Taipei Travel

The Hydraulic Engineering Office (HEO) implemented the “Taipei New Illustrated Levees” Project starting in 2020, focusing on merging urban aesthetics with the Taipei’s riverside. The latest work completed under the program decorates the surface of the levee next to the No. 5 Evacuation Gate along the Keelung River.

The artist producing the painting is LeHo, an up-and-coming young talent. During the creative process, he conducted field research and had a chance to chat with elders in the community. The theme “riverside” was selected after incorporating local opinions. Hearing stories about how easily the area flooded during the days before the levee’s construction, it was fascinating to listen to how locals would catch fishes trapped on land when the water retreated.

According to HEO, LeHo based his design on “water” and integrate surrounding trees to recreate an art piece depicting fish from the flooded river swimming among the grass on shore, and how people try to catch the large fish with their hand. This scene hopes to bring back memories of how the people of Xindong Borough interact with the river back in the good old days.

Currently, 3 pieces of art has been created under the “Taipei New Illustrated Levees” project on the surface of levees across Taipei. There is a “hidden” location among these and hopefully, by the completion of the stories, all the paintings will “link up” via this hidden spot to recount their individual stories. Hopefully, the end result will heighten public awareness on the different neighborhoods along the river, as all of Taipei’s riverbanks play a role in creating the urban landscape.

The agency welcomes everyone to stop by the Keelung River No. 5 Evacuation Gate to witness the amazing artwork by LeHO. A point worth looking out for is the “ripples” painted onto the walls, which can become more evident around noon time from 11 AM to 1 PM on a sunny day.