9.Historic- Scene Restoration

Problem Encountered: The Vanishment of Human History about the Caogong Canal

The history about the canal paths and ponds of the Caogong Canal can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty with the duration longer than the history of the Love river by a hundred years. Especially, the branches of the Caogong Canal play an important role in people's daily life. There are a hundred more branches of the old and new canal paths from the Caogong Canal. During the period of Japanese occupation, areas surrounding Zuo Ying became a scene with river water circulating the farming fields nearby every household's front door. The Caogong Canal was closely related to people's daily life at that time. Thus, current hydrological reconstruction of the Caogong Canal is also the reconstruction of community history and the establishment of community coherence. The aggressive community participation is urgently requested by the affairs about river management.

Solution: The Recurrence of Traditional Human and Culture History about the Caogong Canal

The relationship between inhabitants and rivers can be closer. The features of human and culture history in Kaohsiung areas can recur. The past scenery about the water release of Lotus Pond can come back again with community inhabitants enjoying the fishing activities.

During the past agriculture era, the water of Lotus Pond would be dried from November to January annually. The bottom slur of pond was exposed to sunshine and farmers peddled waterwheels and caught fish by using bamboo poles. Whenever the seasons of migratory birds arrived, there were numerous migratory birds and egrets flocking for food forage routinely. However, roughly 10 more years earlier, after the lands confiscated by the government were opened for people's fishing activities, the water release activities for Lotus Pond were no more available. Fish and turtles reduced excessively. The bottom slur was not allowable for sterilization made by bottom slur exposure to sunshine. The water quality was thus deteriorated and harmful for water-friendly activities.

At present, the fosse of Zuo Ying is re-circulated again and it is quite a new start for the recurrence of the historical space about the Caogong Canal. In the future, it is required for continuous enhancement on the human and culture activities.
It is sincerely recommended that the water release can be operated to improve the quality of pond water and allows people with the water-friendly accessibility. Furthermore, after the problematic pollution is improved, some water-friendly activities like fishing and gathering of fish, clams, water caltrops, lotus root, eels and loaches can be aggressively held for people. On "the Festival of All Prosper Years", it is exactly the time when the irrigating water is temporarily stopped by the Farm Farm Irrigation Association on October 25th. Therefore, the activities of "the Festival of All Prosper Years" can be held with the re-held pond water release following after. It is our hope that in the future, the activities of pond water release can be integrated with "the Festival of All Prosper Years" to become the annual regional festival on Zuo Ying.

Reflection

With era changes, the past Mother River of the Great Kaohsiung Plain has been forgotten gradually. Consequently, the river basins of the Caogong Canal have finally become a dried and stinking river course making people back off as far as they can. We hope the past prosperous beauty of the Caogong Canal can be revived again. The only way is to restore the past landscape and the activity entitled "Historic-Scene Restoration" is exactly what we are endeavoring now. The event of "the Festivalof All Prosper Years " cannot only demonstrate the local folk singularities but also allow people with renewal emphasis on the Caogong Canal menaced by relentless decline. It is really an event to reach multiple objectives in just a move!