Earthquakes are nothing new in Taiwan […]
Earthquakes are nothing new on the island of Taiwan, an island nation 160 kilometers from mainland China with a long history of such strong events with magnitudes greater than 7.
The latest occurred last Tuesday, April 2, at 8.50pm (Brasilia time) on the east coast of the island.
According to the USP Seismology Center, this magnitude 7.4 earthquake was the result of interactions between the Philippine Sea and the Eurasian plates, and is one of six other earthquakes of magnitude 7 or greater that have occurred in the past 50 years.
The connection with the topic is so strong among the Taiwanese population that there is even a museum dedicated to earthquakes on the island.
Taiwan Earthquake Museum
Located in the Wufeng district, in the central-western area of the island, the Taiwan 921 Earthquake Museum (‘Taiwanese Earthquake 921 Museum’, in free translation) was created to commemorate the last major earthquake that occurred in Taiwan, 25 years ago.
On September 21, 1999 – hence the name of the museum -, at 1:47 am, Taiwan suffered one of the worst natural disasters of the last century, with a 7.3 magnitude earthquake that devastated part of the center of the island.
The Jiji earthquake occurred in the city of the same name, in Nantou county, killing more than 2,400 people and leaving more than 11,000 injured. At the time, property damage was estimated at approximately $10 billion.
Created in 2001, the museum also preserves the damage caused by JiJi, such as the collapse of nearby buildings that remain with exposed ruins, so that future generations can pay attention to earthquake prevention and relief measures in such disasters.
therefore, the Taiwan 921 Earthquake Museum is considered “a valuable teaching material for natural sciences”, whose five exhibition halls are divided into themes such as “Earthquake Engineering Hall”, “Disaster Prevention Hall” and the “Chelungpu Fault Gallery”, which runs through the geological fault where the earthquake occurred.
To highlight the crumbling landscape and damaged structures around it, the architect surrounded the geological changes with the five exhibition halls.
However, preserving ruins from past earthquakes is not a rarity in Taiwan.
One of the most evocative scenarios is the WuChang temple, which still stands today next to the remains of the original building, from 1923, also destroyed by the 1999 earthquake, in Jiji, the epicenter of the earthquake, in Nantou, the second largest county in Taiwan.
In this surreal scenario, the visitor can still see what remains of the original construction on the ground, such as the upper half of the building and the roof, next to the new temple erected next to the ruins.
In the video above, from minute 1:16 onwards, you can see the ruins of the temple, filmed during the passage of the Travel by farein Taiwan.
LEARN MORE
Taiwan 921 Earthquake Museum
192, Xinsheng Road – Wufeng District, Taichung City, Taiwan
From Tuesday to Sunday, from 9:00 to 17:00
ticket: NT$50 (approximately R$8)
DISCOVER TAIWAN
If there seems to be a lack of space in the capital Taipei, in the center of this smaller island than Paraíba, between the Philippines and mainland China, it’s like being the first to pass by.
And it was this Taiwan that I saw.
I was startled by a monkey on the side of the road, greeted ladies from isolated villages who seemed to have never seen foreigners, and traversed narrow paths above cliffs hidden by thick clouds.
In four days I cycled 158 kilometers between Yuanlin, on the west coast of the island, and the highest point of Taroko National Park, Mount Wuling, at 3,275 meters above sea level, the highest place in all of Taiwan accessible to cars .
On the website of Travel by fare (viagemempauta.com.br) or in the video below you will find more details on the two-wheel experience in Taiwan.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
