Stones from 100-year-old city wall unearthed in Taipei’s former Huaguang Community

Recently, during the construction of a drainage ditch in Taipei City’s former Huagunag Community, which is currently undergoing urban renewal, Taipei New Construction Office Public Works Department unearthed 130-year-old stones from a city wall dating back to the Qing Dynasty; at the time, the majority of such andesite building stones came from Jinmian Mounain in Neihu.

“The Remains of Taihoku (Taipei) Prison Walls Cultural Heritage Protection Alliance (台北刑務所文資護育聯盟)” view this as new evidence of cultural heritage in the area and have sent official notice to the Department of Urban Development and Department of Cultural Affairs demanding an investigation and emergency meeting, as well as a the immediate temporary halting of the construction project in accordance with Article 30 of the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act. 

Following a survey by Taipei Department of Cultural Affairs Cultural Heritage Division on October 6, it was confirmed that "Huaguang Ancient Watercourse (華光古水道)" was worthy of cultural heritage status and a consensus reached on its preservation,  all parties agreeing that the watercourse should be exhibited in an appropriate manner. On October 13, Taipei New Construction Office Public Works Department invited cultural groups to the location where Huaguang Ancient Watercourse was unearthed to discuss a construction design that would allow the watercourse to be “covered, yet remain on view to the public”.

Huaguang Community was formerly the site of Taihoku (Taipei) Prison during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, which was built using stones from the Qing Dynasty Taipei city wall; the north wall was designated as a cultural monument in 1998. From this latest discovery, it is clear that stones from the ancient city wall were not only used to build the outside walls of Taihoku (Taipei) Prison, but also used in the foundations of official residences, and even the sewers, which means that the ancient stones were used extensively throughout the whole of the prison settlement.

Grating put over ancient Huagunag watercourse and explanation board erected 
URL:https://www.peopo.org/news/288561 

Stones from 100-year-old city wall unearthed during construction of drainage ditch in Huaguang Community 
URL:https://www.peopo.org/news/287539 

Cultural heritage investigation of Huaguang watercourse constructed from ancient city wall stones 
URL:https://www.peopo.org/news/288195 

(以下是中文對照)

北市原華光社區挖出百年台北城牆石

華光古水道將以「格柵板」加蓋並豎立解說牌

華光社區雨水道工程 挖出百年台北城牆石
 
華光城牆石下水道文化資產會勘

照片

台北市原華光社區目前正進行都市更新計畫，最近由臺北市新建工程處進行排水溝施工時，挖出了一百三十年前，清代台北城的城牆石。這些以安山石為主的建材，當年不少來自內湖金面山。文史團體「台北刑務所文資護育聯盟」主張此為文化資產的新事證，日行文文化局與都發局，要求進行調查及緊急文資會勘，並依照文資法30條規定，立即暫停工程之進行。

「華光古水道」經過台北市文化局文資委員10/6的會勘後，肯定古水道的價值，達成現地保存的共識，並同意以適當方式展示。10/13由新建工程處邀請文史團體至“華光古水道”出土現場，討論設計「加蓋又能看到古排水道」的工法。

華光社區前身是日治時期的台北刑務所，沿用清朝台北城城牆石材興建，其中北牆在1998年已被指定為古蹟。但在此波拆除過程中才發現，古城牆石材不只拿來興建監獄的外牆，更是散佈於官舍的地基、甚至連下水道都是，顯見整個監獄園區大量使用古城牆石材。