Parks and natural landscapes
Datanbi Park
Name：DatanPi Park
Village：Songjiao Village
Location ：Wanglai Road, Songjiao Village, Guanmiao District
Features：Datanpi of Songjiao Village was constructed during the reign of Prince Jheng of the Ming Dynasty. The reservoir was once known as Biyitan, holding an abundance of water for irrigating the surrounding plains, making them some of the most fertile lands in the region, giving rise to the Siangyang Chunnou (spring mantle of paddy fields), one of the 8 wonders of Taiwan Prefecture.
In 1951, the joint board of directors of the Chinese Christian University of the United States decided to establish a university in Taiwan (the in-stitution established is the modern day Tunghai University). When sur-veying the location for the campus, the fine landscape of Datanbi proved to be extremely alluring. However, this motion was vehemently opposed by a group of local elites (known as the Changku Kui Jhai). The chance of becoming a cultured university town was thus handed over to Tai-chung instead.
In September 1957, then Tainan County Government made plans to construct a public military cemetery in this area. The Taiwan Provincial Government thus issued a construction budget of NT$ 862,928. Work began in early March 1958, starting with land acquisition, moving of set-tler graveyards, compensation for surface rights, preparation of con-struction grounds, construction of the mourning hall, memorial stele, gateway, walkways, slope protection, gazebos, water and electricity ca-bles, construction of internal roads and connecting routes, and land-scaping. The cemetery was completed in late April, 1959, and included 200 grave plots and a columbarium for 1440 urns.
Many residents felt it was a shame that Datanpi University never materi-alised, and that the land was used instead as a military cemetery, which was later designated as a public cemetery. Despite having good Fengshui, the cemetery greatly impacted the local landscapes. The Dis-trict Office worked hard to relocate the military cemetery elsewhere. In 1999, the area was successfully converted to Datanpi Wanglai Park. The new Park was selected to host the opening ceremony of Guanmiao Pineapples and Bamboo Shoots Festival in order to celebrate the new birth of Datanpi. Guanmiao Township Office placed great importance on Park operations. In the New Guanmiao Township Construction Project – Final Report, the Township Office made plans to integrate Datanpi within the natural ecosystem and environment. Major projects include a theme-based gateway, waterside facilities, footpaths around the lake, sightseeing and fishing platforms, and general landscaping and aesthet-ics. The aim is to re-define the Park as a leading recreational destination along the Nanguan line. This project was one of the major undertakings of the county government in integrating Bitang landscape and natural resources in the region with the Bitang aquatic corridor.