The Keelung River () is a river in northern

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the no ...

. The Keelung River originates in the mountains west-northwest of the town of Jingtong in Pingxi District,

New Taipei City New Taipei City is a special municipality located in northern Taiwan. The city is home to an estimated population of 3,974,683 as of 2022, making it the most populous city of Taiwan, and also the second largest special municipality by area, b ...

, flows down to a

rift valley A rift valley is a linear shaped lowland between several highlands or mountain ranges created by the action of a geologic rift. Rifts are formed as a result of the pulling apart of the lithosphere due to extensional tectonics. The linear d ...

and then flows ENE to Sandiaoling. Then it flows northward to a point between Jiufen and

Keelung City Keelung () or Jilong () (; Hokkien POJ: '), officially known as Keelung City, is a major port city situated in the northeastern part of Taiwan. The city is a part of the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area, along with its neighbors, New Tai ...

, and then heads back in a general WSW direction to

Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the ...

, where it joins the

Tamsui River The Tamsui River (alternatively Danshui River, ) is third longest river in Taiwan after Zhuoshui River and Gaoping River, with a total length of , flowing through Hsinchu County, Taoyuan, Taipei and New Taipei City. It is located in northern p ...

and flows out to sea. The land around the Keelung river was rich in gold and coal, and many areas were mined.

Geology

Park along the river is

Dajia Riverside Park The Dajia Riverside Park () is a park located in Zhongshan District, Taipei, Taiwan. Located between Zhongshan Bridge and Dazhi Bridge in Zhongshan District, Dajia Riverside Park is a metropolis-type greening park developed and constructed ...

Pollution

The Keelung River is heavily polluted by both raw sewage and industrial pollution from illegal industry. The restoration of the natural river is on the agenda of the Taipei City Government and several citizen organizations.

Events

During the 1880s, the French general Jacques Duchesne fought the Keelung campaign in the river basin, defeating the Chinese. On 4 February 2015, TransAsia Airways Flight 235, an

ATR-72 The ATR 72 is a twin-engine turboprop, short-haul regional airliner developed and produced in France and Italy by aircraft manufacturer ATR (french: Avions de transport régional or it, Aerei da Trasporto Regionale), a joint venture formed ...

operated by TransAsia Airways, crashed into the river, close to the

Nanhu Bridge Nanhu () may refer to the following in mainland China or Taiwan: *Nanhu Mountain (南湖大山), 3,740 m-high mountain in Taiwan * Nanhu District (南湖区), in Jiaxing, Zhejiang, China ;Lakes (南湖) * South Lake (Nanning), Guangxi * South Lake ...

in Taipei, resulting in 43 fatalities and 17 injuries, including two on the ground.

River straightening

In the second half of the 20th century, the Keelung river has undergone several manmade changes to reduce flooding and accommodate growth of the Taipei. These include straightening of the river's path near the districts of Nangang, Neihu and Shilin.

References

Rivers of Taiwan Landforms of New Taipei Landforms of Keelung Landforms of Taipei {{Taiwan-river-stub

Geology

Pollution

Events

River straightening

See also

References