Zhuoshui
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Zhuoshui 濁水 溪 |
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| Data | ||
| location | West Taiwan | |
| River system | Zhuoshui | |
| muzzle |
Formosa Street near Dacheng , Zhanghua County Coordinates: 23 ° 50 ′ 22 " N , 120 ° 15 ′ 14" E 23 ° 50 ′ 22 " N , 120 ° 15 ′ 14" E
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| length | 186.6 km | |
| Catchment area | 3,156.9 km² | |
The Zhuoshui ( Chinese 濁水 溪 , Pinyin Zhuóshuǐ Xī , W.-G. Choshui Hsi , Pe̍h-ōe-jī Lô-chúi-khoe - "cloudy water") is the longest river in Taiwan with a length of 186.6 km . It rises between the main and eastern summits of the Hehuanshan in the Taiwanese central mountains and flows into the Formosa Strait .
course
The main tributaries of the Zhuoshui are the Qingshui , the Dongpuna and the Chenyoulan . The Zhuoshui flows through the counties of Nantou , Chiayi , Changhua and Yunlin in a westerly direction and in some places forms the border between the counties of Changhua and Yunlin. The river passes, among other places, Shuili , Mingjian , Zhushan , Xiluo and Dacheng , where it flows into Formosa Street.
history
The river owes the name Zhuoshui ("cloudy water") to its high sediment content, which visibly cloudy its water in many places. After Changhua County was established in 1723, Chinese settlers worked their way inland from the mouth of the Zhuoshui and cleared the land on both banks. Due to its geographic location in the center of Taiwan, the Zhuoshui is often viewed as the unofficial border between northern and southern Taiwan. At the time of the Japanese rule over Taiwan , the colonial rulers promoted the cultivation of rice north of the river and the cultivation of sugar cane south of the Zhuoshui.
economy
The Zhuoshui is still of great importance for irrigation in agriculture in its catchment area. In addition, the high gradient in the upper sections of the river makes it possible to use hydropower to generate electricity and create reservoirs. The amount of water in the Zhuoshui decreases significantly in the dry summer months, so that no shipping is possible. The river is crossed by a variety of old and modern bridges, for example the Zhuoshui Bridge on the Taiwanese high-speed train .