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  Chia-Nan Plain Environment》Landform and Soil

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▌Landform

The Taiwan Island is situated at the border of the East Asia Plate, and the Pacific Plate. The Pacific plate in the east continues to push west causing the Taiwan Island to rise. Therefore, the western coast is also known as The Upheaved Coast. The silt deposits of many rivers in the east west sediment and cause these rivers to continually extend to the west. Several hundreds of years ago, Daofeng Inland Water and Taijiang Inland Water were located in the west south part of the plain. As a result, rivers and floods caused sedimentation. The inland waters gradually dried up and became lands. Many of the harbors, towns and cities situated by the inland water no function as harbors. For instance, Madou Port is now several tens of kilometers away from the coast, so, it became an inland town. Also, the former Chi-Kan Tower of Tainan City by Taijiang Inland Water has now shifted further away from the coast.

The southern parts of Taiwan previously surrounded by vast inland waters during the Period of Dutch Occupation are now lands with the coast line shifted several kilometers away.
Source》Tainan City Government Culture Affairs Bureau Website

▌Soil: Salt Land in the Western Seas; Tian-tian (Heavenly Field) in the East

As explained earlier, rivers of Chia-Nan Plain often erode large amounts of silt deposits. Therefore, the soil found in the central part of the plain is alluvial soil. However, the areas close to the sea contain large quantities of saline soil. (Commonly called “Salt Area”) The salt land is not ideal for cultivating because of its salt content. Residents here therefore engage mostly in fishing or fish pond related works.      

The soil in the western side of the plain, according to data, is called “Older Alluvial Soil”. It is said that this type of soil is so hard in texture that it does not permit water infiltration. The rain is essential for crop growth. If there is inadequate rain, the soil will crack and the crops that grow in it will wither and die as well.

Since an abundant harvest depends on whether or not there is rainfall, the land is also known as Tian-tian (Heavenly Field), which means the rice paddy that resigns itself to fate.

  ▍Hsin Chia Elementary School ˙Houbi Township, Tainan County , Taiwan (R.O.C.)˙2008˙1024*768