Is this really how you plan to build the Ruilong Waterfall viewing platform, County Magistrate? Are you sure?

Ruilong Waterfall, a famous scenic spot in Zhushan, Nantou, is said to be getting a cantilevered aerial viewing platform by the end of the year, so that visitors can get "a little closer" to the waterfall! But as soon as the mock-up image came out, it startled many netizens. The "ruyi" flowing-water design, meant to symbolize good fortune and auspiciousness, was mocked by netizens as a "roundworm," and an online campaign was launched to urge the county government to halt the absurd installation. Within 20 hours, more than 1,500 people had taken notice, with over 7,800 shares and even 487 suggestions, in the hope that the Nantou County Government would change its plan.

The campaign's initiator, Chen Jing-ru, a graduate of the Graduate Institute of Architecture at National Chiao Tung University and currently still serving as an alternative service conscript, courageously launched the campaign online. The campaign hopes to let local officials communicate directly with public opinion and to connect professional views from all sides, in the hope of persuading the county government to revise the design.

Chasing visitor numbers destroys tourism and breeds ever more bizarre installations

But the Ruilong Waterfall case also highlights the current predicament of landscape engineering in Taiwan. Chen Jing-ru said that according to public county government data, the project budget was more than 3 million yuan, but the actual contract was awarded for only just over 2 million yuan. Could the difference in between have led the contractor to cut costs, resulting in poor design quality?

Lin Jing-juan, meanwhile, said that people and officials currently focus excessively on visitor numbers as the standard for "successful tourism," so the government, seeking instant results, tends to favor fast, large-scale, headline-grabbing landscape projects, such as the Crystal Church in Beimen, Tainan, and the High-Heel Church in Budai, Chiayi.

On the other hand, Lin Jing-juan believes the contractor for Ruilong Waterfall is probably a construction firm that only knows how to put up structures and hardware, and lacks design expertise. She said that under national law there is neither a license for landscape design expertise, nor any requirement that similar projects include design professionals. "Anyone who can build things can bid, and that is what leads to this kind of result."

She even questioned whether building the Ruilong Waterfall viewing platform at the bottom of the stream would cause ecological damage, and whether building safety had been considered. Lin Jing-juan believes both need further examination.

Discussions already under way within the county government; winning contractor keeps a low profile

As for the demands of netizens and experts, the Nantou County magistrate and deputy magistrate were unable to respond because they were attending a central region heads-of-government meeting. However, Wang Yuan-chung, director of the county government's Tourism Department, said the Ruilong Waterfall case had been reported to the magistrate, and a consensus had been reached to be "simple, natural, and remove the unnecessary," for example the ruyi shape should be removed, even though the original idea was well intentioned.

He also stressed that what has been released is only a mock-up, not a final drawing, so public opinions will be taken into account. Yet when asked why the "aesthetic controversy" was not noticed before release, he said, "The ruyi installation is the result of constant discussion and several templates combined, and it will be discussed further." Overall, he said, the main hope is still for visitors to get close to the mountains and water without disturbing the natural environment.

Wang Yuan-chung did say, however, that the contractor had indeed hired professional designers. "Of course we wouldn't dare say it's No. 1," but the county government and the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications will both check it. Limited by time pressure on construction, the next-stage result will be completed within 2 weeks. As for the winning firm, Chi-Han Construction Company, it would only say that its person in charge was out, and that details should be asked of the county government.

Chen Jing-ru said that this evening (the 29th), opinions from all sides would be compiled and sent to the magistrate's office, in the hope that the wrong policy would not continue.

"A Letter to the County Magistrate: Stop the Ruilong Waterfall Viewing Platform" Facebook campaign