Tingfu Canal Reemerges! A Former Stinking Ditch Transformed into an Urban Hidden Gem

Tingfu Canal, located on the south side of the Bo'ai Campus of Chiao Tung University, was long plagued by messy surroundings and piled-up clutter, drawing complaints from nearby residents. Hsinchu City invested more than 40 million yuan last year (2019) in the "Tingfu Canal School Route Environment Improvement Project." The process resolved three major challenges, including persuading residents door to door to demolish encroaching structures on the land, getting Chiao Tung University to set back its wall, and successfully opening up the canal so it could see the light of day again. Recently, the 1.4-kilometer walkway is nearing completion. Mayor Lin Chih-chien shared that catching fish and shrimp in Tingfu Canal was a childhood memory of his, but later the canal's environment became increasingly messy and foul-smelling. He led city government colleagues to overcome a challenge that had persisted for decades, transforming the canal into a friendly pedestrian green corridor and bringing it back into residents' lives.

Mayor Lin Chih-chien emphasized, "Urban canals should be accessible to residents." Through this improvement project to reorganize the canal, Tingfu Canal is being brought back into the lives of residents and the community.

Hsu Chih-jui, acting director-general of the Department of Urban Development, stated that the biggest highlight of the Tingfu Canal school route project was the complete removal of the encroaching structures previously built by nearby residents on the land. After opening up the canal, a total of 1.4 kilometers of urban green corridor was connected along its route from Xuefu Road to Baoshan Road. Seating, activity platforms, and extensive trees and plantings were installed along the way. Most notably, cross-canal footbridges were designed, enhancing both aesthetics and convenience.

Director-General Hsu Chih-jui said that Tingfu Canal draws water from the Touqian River, flows past Eighteen Peaks Mountain and Xiangshan before reaching the sea, and still serves an important irrigation function, bearing witness to a century of Hsinchu's development history. This project integrates the irrigation canal, cultural landscape, and technological campus. In addition to bringing water accessibility, diverse ecology, and a quality walking environment, it also strengthens Chiao Tung University's local connection, demonstrating the significance of an open, friendly campus and dialogue with the local community.