Run in Style Along the Bapo Canal: Changhua’s Water-Running Festival Kicks Off on the 16th

▲ Run in style in the Bapo Canal waterway. (Photo /Taiwan Water-Running Festival - The Legend of Bapo CanalFB fan page)

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

What? Running in the Bapo Canal waterway? The 2013 Changhua Water-Running Festival will take place on the 16th and 17th in Ershui Township, Changhua County, where participants can enjoy the fun of running through water in the 300-year-old Bapo Canal. The event will be divided into competitive and experience categories, requiring participants to race through the canal’s waters in cool outfits. It invites the public to run along the water channel to invite blessings and wealth, and also offers a beautiful souvenir gift.


▲ To celebrate the 290th anniversary of Changhua County’s establishment, this year’s Water-Running Festival will be expanded. (Photo / Provided by Changhua County Government)

Water-runningmeans dashing forward as the gushing canal water flows ahead, racing against the water before it catches up.The full length of the Bapo Canal is 300 meters with a water depth of 30 centimeters. On the day of the festival, the canal's water volume will be controlled to allow participants to enter the water channel and demonstrate their gratitude to the land through action. The event also includes a gratitude ceremony, canal head ceremony, creative water-running carnival, and a public water-running experience.

The Water-Running Festival is regarded as the most grand folk cultural celebration of the autumn harvest in Changhua County each year. This year, marking the 290th anniversary of the county’s establishment, the event is even more spectacular than previous years, not only featuring a total prize pool of 550,000 NTD, but also an abundance of food and gifts — with chances to win big prizes such as LCD TVs, smartphones, and tablets.

The purpose of the Water-Running Festival is to give thanks for how the excavation of the Bapo Canal turned Changhua County into a major agricultural hub. The Bapo Canal, which took ten years to dig, represents hard work and perseverance. Thus, participating in the festival embodies multiple meanings: gratitude, honoring one’s roots, and connecting with the Bapo Canal.