Bridge of Taiwan (IV)

To publicize the beauty of Taiwan’s bridges, Chunghwa Post has previously issued three sets of stamps in its “Bridges of Taiwan” series, featuring the bridges of northern, central, and southern Taiwan respectively. Now Chunghwa Post is following up with a fourth set of four stamps on bridges of eastern Taiwan.

Their designs follow:
Lizejian Bridge, Yilan (NT$5): Spanning the Dongshan River, Lizejian Bridge was originally a reinforced concrete bridge named Jiejing (which means “Shortcut”) Bridge. To accommodate water sport competitions at the Dongshan River Water Park, the bridge was rebuilt as a single-arch bridge without any piers and renamed Lizejian Bridge. Opened to traffic in June of 1992, the bridge has a total length of 148 meters, a width of 22 meters, and a top-of-the-arch height of 26 meters. Like a rainbow arching over green water, the bridge has become a Dongshan River landmark.

Taroko Bridge, Hualien (NT$5): The Taroko Bridge has five light-blue steel-arch spans over the Liwu River. The main spans are located in Xiulin Township, Hualien County. Opened to traffic in February of 2002, the bridge is 1,248 meters in length (including 512 meters of steel spans and 736 meters of pre-stressed concrete viaducts) and 20.8 to 29.6 meters in width. The height of its tallest arch is 25 meters. There are four spaces for lifescape sculptures where the main spans meet the viaduct sections of the bridge. Imbued with local character, the beautiful bridge has become one of Hualien’s most recognizable landmarks.

Hongye Bridge, Taitung (NT$12): Spanning the Luye River, Hongye Bridge is located in Hongye Village at 400 meters above sea level. It provides the principal access from the village to Luye Township and Taoyuan Village. Opened to traffic in March of 2000, the bridge has a total length of 133 meters, a width of 10 meters, and a height of 10 meters. The dark-red steel-arch bridge is beautifully set off against the surrounding mountain greenery and murmuring river.

Pudu Bridge, Hualien (NT$15): Spanning the Liwu River, Pudu Bridge, located in the Tianxiang recreation area of the Taroko National Park, is the only footbridge from the Central Cross-Island Highway to the Xiangde Temple. Originally a suspension bridge, it was later rebuilt as a cable-stayed steel one. Completed in October of 2003, the bridge has a total length of 88 meters, a width of 3 meters, and a height of 15 meters. Surrounded by strikingly beautiful green mountains and spanning a spectacular deep gorge, the beauty of Pudu Bridge is heaven sent.

Stamp Issue: 2010-10-20

Bridge of Taiwan (III)

Taiwan post will issue a set of four postage stamps to publicize the beauty of Taiwan’s bridges. These set is third in the series of Bridges of Taiwan.

1. Jinde Bridge, Donggang (NT$5.00): This bridge spans the Donggang River in Donggang Township, Pingtung County. Opened to traffic in October of 2002, it has a total length of 440 meters and a width of 21.3 meters, with a 155-meter-long main span and a 30-meter-high arch. A basket-handle steel-arch bridge, it is a stately looking one.

2. Qigu River Bridge, Tainan (NT$5.00): This bridge is located in the scenic Qigu Lagoon area, close to the mouth of Zengwen river. Opened to traffic in November, 2007, it has a total length of 440 meters and a width of 40 meters. Its long-span arch design reduces the number of piers needed and reduces its impact on the environment and the ecology. The arc-shaped railings and the black-faced spoonbill totems blend into the ecological environment seamlessly.

3. Anyi Bridge, Tainan (NT$12.00): This bridge links two historical sites, Anping Fort (Fort Zeelandia) and Yizaijincheng (Eternal Golden Fort), hence its name Anyi. Spanning the Tainan Canal, it is 120.3 meters long and 25.5 meters wide. Opened to traffic in November, 2003, this bridge has an observation platform, which is a great place to enjoy sunsets and views of Anping Harbor.

4. Wangyue Bridge, Tainan (NT$12.00): Located in the Anping District of Tainan City, this bridge spans the Tainan Canal. Opened to traffic in August, 2001, it is 36 meters long and 21.2 meters wide. This bridge has a blue arch design and its railings incorporate moon patterns, both full and crescent. This bridge is especially beautiful at night when it is spotlighted and the arches of the bridge connect with their reflections on the water.

Stamp Issue: 2010-03-10

The Inauguration of Taiwan’s Second Southern Freeway

The Second Southern Freeway, from Hsinhua, Tainan to Chiuju, Pingtung, is to be completed and opened in February 2000. This is the final link in southern Taiwan's freeway network, which will bring prosperity to this area and balance development in the region.


The Second Southern Freeway runs for a total of about 134 kilometers, through Tainan County, Tainan City, Kaohsiung County, Kaohsiung City and Pingtung County, and includes the main freeway, the Kaohsiung branch and the Tainan branch.

The Kaoping River cable-stayed bridge is situated at the border of Kaohsiung and Pingtung Country. The total length of the bridge is 2,617 meters. The western section of it has a nonsymmetrical cable-stayed bridge design. The pylon, its main structure, is a single tower with an A-frame design, with a height of 183.5 meters. It has a side span of 180 meters that uses a prestressed concrete box beam. Its main spain is an extremely long 330 meters, and uses a completely welded steel-frame box beam. The middle section of the bridge, for which a balanced-cantilever design has been employed, has long spans. The eastern section of the bridge, which employs an advancing-shoring design, has spans of medium length. This magnificent and powerful design of the bridge as a whole is a triumph both of structural mechanics and esthetics.

The NT$5.00 stamp features a close-up of the pylon of the bridge to show that it is an important landmark of the freeway.

The NT$12.00 stamp features a bird's-eye view of the interchange of the Tainan freeway.

The NT$25.00 miniature sheet features a bird's-eye view of the bridge.

Stamp Issue: 2000-02-02

The Inanguration of Taiwan’s Second Northern Freeway

To reduce the increasingly heavy traffic load on the northern section of the Sun Yat-sen Freeway, the Executive Yuan approved construction of a Second Northern Freeway in 1984. Construction started in 1987 and the freeway was scheduled to be completed and opened in late August of 1997.


The Directorate General of Posts plans to print a pair of Commemorative Stamps on the Opening of the Second Northern Freeway of Taiwan, one showing the freeway crossing over the Bitan Bridge of the Shindian River and the other a view of the Interchange in Hsinchu.


The total length of the Second Northern Freeway is about 117 kilometers, and includes the following sections (1) the main freeway, which runs along the edge of the east side mountains of northern Taiwan and the South edge of metropolitan Taipei. It branches out from the Sun Yat-sen Freeway near Shijr, and connects to the Interchange of the Hsinchu system at the southern edge of the Hsinchu Science-Based Industrial Park, which connects to the Sun Yat-sen Freeway, (2) the inner circle, which branches out from the main freeway in the area near Yingge, goes through Taoyuan and connects to the airport interchange of the Sun Yat-sen Freeway, serving as the second express road providing access to the Chiang Kai-shek International Airport; and (3) the Taipei spur, which branches out from the main line in the area near Mucha and connects to existing and planned expressway systems of Taipei City.

Stamp Issue: 1997-08-26

Hot Springs in Taiwan

Located on the seismic zone that rings the Pacific Ocean, Taiwan abounds with volcanic topography and geothermal energy. These are necessary for sulfur springs. What’s more, the metamorphic and sedimentary rock on the either side of the Central Mountain Range are full of minerals which react with hydrogen carbonate ions, which is necessary for carbonated springs. All told, there are over 100 hot springs of various kinds around the island. There are also very few cold springs. But Taiwan is endowed with hot springs, cold springs, murky hot springs, and seabed hot springs. In response to the government’s call to publicize the beauty of Taiwan’s hot springs so as to encourage citizens to take vacations, promote tourism and stimulate the economy, Chunghwa Post has chosen four different types of springs in four famous scenic locations as a set of four stamps on hot springs in Taiwan. The stamps feature the Yangmingshan Hot Springs, the Suao Cold Springs, the Guanziling Murky Hot Springs and the Green Island Seabed Hot Springs. On the upper left corner of each stamp is a teardrop-shaped window with the picture of a local landmark or vista. The main designs of the stamps feature images of people soaking in the springs, thus showing the pleasure involved. In the lower left corner of each stamp is a symbol that denotes hot springs.


1) Yangmingshan Hot Springs (NT$5): Most hot springs here are sulfur springs, with a temperature ranging between 60° to 70°C. This water is for bathing only. Approach Yangmingshan through Yangde Boulevard and then take the Yang-Jin Highway. Along the highway, many signs indicate previous volcanic activity. The landscapes of Siaoyoukeng and Sulfur Valley fumaroles are the spots that are well worth a stop. A picture of these fumaroles is found in the teardrop-shaped window on the upper left corner of the stamp.

2) Suao Cold Springs (NT$5): It rains a lot in the Suao area, and rainwater percolates down into the earth’s crust to a depth of about 2,000 meters, reaching cracks in the slate. Then, as a result of tectonic movement, the carbonate content in the rocks dissolves and releases a large amount of carbon dioxide, making the underground water bubbly and pushing it to the surface in the form of carbonated cold springs. The springs here are used for drinking as well as bathing. The temperature of the water is about 22°C. The design of the stamp includes Cold Springs Park and Nanfangao Bridge.


Nanfangao Bridge was inaugurated in June, 1998. The bridge connects Su-Ao Port and Nan-Fang-Ao. The single-arch suspension bridge has special fish, shrimp and crab designs on the bridge column that symbolize the ocean. There is also a landscape platform for tourists to overlook vessels in and out of the fishing port.

3) Guanziling Murky Hot Springs (NT$10): The rising spring water here brings minerals, salt and mud particles with them when it goes through the mudstone layers below the surface, making the spring water look murky and even black. Therefore, it is also known in Chinese as the Black Hot Spring. This is an alkaline carbonate spring, of a temperature about 75°C. This water is for bathing only. Featured in the teardrop-shaped window on the upper left corner of the stamp is a photo of the famous ShueiHuoTongYuan (which means “where water and fire spring from the same source”). The reason for this spectacular phenomenon is that spring water and natural gas are both coming out of the cliff surface at Mt. Jhentou, so that when the gas is lit, you get water and fire together.

4) Green Island Seabed Hot Springs (NT$25): The hot springs here rise out of groups of rocks and reefs along the shore. The temperature of these acidic sulfur springs ranges between 53° to 93°C. The water has a high salt content and is undrinkable. The teardrop-shaped window in the upper left corner features the island’s most famous landmark: the Green Island Lighthouse.

Stamp Issue: 2003-12-14

Taiwan Scenery

Taiwan is a long, narrow island oriented in a north-south direction. Situated on the southeastern side of the Asian continent, on the island arc of East Asia, it occupies a pivotal link for transportation within the Asia-Pacific region. With air links in all directions, it is very convenient for traveling. The topography of Taiwan is very complex and diverse, and there is an abundance of dramatic scenery, including mountains, craggy hills, plains, basins, islands, longitudinal valleys and seacoasts. What’s more, with the Tropic of Cancer passing through the middle of Taiwan, there are tropical, subtropical and temperate ecosystems, and the resulting biodiversity constitutes a great resource for tourism. To promote the beauty of Taiwan to people abroad, Chunghwa Post has specially chosen four famous scenic spots for a set of Taiwan Scenery Postage Stamps.

1) Taichung’s Chungshan Park (NT$5): Built in 1903, it is also called Taichung Park. It has an area of 10.5 hectares. The graceful classical-styled Huhsin Pavilions in the park’s lake are its most representative feature. Their red roofs and snow-white walls resemble two bamboo hats. Among the most famous landmarks of Taichung City, these are great places for Taichung residents to relax.

Chungchen Bridge is a small stone arch bridge in Taichung’s Chungshan Park. 

2) Ilan’s Dongshan River (NT$5): The Dongshan River, which has been straightened, is Ilan’s fifth largest river and one of the county’s most renowned scenic spots. Apart from the scenery along the river, the arched bridge spanning the river and its reflection in the water (which serve as a symbol for the Cingshuei Water Park) also provide beautiful vistas.

Lizegane Bridge crosses the Dongshan River. 

3) Tianliao’s 'Moonscape'(NT$11): These 'badland' have been formed by years of strong rain and river erosion, which have washed away the soft, blue-gray and slightly salty mudstone to leave this barren and rugged 'moonscape.

4) Chenggong’s Sansiantai (NT$20): Sansiantai (Terrace of the Three Immortals) is a coral reef island with lots of huge rocks on land and coral reefs in the sea around it. With an area of about three hectares, the island is connected to Taiwan proper by a beautiful 320-meter-long footbridge.

Stamp Issue: 2003-10-28

Bridge of Taiwan (II)

Following the first set released in April of 2007, this Post is issuing the second set in its “Bridges of Taiwan” series, which features bridges of central Taiwan. Their designs follow:

1) Wurih Bridge, Taichung (NT$5.00):

Spanning the Han River, this beautiful cable-stayed bridge is the gateway to Taiwan High Speed Rail’s Wurih Station for Taichung City, Taichung County and the Nantou area. Opened to traffic in January of 2004, it has a total length of 179 meters and a width of over 20 meters. This stylish steel bridge has become a new landmark in Wurih township. 

2) Jilu Bridge, Nantou (NT$5.00):

Spanning the Jhuoshuei River, the Jilu Bridge connects Jiji and Lugu Townships. It was opened to traffic in 2004 and has a total length of 967 meters and a width of 24 meters. It was the first side-spar cable-stayed bridge entirely built of concrete in Taiwan. The under-the-bridge illumination creates spectacular nighttime scenery. The bridge supports both transportation and tourism.

3) Shueiyun Bridge, Shueili (NT$12.00):

Spanning the Shueili River, the bridge has a total length of 96 meters and a width of 3 meters. Completed in 2005, it was the first bridge in Nantou County to fully adopt solar lighting for nighttime illumination. Its colorful flashing lights are a traffic stopper. 

4) Sindong Bridge, Miaoli (NT$15.00):

Spanning the Houlong River, this bridge in Gongguan Township is the gateway to Miaoli City. Opened to traffic in 1997, this symmetrical twin-tower cable-stayed bridge has a total length of over 320 meters and a width of 21 meters.

Stamp Issue: 2008-05-12

Bridge of Taiwan (I)

Human civilizations have usually started around rivers, and bridges have continuously helped civilizations move to new realms. Today, bridges not only serve a transportation function but also spur economic and cultural development. There are different types of bridges for different geographic environments, and often bridges become fixtures in the local landscape and symbols of a locale. To introduce the beauty of Taiwan bridges, Taiwan Post is issuing a set of four stamps featuring bridges of northernTaiwan. The designs of the stamps follow:

1) The Kanjin Bridge, Taoyuan (NT$5.00):

Spanning the Dahan River, around a kilometer upstream of  the Wuling Bridge, this silver gray steel arch bridge has become a new landmark in Dasi, Taoyuan  County. The Kanjin Bridge was completed in August, 2002. It has a total length of over 800 meters and a width of over 20 meters. 

2) The Fusing Bridge, Luofu (NT$5.00):

There are two bridges that connect Luofu village with Siayunping. The lavender Fusing Bridge, completed in 1966, is an old suspension bridge with a total length of some 150 meters and a width of some 4 meters. The retired Fusing Bridge was then turned into a footbridge where pedestrians can take in a panoramic view of the beautiful

surroundings. It is now one of the great scenic overlooks of the North Cross-Island Highway.

3) The MacArthur Second Bridge, Taipei (NT$12.00):

Finished in 1995, this basket handle Nielsen Type steel arch bridge is the first of its kind in Taiwan, measuring 400 meters long and 18.7 meters wide. Its "basket handle" and cables (stretched at 60-degree angle) give it a three-dimensional structural power and beauty. 

4) The Dajhih Bridge, Taipei (NT$15.00):

The Dajhih Bridge is the first cable-stayed bridge with a single pylon in the shape of a fishing rod in the city. In January 2003, the main span was opened to traffic. The bridge has a total length of 820. At night, when its red cables and pylon are illuminated, it sets off the beautiful scenery of neighboring Keelung River Park.

Stap Issue: 2007-04-12