Keelung River

Keelung River
Keelung River upstream
Native name	基隆河 (Chinese)
Location
Country	Taiwan
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Huo Shao Liao Mountain (火燒寮山)
• elevation	560 m (1,840 ft)
Mouth
• location	Tamsui River
• coordinates	25°06′41″N 121°27′51″E
Length	86.4 km (53.7 mi)[1]
Basin size	493 km^2 (190 sq mi)

The Keelung River (Chinese: 基隆河; pinyin: Jīlóng Hé; Wade–Giles: Chi¹-lung² Ho²; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ke-lâng-hô) is a river in northern Taiwan.

The Keelung River originates in the mountains west-northwest of the town of Jingtong in Pingxi District, New Taipei City, flows down to a rift valley and then flows ENE to Sandiaoling. Then it flows northward to a point between Jiufen and Keelung City, and then heads back in a general WSW direction to Taipei, where it joins the Tamsui River and flows out to sea. The land around the Keelung river was rich in gold and coal, and many areas were mined.^[2]

Map showing the location of the Keelung River within the Tamsui River watershed

Geology

Park along the river is Dajia Riverside Park.

Pollution

The Keelung River is heavily polluted by both raw sewage and industrial pollution from illegal industry. The restoration of the natural river is on the agenda of the Taipei City Government and several citizen organizations.^[3]

Events

During the 1880s, the French general Jacques Duchesne fought the Keelung campaign in the river basin, defeating the Chinese.

On 4 February 2015, TransAsia Airways Flight 235, an ATR-72 operated by TransAsia Airways, crashed into the river, close to the Nanhu Bridge in Taipei, resulting in 43 fatalities and 17 injuries, including two on the ground.^[4]

River straightening

In the second half of the 20th century, the Keelung river has undergone several manmade changes to reduce flooding and accommodate growth of the Taipei. These include straightening of the river's path near the districts of Nangang, Neihu and Shilin.^[5][6]

See also

• Geography of Taiwan
• Keelung Nuannuan pothole
• Shifen Waterfall

References

1. "e河川知識服務網 名詞庫". e-river.wra.gov.tw. 經濟部水利署. Archived from the original on 29 September 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
2. File:Keelung-Garnot-Kelung-1894.jpg
3. Welch, AJ (2011). "Taipei from the River". E-Architect.
4. McKirdy, Euan (4 February 2015). "Multiple fatalities after TransAsia flight hits Taipei bridge, crashes into river". CNN.
5. "Wie die Begradigungen des Keelung Flusses das Stadtbild von Taipeh nachhaltig geprägt hat – How straightening of Keelung River has shaped Taipei City as we know it today". Alex Kunz Taipei. 2018-10-07. Archived from the original on 2018-10-22. Retrieved 2018-10-22.
6. Han Cheung (24 October 2021). "Taiwan in Time: Cutting out the river bends". Taipei Times. Retrieved 24 October 2021.