Let the Water Flow, Welcome Prosperity — The Legendary Bangpu Weir Water Festival in Changhua Kicks Off on November 4

By Li Xinyi, compiled and reported

The annual Water Festival, featuring the iconic water-running event at Bangpu Weir, is back, running from November 4 to November 13 in Ershui Township, Changhua County. The highlight, “Running the Diverted Water, Welcoming Prosperity,” is scheduled for November 12, giving the public a chance to step into the water channel for a fun water-running experience. Other exciting activities include a gratitude ceremony, weirhead ceremony, blessings opening ceremony, and the Legendary Bangpu Weir Night.

Bangpu Weir was dug by the ancestors under the leadership of Mr. Shi Shibang in 1709. It took ten years to complete. Due to a lack of understanding of hydraulic engineering, they failed repeatedly to divert water. Later, they received guidance from the legendary Mr. Lin, who introduced an earthwork method using stone cages to channel water from the Zhuoshui River into the weir, irrigating the eight weirs of the thirteen in Changhua. Later, Huang Shiqing dug the “Fifteen Villages Weir,” finally establishing a complete irrigation system for the Changhua Plain. To commemorate this achievement, the Water Festival includes events such as a gratitude ceremony, weirhead ceremony, blessings opening ceremony, five-lakes-and-four-seas water-running experience, KUSO creative water-running costume competition, and the Legendary Bangpu Weir Night on November 12. On that day, the weir’s water flow will be controlled to allow the public to enter the channel for the “Running the Diverted Water, Welcoming Prosperity” activity. This year, the organizers have also prepared special “fortune piggy banks.” Starting at 11 a.m. on the day of the water-running, all participants will receive one.

Other activities include an opera night, a stone inkstone industry exhibition, a calligraphy and painting exhibition, a Luoxi stone inkstone carving exhibition, a Huangxi art exhibition, and a local specialty product fair. This year, there is also a specially designed game called “Stone Cage Catch Fortune,” where participants use stone cages — based on the earthwork technique taught by Mr. Lin — to play a ring-toss game. Anyone who succeeds in ringing a target will win a prize. The game will take place at 11 a.m. on November 11 in front of Ershui Railway Station and on November 12 at Mr. Lin’s Temple. Additionally, the “Immediately Sealing Marquis” Ershui Railway Tour, the Bangpu Weir Learning Tour, and the “Sweet Tangerine Flavor Meal” in Ershui offer fun and delicious experiences.