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Updated Thursday, July 31, 2008 0:00 am TWN, Steven Crook, seccial to The China Post

From the Japanese era: Shanshang’s watercourse

The watercourse's spacious riverside grounds are usually off-limits to visitors. (Richard Matheson special to The China Post)

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From the Japanese era: Shanshang’s watercourse

The steam generator that provided backup power for the complex is long gone, but the laboratory (where quality testing was done, and alum and soda ash were added to the water) is intact. Adding a touch of class to the facility, the laboratory benches and cabinets are made of cypress wood. Like everything else in the watercourse, the furniture was built to last and aside from minor termite damage, have withstood the test of time.

The more westerly of the two main buildings resembles a cathedral: The large windows and flying buttresses are quite church-like, although the red brick exterior is in keeping with typical Chinese-style buildings of old. The roofs, originally covered by square ceramic tiles, now bear faux-tile metal sheeting.

Several former industrial sites around Taiwan have been repackaged as tourist attractions or cultural centers, and the watercourse is set to follow suit. In October 2007, the Chinese-language China Daily News reported that the central government has set aside NT$80 million for renovation of the site. At the time of writing, work had yet to begin.

Unfortunately, the complex is only sporadically open to the public. The entire site, which is managed by the central government's Water Resources Agency, is fenced off, making ad hoc visits impossible.

For up-to-date information, see the multilingual website of the Siraya National Scenic Area Administration (www.siraya-nsa.gov.tw) or call the administration at (06) 6990-335.

The Old Tainan Watercourse is at 16 Shanshang Village, Shanshang Township, Tainan County, between the Zengwen River and Taiwan Highway 178. You can access both north-south freeways by driving westward along this road.

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