The Shihkang Dam is situated on the lower reaches of the Tachia River in central Taiwan. The 140-kilometer long Tachia River, originating in Taiwan's high central mountain range and running westward through Taichung County before draining into the Taiwan straits, generates the largest amount of hydroelectric power of any river in Taiwan. The catchment area above the Shihkang Dam is 1,061 square kilometers, equal to 85 percent of the river's total catchment area. There are three sizable hydroelectric generating plants upstream of the Shihkang Dam, which has the secondary functions of providing public water supply and a recreation area for tourists. Construction of the dam started on Oct. 31, 1974, and was completed on Oct. 15, 1977. The dam's normal high water level is EL 267 meters, and its storage capacity is 2.7 million cubic meters. The total cost of construction work was US$12 million. When the construction work started in 1974, Hung Bin-ling, then head of the first engineering department of the Taiwan Provincial Water Conservancy Bureau, was put in overall charge of the engineers appointed to do the work. When several people suggested that foreign advisers be asked to help with the construction, Mr. Hung demurred because he believed that Chinese engineers alone could complete the project. Aware of his great responsibility, Hung faced his challenge. His working team faced many difficulties. Chief among them were the typhoons which struck the central part of the island, causing damage to the unfinished project. But through hard work and cooperation, the dam was finally dedicated in 1977. The man making the biggest contribution, it is generally agreed, was Hung, a native of Chiayi. A graduate of the National Taiwan University in 1954, he has since been working for the Taiwan Provincial Water Conservancy Bureau. During his career, he never dreamed of fame or fortune. He is a simple man who has to rely on gestures to help his oral expression. Calling himself a "surgeon of the earth," he eventually began to regard the dam with same affection as one might accord a son. "No matter how ugly a son may be, his parents love him. In this way, I love the Shihkang Dam and feel a deep sense of gratitude over the satisfaction and sense of fulfilment it has brought me," he explained.
