LAC COLUMN
From Tianmu to Southern Sulfur Creek: A Journey of Coexistence Between Urban Development and Rivers - Dr. Li-Hung, Chang
This semester, the Liberal Arts offered a special course for students titled "The Course in the City: Exploring Shilin and Tianmu." "Tianmu" is a subdistrict of Shilin. Heading east from Rongyang Tunnel and crossing the Huangxi River brings you to the Tianmu area, which is essentially just a river away from the school.
Tianmu was originally called "Sanjiapu" and was historically a settlement of the Pingpu indigenous people. As a result, many place names in the area still retain traces of its past, such as "Fanpoling", "Fanpocuo", and "Fanjing Spring". There are different theories about the origin of the name "Tianmu." One popular anecdote suggests that when American soldiers passed through the area, they asked locals, "What is this place?" The locals, unable to understand English, replied in Taiwanese Hokkien, "Tīng-bô" (meaning "I can't understand"), which was then phonetically transcribed as "Tianmu." A more credible explanation is that during the Japanese colonial period, the Japanese established a "Tianmu Shrine" here, dedicated to the goddess Tianmu. Over time, people began referring to the area as "Tianmu" after the shrine.
Since the 1950s, many diplomats and U.S. military personnel stationed in Taiwan moved into Tianmu. For example, the "Tianmu White Houses" near Tianmu Park on Zhongshan North Road were originally residences for U.S. military personnel. The influx of foreign residents boosted commercial activity in Tianmu, leading to the emergence of specialty stores selling imported goods. Even today, Tianmu remains home to the Taipei American School and the Japanese School, giving the area a distinctive international atmosphere.
Under the guidance of Teacher Shao-Yang, Hong, in addition to exploring the development and cultural background of the Tianmu community, we also invited Teacher Yu-Jen, Tseng, and Teacher Chih-Nung, Chen, to lead us on a field study of the Southern Sulfur Creek. Southern Sulfur Creek originates from Yangmingshan and was named for the sulfuric scent of its waters, as its upper reaches contain sulfur deposits. It is also an important water source for the Baxian Canal irrigation system near the Yangming Campus. The two teachers provided insights into hydrology, sharing knowledge on the local flora and fauna, the worship of the water deity Shuixian, and river management issues. A key focus was examining how weed removal and sediment dredging techniques impact the overall river ecosystem.
The low-lying terrain makes Taipei prone to water accumulation and drainage difficulties. As a result, the construction of levees has become an unavoidable challenge in the city's development. For example, in the Dadaocheng course, Teacher Ya-Ling and Teacher Li-Hang guided us in exploring how Dadaocheng, once closely connected to the Tamsui River, featured a network of intersecting waterways. Behind the shophouses, there were many small piers and canals, allowing merchant boats to dock and load or unload goods conveniently. However, as the waterways gradually silted up, these once-bustling piers and canals eventually disappeared from residents' daily lives.
In the Tianmu area, Southern Sulfur Creek once provided early settlers with irrigation and daily water needs. However, with population growth and urbanization, layers of concrete levees have separated residents from the river. During our field study, we even encountered locals who were unaware of the creek’s location. At the start of the exploration, students observed the vibrant upstream section, where the creek flowed naturally through the landscape. On the ecological map drawn by students, one could see White-breasted Waterhens and Scaly-breasted Munias inhabiting the creek, along with Taiwanese pond turtles and Chinese softshell turtles moving slowly along the riverbanks. However, as the creek continued downstream, the sight became alarming—a stark "three-sided concrete channel", a method where the front, sides, and bottom of the riverbank are all covered with concrete.
This dramatic transformation in the creek’s hydrology left a profound impression on the students. One student reflected: "What saddened me the most was the downstream scenery. The artificial river channel brought a sense of coldness and the disappearance of life, forming a stark contrast with the natural beauty of the upstream. This field study left me with mixed emotions and inspired me to reflect on environmental conservation. Nature should be a valued partner with which humans coexist, not a sacrifice for development."
This reflection reminded me of the story of Genbei River in Japan, which our teachers mentioned. Once heavily polluted, the river was restored through local community efforts, bringing back its three treasures—fireflies, water crowfoot, and children playing in the water. The river once again became a place for recreation and community gatherings. Such examples of environmental education have sparked students' imagination about the future of their own communities. Through this course, we hope they can develop a renewed awareness of the rivers that flow through our cities and work together toward the possibility of a harmonious coexistence between urban life and waterways.
Tianmu was originally called "Sanjiapu" and was historically a settlement of the Pingpu indigenous people. As a result, many place names in the area still retain traces of its past, such as "Fanpoling", "Fanpocuo", and "Fanjing Spring". There are different theories about the origin of the name "Tianmu." One popular anecdote suggests that when American soldiers passed through the area, they asked locals, "What is this place?" The locals, unable to understand English, replied in Taiwanese Hokkien, "Tīng-bô" (meaning "I can't understand"), which was then phonetically transcribed as "Tianmu." A more credible explanation is that during the Japanese colonial period, the Japanese established a "Tianmu Shrine" here, dedicated to the goddess Tianmu. Over time, people began referring to the area as "Tianmu" after the shrine.
Since the 1950s, many diplomats and U.S. military personnel stationed in Taiwan moved into Tianmu. For example, the "Tianmu White Houses" near Tianmu Park on Zhongshan North Road were originally residences for U.S. military personnel. The influx of foreign residents boosted commercial activity in Tianmu, leading to the emergence of specialty stores selling imported goods. Even today, Tianmu remains home to the Taipei American School and the Japanese School, giving the area a distinctive international atmosphere.
Under the guidance of Teacher Shao-Yang, Hong, in addition to exploring the development and cultural background of the Tianmu community, we also invited Teacher Yu-Jen, Tseng, and Teacher Chih-Nung, Chen, to lead us on a field study of the Southern Sulfur Creek. Southern Sulfur Creek originates from Yangmingshan and was named for the sulfuric scent of its waters, as its upper reaches contain sulfur deposits. It is also an important water source for the Baxian Canal irrigation system near the Yangming Campus. The two teachers provided insights into hydrology, sharing knowledge on the local flora and fauna, the worship of the water deity Shuixian, and river management issues. A key focus was examining how weed removal and sediment dredging techniques impact the overall river ecosystem.
The low-lying terrain makes Taipei prone to water accumulation and drainage difficulties. As a result, the construction of levees has become an unavoidable challenge in the city's development. For example, in the Dadaocheng course, Teacher Ya-Ling and Teacher Li-Hang guided us in exploring how Dadaocheng, once closely connected to the Tamsui River, featured a network of intersecting waterways. Behind the shophouses, there were many small piers and canals, allowing merchant boats to dock and load or unload goods conveniently. However, as the waterways gradually silted up, these once-bustling piers and canals eventually disappeared from residents' daily lives.
In the Tianmu area, Southern Sulfur Creek once provided early settlers with irrigation and daily water needs. However, with population growth and urbanization, layers of concrete levees have separated residents from the river. During our field study, we even encountered locals who were unaware of the creek’s location. At the start of the exploration, students observed the vibrant upstream section, where the creek flowed naturally through the landscape. On the ecological map drawn by students, one could see White-breasted Waterhens and Scaly-breasted Munias inhabiting the creek, along with Taiwanese pond turtles and Chinese softshell turtles moving slowly along the riverbanks. However, as the creek continued downstream, the sight became alarming—a stark "three-sided concrete channel", a method where the front, sides, and bottom of the riverbank are all covered with concrete.
This dramatic transformation in the creek’s hydrology left a profound impression on the students. One student reflected: "What saddened me the most was the downstream scenery. The artificial river channel brought a sense of coldness and the disappearance of life, forming a stark contrast with the natural beauty of the upstream. This field study left me with mixed emotions and inspired me to reflect on environmental conservation. Nature should be a valued partner with which humans coexist, not a sacrifice for development."
This reflection reminded me of the story of Genbei River in Japan, which our teachers mentioned. Once heavily polluted, the river was restored through local community efforts, bringing back its three treasures—fireflies, water crowfoot, and children playing in the water. The river once again became a place for recreation and community gatherings. Such examples of environmental education have sparked students' imagination about the future of their own communities. Through this course, we hope they can develop a renewed awareness of the rivers that flow through our cities and work together toward the possibility of a harmonious coexistence between urban life and waterways.
