The Banping Lake Wetland Park () is a
constructed wetland
A constructed wetland is an artificial wetland to treat sewage, greywater, stormwater runoff or industrial wastewater. It may also be designed for land reclamation after mining, or as a mitigation step for natural areas lost to land development ...
in
Zuoying District,
Kaohsiung,
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
.
History
The area around the park used to be a geological
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
mountain called
Mount Banping
Mount Banping () is a mountain in Nanzih District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Name
The name ''Banping'' means half screen, named so because of the mountain steep side resembles a painted screen.
History
During the Qing Dynasty rule of Taiwan, the mo ...
. It used to be an important source of Taiwan's limestone
ore
Ore is natural rock or sediment that contains one or more valuable minerals, typically containing metals, that can be mined, treated and sold at a profit.Encyclopædia Britannica. "Ore". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 7 Apr ...
needs. In 1997, the
mining activities ceased to operate after 30 years of activity and the mining area began to recover to its original condition. Several years later, the
Kaohsiung City Government
The Kaohsiung City Government is the municipal government of Kaohsiung. It was formed after the merger of Kaohsiung County and Kaohsiung City in December 2010. Its chief administrator is the directly elected Mayor of Kaohsiung.
History
In ...
carried out a conservation plan to protect the soil and water for the abandoned mine area. After years of restorative afforestation and rehabilitation, the mountain slowly regained its original beauty.
In 2004, the Kaohsiung Association of Hydraulic Engineers was commissioned by
Kaohsiung City Government
The Kaohsiung City Government is the municipal government of Kaohsiung. It was formed after the merger of Kaohsiung County and Kaohsiung City in December 2010. Its chief administrator is the directly elected Mayor of Kaohsiung.
History
In ...
to execute an evaluation of the possibility of using the Chien Tai Cement Company's grit chamber area at the southern side of Banping Mountain for a wetland park. The result of the evaluation was positive and that in 2005 the City Government budgeted for and built up a nature park at the foot of the northwestern side of the mountain. They also afforested and constructed five flood-detention grit chambers at the southern side of the mountain foot. Man-made wetlands were also created to effectively function as grit-removal and flood-detention bodies.
Geology
The park spans over an area of 13 hectares.
It features viewing platforms and bird-watching huts.
Transportation
The wetland is accessible within walking distance north of
Xinzuoying Station
Zuoying () is a metro and railway station in Kaohsiung, Taiwan served by Kaohsiung MRT, Taiwan High Speed Rail, and Taiwan Railways, where it is known as Xinzuoying (). The station is served by the fastest HSR express services of the ' ...
.
See also
*
Mining in Taiwan
Mining has been practiced in Taiwan for hundreds of years. Sulfur was an early important resource collected on the island. Coal mining expanded in the 19th century to keep up with demand from increased foreign trade. Heavy industry was further exp ...
*
Gaomei Wetlands
References
2005 establishments in Taiwan
Constructed wetlands in Taiwan
Landforms of Kaohsiung
Tourist attractions in Kaohsiung
Zuoying District
{{Taiwan-geo-stub