Western-style reinforced concrete, red brick buildings, and stone flat-roofed structures. Additionally, it houses well-preserved machinery, including 14 British fast filters and components, a yard-hoisting crane, and a vertical electric motor unit, all representing invaluable cultural heritage in Taiwan's water supply industry. To visit the purification tank, one must climb the 189 steps of the purification tank walkway, leading to a gray building constructed of natural stone and stone-like materials, solid as a fortress. On each side of the purification tank, there is a water quality testing laboratory, topped with soil and vegetation, featuring 59 cast-iron vent pipes. At the back of the purification tank, the entrance to the purification well displays a circular emblem on the gable, featuring the characters "南水" (meaning "Tainan Water"), which is the logo of the Tainan Waterway, recounting its glorious past to visitors. **About the Father of Taiwan's Waterways - Yasuchiro Hanyano** Yasuchiro Hanyano (1863–1932), hailed as the father of Taiwan's waterway, was born in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, and graduated from the Imperial University of Tokyo's Industrial Engineering Department. In 1896, he came to Taiwan as an assistant to the British William Barton and served as an engineer in the Civil Engineering Department of the Governor-General's Office of Taiwan. During his 23 years in Taiwan, he participated in and completed significant waterway projects in Keelung, Taipei, Taichung, and Tainan, making substantial contributions to Taiwan's water supply efforts.
