Changhua County’s annual cultural event — Taiwan’s Water-Running Festival — is set to take place on November 10–11 at the source of the Baobu Irrigation Channel in Ershui Township, Changhua County. On the opening day, November 10, the event will include a gratitude ceremony, an irrigation channel head ceremony, a blessing-opening ritual, and the Baobu Irrigation Channel Legend Evening Show. Additionally, on that day, the water flow in the Baobu Irrigation Channel will be controlled so that participants can step into the channel to run alongside the flowing water and invite blessings and prosperity. There will also be a free Baobu Irrigation Channel educational tour, allowing visitors to gain an in-depth understanding of the towns along the Baobu Irrigation Channel and experience local rural culture.
The upcoming Changhua Water-Running Festival on Saturday (the 10th) will feature a free Baobu Irrigation Channel educational tour for visitors to explore local culture in depth. (Photo provided by the Shan Shan National Scenic Area Administration)
The Baobu Irrigation Channel was dug in 1709 by the ancestor Shi Shibang and took ten years to complete. Due to a lack of knowledge about hydraulic engineering, efforts to divert water repeatedly failed. Later, with guidance from the legendary figure Mr. Lin, who introduced the use of earthwork techniques and stone baskets to channel water from the Zhuoshui River into the Baobu Irrigation Channel, the system was able to irrigate eight of the thirteen “pao” areas of Changhua. Later, Huang Shiqing dug the “Fifteen Villages Irrigation Channel,” ultimately completing a comprehensive irrigation system for the Changhua Plain. This nourished the land north of the Zhuoshui River and fostered the rich cultural heritage of Changhua.
This year’s “2012 Taiwan Water-Running Festival — The Legend of the Baobu Irrigation Channel” event also features an “Encounter with Mr. Lin Time Tunnel Exhibition Hall,” offering insight into the influence of the Baobu Irrigation Channel on the Changhua Plain. Other activities include street performances, a stone inkstone cultural and creative industry exhibition, a Happy Community Industry Market, a community talent carnival, and a local specialty product fair. During the event, there will also be a stone basket catch-the-fortune game at Mr. Lin’s Temple, using the stone baskets that Mr. Lin guided the use of through earthwork methods. Participants can play a ring-toss game, and anyone who succeeds will win a prize.
In addition, on November 10, a Baobu Irrigation Channel educational tour is also planned. The itinerary will start from Changhua Railway Station, with stops including the Ershui Water Diversion Park, participation in the Taiwan Water-Running Festival and Baobu Irrigation Channel Legend event, visits to the Encounter with Mr. Lin Time Tunnel Exhibition Hall and the Dongzuo Stone Inkstone Art Museum, tasting of pomelos, and a tour of the Xihu Taiwan Grape Industry Culture Museum. The entire activity is free, and registration is now open. For more details, visit the website: 2water.mmhot.tw.
● Related Reading: Sky Lanterns, Head-Catching, and Hot Air Balloons — Taiwan Tourism Calendar Voting Now Open
http://goo.gl/mqOdS