Lessons From the Edge of Love River

Original text by Kenedi Nurhan, executive summary Darmansjah

An elongated park by the river. Complete with special bicycle paths and roads for pedestrians. A number of special bridge-also for pedestrians and cyclists-stretched, linking the two banks of the river that divides the city in the south Ila Formosa.

This is the heart of Kaohsiung, iconic civic pride in Taiwan's second largest city after Taipei. The river clean, clear water for a city the size of industry and services.

Certainly not clear as mountain water that flows into the lake in the Sun (Sun-Moon Lake) is a mainstay in the area tourist Taichung, Central Taiwan. However, the clarity of the river water still stood out. Especially at night seen from multicolored lights glow that appears in the river when he was reflecting the charm of the night a sparkling city.

This river used to be very dirty and smelly, not unlike sewage, "said Antony aka Tien Liu chong, travel guides who accompanied us around Taiwan, late April to early May.

Romanticism

Beyond the written agenda which is always a reference guide of the trip, the arrival in Kaohsiung, we agreed that night to enjoy the romantic atmosphere on the banks of a river whose name no less romantic: Love River, the river of love!.

Brochures and travel books about Taiwan always include Love River as a must-see destination when to Southern Taiwan. Equivalent to Sun Moon Lake in Central Taiwan. Taroko National Park in the eastern coastal region Hualein in Taiwan, as well as skyscrapers tower Taipie 101, Shilin Night Market, and Ximending in Taipei City, Northern Taiwan.

However, for some reason, the list of our travel plans proffered Taiwan Torusim Board, the name of Love River is not listed. "Maybe because it's not too far from our hotel, so we were asked to take the initiative themselves determine the choice of location to enjoy an evening in Kaohsiung," said a fellow traveler, part of the members of the group numbered 14 people.

Thus, the group finally chose to spend the night suit individual taste. Most decided to go to the shopping center. While I and some other colleagues-including senior marketing manager of PT. GI, as the head-group prefers to walk the approximately 1 kilometer to the banks of the River of Love.

Late at night yet when we arrived on the banks of the River of Love. The cyclists passing special line available. Restaurants and cafes are still visited by many visitors. Nuanced songs playing Jazz and Blues sounds of splashing water between the river and fell crashing to the edge.

In the river channel, under the lights glittering, ferries and motor boats look back and forth. It rests on a number of travelers, enjoying the evening at the beginning of summer that still feels cool.

On the banks of the river, in the garden and there are benches along the side of the path bounded metal chains on the banks of the river, a couple sitting holding hands. Almost to the end, Kaohsiung harbor-one of the most important seaports in Taiwan-which is at the mouth of the estuary is still active.

City history

Option of spending half the night on the banks of the river of love was not mistaken. In addition to experience and enjoy the panoramic romantic love atmospheric river at night, more than that, a lot of valuable lessons presented behind it all.

Love River in Kaohsiung arguably represents one side of the history of civilization of a city. During the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), when the island of Formosa was part and parcel of mainland China, Love River-when it was still called the River Dagao are quite wide-natural and used for agricultural irrigation. Flat land on either side used for breeding.

In 1908, the sea port built right at the mouth of the river. This situation continued when Formosa fell under the control of the Republic of China-Taiwan with legendary figures: Chiang Kai Shek.

Concomitant changes in Taiwan's economy from agriculture to industry, in the 1960s, factories began to appear around Kaohsiung. Urbanization was accompanying. Since then, the Love River became polluted heavily. Industrial waste and domestic sewage flows into river bodies, presenting pleasant sight with a very pungent odor.

In 1979, a movement to normalize love river rolled by the Kaohsiung city government. A set of doors built to catch water and waste bins. Trash haul was then sent to a treatment plant in the district Cijin, a small island off the coast of Kaohsiung.

The results did show progress. Love River began unsightly, but not maximized. Capture system and sewage treatment is applied at an early stage is only effective outside the rainy season, from October to April. When the rainy season, from May to September, the water gates to be opened as an increase in water level in the river bodies.

But the Kaohsiung city government seemed not to know the word surrender. Various steps taken by various Mason. Although often plagued by natural cycles, including tidal phenomenon that comes from the mouth of the river, the river restoration program normalization and continues today!. Currently there are at least nine floodgates catcher domestic garbage and industrial waste on both sides of the banks of the River of Love.

Thanks to the persistent efforts and continuously without stopping, once dirty river and smell it now as lost him. Thereof when the city government to build a park full of shady trees, colorful flowers, as well as bike paths and roads for pedestrians, love River continues to preen organize themselves.

It was there that evening we were stranded on a piece of travel in Southern Taiwan. When getting late night, the sound of jazz and blues music increasingly faint sounds, footsteps we stepped away, while leaving Question: is it possible there are officials in the islands who want to reap the valuable lessons from the banks of the River Love?