Pingtung’s Wannian River revitalized through 20 years of hard work
Pingtung’s Wannian River revitalized through 20 years of hard work
2025-08-01
Pingtung’s Wannian River has been successfully revitalized after two decades of work spanning four county commissioners. Livestock and industrial wastewater used to be dumped into the river, killing fish and giving the river an infamous stench. Now that it has been revitalized, it’s lush with greenery, teaming with birds and fish, and a popular spot for riverside strolls.
A mother moorhen forages on the riverbank, her chicks waiting not-so-patiently to be fed. Another bird finds a meal upstream, taking advantage of the river’s rich resources. This is Pingtung’s Wannian River, which supports a diverse ecosystem of birds and other wildlife.
Huang Shu-ting
Bird photographer
It seems that the river has been successfully revitalized now, because we can observe some of Taiwan’s resident birds here, such as the black-crowned night heron and common moorhen.
Wannian River, a tributary of the Gaoping River, flows through central Pingtung City. Local residents once rowed boats, washed clothes, and played in its waters, until the river was heavily polluted by industrial and agricultural wastewater. Many fish died as the water quality deteriorated, and the river began to stink, earning the nickname “eternal stench,” as its name, Wannian, means eternity. Thirty years ago, then-Pingtung County commissioner Wu Tse-yuan decided to build a cover over the river, but residents formed the Pingtung Citizen Association to oppose the project. When Su Jia-chyuan later took office, he overturned Wu’s project, removed the concrete pillars, and launched a restoration plan that would span the next 20 years.
Huang Ting-lun
Pingtung Citizen Association chair
I returned to my hometown as a young adult and became aware of this issue. Many of us involved grew up along the banks of the river, so a lot of our childhood memories are here. So we thought that this river should continue existing.
When former county commissioners Tsao Chi-hung and Pan Men-an later took office, they both continued restoring the river. By guiding clean water from upstream wetlands into the river and preventing wastewater from entering it, the water quality gradually improved. Now bustling with life and greenery, the riverside has become a popular place for residents to stroll and relax.
Member of public
It’s pretty and really not bad. It wasn’t this clean before.
Member of public
It’s much more beautiful and there are even some paths so that nearby residents can exercise.
Through the combined forces of grassroots organizing and government support, the Wannian River has been given a new life. Now it can live up to its name, flowing eternally through the city and maintaining its place as an integral part of local life.
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#river #restoration #conservation #wildlife #Pingtung #birds #WannianRiver
屏東"萬年溪"重生! 歷經4任縣長.20年整治終於綠意盎然
2025-08-01
屏東市區中最大的排水河道-萬年溪，曾經有個惡名，叫做"萬年臭"，因為早期畜牧和工業廢水排入溪中，造成大量魚類死亡，產生惡臭。歷經四任屏東縣長，二十年的整治，終於讓它重現生機，如今已經是綠意盎然，魚鳥共生，民眾散步運動的好去處。
紅冠水雞家族在溪中覓食，幼鳥亦步亦趨跟在爸爸媽媽的屁股後面，等著餵食，模樣十分可愛。另一邊還有其他留鳥，也在河道中大快朵頤。這裏是屏東市的萬年溪，豐富的自然生態，吸引不少鳥類聚集。
[[拍鳥俱樂部社長 黃蜀婷]]
“現在它的整治看起來就是蠻成功的，因為在這邊觀察到一些台灣常年的留鳥，譬如說夜鷺或者是紅冠水雞”
萬年溪是高屏溪上游的支流之一，流貫屏東市，是屏東市區內最大的排水河道。早年民眾在這裏划船、洗衣服、戲水，但隨著工業興起，工業和畜牧廢水排入，導致水質急速惡化，大量魚類死亡，因而被冠上「萬年臭」的惡名。30年前，前縣長伍澤元決定在臭水溝上加蓋，擔心萬年溪從此不見天日，反對民眾組成屏東縣愛鄉協會，四處奔走，蘇嘉全上任之後，推翻蓋工程，打掉水泥柱，開始長達二十年的整治計劃。
[[屏東縣愛鄉協會創會理事長 黃鼎倫]]
“算是老青年返鄉，就有關注這個議題，然後特別裡面很多，都是在溪流河畔長大的，所以很多孩童的記憶都在這裡，所以那時候覺得這條溪它應該要存在”
後續歷任縣長曹啟鴻、潘孟安加碼整治萬年溪，在上游開闢多個濕地，導入淨化水源至萬年溪，後續配合民生廢污水截流，逐步改善水質，重新找回了萬年溪的生命力。如今溪畔綠意盎然，步道也成了居民散步、遛狗、休閒的好去處。
[[民眾]]
“有漂亮啦、不錯啦，以前比較沒那麼乾淨”
[[民眾]]
“美觀多了啦，而且還多個步道，讓我們附近的居民可以在這邊運動”
如同韓國的清溪川，屏東市民由下而上的力量，公私協力，讓一條河流重生，以萬年之名，永永遠遠的流淌在市民的生命裏。
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