Neigou Stream Ecological Trail

The Neigou Stream is a tributary of the Keelung River, about 5.5 kilometres long with a catchment of about 7 square kilometres. It forms the boundary between Taipei City to the west and New Taipei City to the east. Residents of Donghu come here to walk, rest and chat. From 2013 the middle reaches of the stream in Donghu were relandscaped as a whole, and a waterside path of nearly 1 kilometre was extended from upstream. Landscape bridges and riverside paths link the walking routes of Taipei and New Taipei on either bank, which the stream had divided. Silt was cleared, the Wufen Pond area was restored, and habitats of different depths were created, making an environmental education space where people can enjoy the hills, water and nature by day and night. The aim was to encourage residents to use it, to understand and help conserve it, and to bring back the memories of older local people. The design had four aims. 1. Originality and restoring the area's former natural and cultural setting: structures were kept as light as possible, in the Jiangnan garden landscape style that locals hoped for, using colours from the existing surroundings to respect and blend into the stream's natural setting, and combining hydraulic and flood-drainage engineering with attractive forms. 2. Keeping the riverside green corridor that had grown up locally and adding greenery on the embankment top: while keeping its flood-protection function, planting was added wherever the embankment top had space, enriching riverside habitats and letting greenery spread. 3. Keeping and improving riverside habitats: bank safety came first, but natural habitats were also kept and improved. The design follows the existing bank slopes and terrain, and apart from desilting, avoids excessive digging or disturbance. 4. Energy saving, lower carbon and sustainability: riverside lighting is mainly low-level, keeping safe lighting for evening walks, and the main landscape bridges linking the two cities are lit with points of light, like stars along the water.

Translated and shortened by DealTaipei from Taiwan's national tourism database. Sources are on the terms page.