5. Summary

There are many guesses about where the name “Erbashui” came from. There are those who make guesses based on the shape of the river, the name of the canal, or from homonyms. However, regardless of the actual reason, the various factors show that they all manifest a common meaning – water, and the importance of elements such as “Jhuoshuei River and its branches” and “canal.” This is a greatly influential and indispensable element for the lives of Ershui Township residents.

This feature in the natural environment can be seen from the names of villages in Ershui Township. Some are named for the canals, for example: Watsainei, Chiantsailiao, Erbatsai, Shuiweitsai; and there are those named for the Jhuoshuei River or its branches, such as: Chingshuitsai, Guohsitsai. Also, since Ershui Township is next to a mountain, there are also names based on the mountain and mountainous landscapes, such as: Longtsaitou, Bitsaitou, Dachiuyuan, Hutsainei. These explain the natural environment of Ershui Township. Simply put, it is “good mountain, good water, good Ershui.”

In addition, seen from the culture, Ershui Township could be seen as a model of “wresting land from the river, relying on food from the mountain,” with diligent and hardworking residents who worked hard to cultivate the land. The early image of “Sidiputsai” as an uncultivated field with many wild rabbits and other animals gradually transformed into an image of fertile farmlands; as long as there was farmland, people would work hard to cultivate them. Thus, the hillsides turned into orchards and the riverbed turned into rice farms. People of Ershui Township have always been proud of their abundant and diverse agricultural specialties, such as white shaddock, rice, guava, eggplant, and black soil red sugarcane. These features are also expressed in the names of villages. For instance, Jietungken famous for wild game from the mountain also produces various types of fruit, Liutsaikeng is famous for white shaddock, Taotsaiyuan was named for massive peach orchards in the early days, and Yuchitsai that had fisheries in the past.

In sum, regardless of the origins of the name “Erbashui,” it is a manifestation of the special characteristics of the Ershui area, and tells us about that the living conditions of the local residents, the natural scenery, and cultural characteristics, all come from water. “Hydraulic engineering” is also an indispensable element in the competition with the natural environment. Thus, the name “Er(ba)shui,” is a perfect way to capture the situation.