On Jan. 18, 1964, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck at 8:04pm in southern Taiwan. Tainan’s Baihe (白河) and Dongshan (東山) districts, as well as Chiayi County, were greatly affected. Later known as the 1964 Baihe Earthquake, it caused severe damage and about 100 deaths. This year marks the earthquake’s 60th anniversary. In the interest of remembrance and preparedness, government and non-governmental organizations should host commemorations.
Taiwan is prone to seismic events. Scientists and experts have observed and recorded earthquake cycles on Taiwan proper for many years. In 1946, a magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Tainan’s Hsinhua District (新化), and in 2016, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Kaohsiung’s Meinong Township (美濃).
Ceremonies or activities commemorating earthquakes in southern Taiwan should be organized for two main purposes: to enhance disaster awareness and to teach the public to be prepared for natural disasters.
On Sept. 1 last year in Japan, numerous events and activities were organized to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. I was in Tokyo for an academic exchange at the time, and while there, I noticed that the Japanese Cabinet arranged numerous activities to boost disaster preparedness and emergency procedures awareness. Disaster prevention information was also widely visible.
News outlets, as well as metro and train stations, helped promote knowledge of the earthquake, showcasing architectural site details from the disaster’s wake, alongside memories and stories.
In 2020, on the 25th anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake, Kobe Mayor Kizo Hisamoto held a commemoration at the Kobe East Park plaza. I was in Kobe at that time and attended. About 6,000 people participated. The event organizers emphasized that they would remember the past so as to not repeat mistakes.
Apart from memorial services, the city held education activities on evacuation procedures and disaster preparedness.
In Taiwan, we regularly commemorate the 921 Earthquake that struck central Taiwan in 1999. A 921 Earthquake Museum of Taiwan was established in Taichung’s Wufeng District (霧峰).
Today, many who experienced the 1964 Baihe Earthquake are in their 70s, and their memories of the event could soon be lost. We must collect their stories.
Last year, while conducting research in Dongshan District, I visited the area severely affected by the 1964 earthquake and realized only a handful of stories have been recorded. Many Dongshan residents have forgotten the event. Those under the age of 70 cannot recall much. Some elderly people have shared their memories, but their precious stories have not been organized.
Photos, information and oral histories must be collected and published so knowledge of the earthquake could be preserved. I was fortunate to meet a man in his 70s who experienced the earthquake and learned from him that the district was severely impacted. An entire row of houses collapsed and about 20 people were killed.
Thanks to the Dongshan District Office, I was also able to talk with a lady in her 90s. She generously shared a few valuable pictures from before and after the earthquake. Through these two people, we could gain a clearer picture of the Baihe Earthquake.
At the 60th anniversary of the Baihe Earthquake, their memories and stories, once carefully recorded and curated, would strengthen disaster awareness and preparedness. That is the most important thing we could do for future generations.
Yang Yung-nane is a political science professor and former director of the Center of Science and Technology Governance at National Cheng Kung University.
Translated by Emma Liu
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