Taipei City Geotechnical Engineering Office

As the calendar moves into late autumn, Jiuru Community, located along the Sifen River in Nangang District of Taipei City, is about to embrace the Golden Bald Cypress season. The Bald Cypresses surrounding Lishan Farmers Square in Jiuru Community are actually deciduous trees in the family Taxodiaceae. The trees are beautiful in form and the leaves are delicate and soft like feathers. When the Northeast Monsoon arrives, the leaves turn from green to yellow, yellow to orange, and orange to red. The changes in the colors are extremely dazzling. The red leaves eventually fall off the trees. Yet, they won’t go too far away; instead, they’ll form a red carpet under the trees, like a grand welcome to your visit.
In the early days, Lishan Farmers Square in Jiuru Community used to be a classical academy where local children received an education. However, the unstable stratum at the time caused many landslide disasters, which left the place abandoned for years. After interviewing the local people, the Geotechnical Engineering Office (GEO) of Taipei City Public Works Department got to know the culture and history of the place. Through the Agricultural Community Environment Improvement Program, the GEO conducted river remediation while building Lishan Farmers Square and paved tiles carved with Su Shi’s poem: “Ding Feng Bo” (Pacified Storm) to give a touch of scholarly atmosphere to the place.
Xie Jiang-Ji, the President of Jiuru Community Development Association, stated that community activities such as the Stream Closing and Fish Protection Event and Bamboo Shoot Festival are held in Lishan Farmers Square every summer, and everyone is welcome to visit Sifen River to get to know the local culture and history from the community residents.
“Sifen River no longer threatens people’s lives and property safety after being remediated and, with the riverbank trail, river-crossing stepping stones, and fish ladder constructed, we are also taking care of the aspect of ecological restoration. Fish and shrimps now have new homes. Come to Jiuru Community to take a slow walk, listen to the running water and enjoy a trip in nature,” said Jian-Fan Chen, the Chief of the GEO Slope Conservation Section.
If you wish to visit Jiuru Community, you may go by car or take the MRT to Kunyang Station or Taipei Zoo Station; then take Bus S12, alight at Lishan Bridge Stop and walk along Section 4 of Yanjiuyuan Road until reaching Lishan Farmers Square (Lishan Park).
p.s. If you wish to access any pictures, please visit the website of the Geotechnical Engineering Office, Taipei City Public Works Department (http://www.tcge.taipei.gov.tw/) to download.