Dec 2006

The Taiwan power company is equipped with facilities to train citizens in the production of nuclear power. It gives people knowledge about radiation and generation of power. Likewise, it shows how to better conserve our electricity. The facilities have a model of a reactor, show the nuclear fuel cycle, safety of nuclear power, and proper waste disposal.

The anti-disaster technology and education training museum was built to educate citizens of disasters such as earthquakes, storms, floods and fires. People learn what to do in cases of disasters. The museum is equipped with simulators in order to better train citizens to be better prepared in catastrophies.

This is Danshuei's most prominent monument to foreign involvement in Taiwan. First built in 1629 by the Spanish, Fort San Domingo was intended to aid the imposition of Spanish rule over the local Chinese and aboriginal populations in northern Taiwan.
This fort was captured by the Dutch in 1642 when they drove the Spanish from the island. They replaced the Spanish-built stockade with a fort made of stone. The fort became known as the "Hung-Mao Castle" (Fort of the Red Heads) in reference to the colorful locks of its Dutch occupants.
In 1867, the British leased the fort and undertook massive renovations, which included the construction of the imposing British Consulate in the eastern section of the fortress compound.
Hung-Mao Castle was not repossessed by the government until 1980 when it was designated as a historic site of the first grade.

In 1938, the Taiwan Daily, a forerunner of the Taiwan Hsinsheng Daily, donated a 4 inch reflecting equatorial telescope sitting atop the observation dome of the Kung-hui Hall to the Taipei Military Headquarters in commeremor-ation of the paper’s 40th anniversary. After Taiwan was returned to China, the Kung-hui Hall was taken over by the city government, and its name was changed to the City Hall, becoming the precursor to the Taipei Astronomical Museum.
Later, before satellites were launched into orbit around the Earth, the “China Satellite Observation Committee” was found in 1958 at the request of the American Smithsonian Observatory. Observation teams were organized, and represented the R.O.C. to participate in observation.
Society’s quest for information about astronomy increased dramatically in 1957. The bright light emitted at night in the vicinity of the City Hall interfered with the observations, and the Taipei City Government approved the observatory’s move.
After going through a planning stage, it was decided that the observatory should be set up at the Yuanshan Scenic Area. Construction began in 1960 and was officially completed in 1963. After the city government was changed to a directly administered region, the regulations of the observatory were sent to the Executive Yuan for review and approval in 1969. In light of the fact that the astronomy engaged in the important task of scientific education and the equipment of the observatory were in desperate need of upgrade, a planetarium was constructed in 1978 and completed on July 1st, 1980.

The Museum of Drinking Water shows the treatment of water. Such treatment is of utmost importance today because of the increasing pollution by industrial and household wastes as well as agricultural chemicals. Drinking untreated water can be hazardous to your health. It can even be lethal in more serious cases. This section will introduce to you the facilities and process of TWD's water treatment and distribution system.