Sun Moon Lake Hydroelectric Project

The Sun Moon Lake Hydroelectric Project (日月潭水力電氣工事) was a immense undertaking that began early in Taiwan’s Japanese colonial period. Initial work was disrupted by the economic slump following the first World War but work resumed in the early 1930s and the first phase of the system went online in 1934. The project included the construction of dams, aqueducts, tunnels, railways, and power generating stations. Although it was a significant achievement in terms of engineering and industrial development of central Taiwan, it also displaced the Taiwanese Indigenous people living around the lake for generations. Today, while many remnants of the project are recognized as important historical and industrial heritage sites, many more are slowly being reclaimed by the elements and forgotten. This section seeks to document every remaining trace of this ambitious project.