Hydraulic Engineering Office

Once a humble wooden plank bridge connecting Shilin, Beitou, and what is now New Taipei City, Shipai Bridge was affectionately nicknamed the “soft bridge” by locals, who recall how it used to sway under the weight of passing people and vehicles. Today, the Taipei Hydraulic Engineering Office (Taipei HEO) has revitalized both sides of the bridge embankment with a series of murals that bring the memories of Shihpai Bridge back to life. Every brushstroke and color tell a story of the people, places, and time that define this corner of the city.

The embankment mural project draws inspiration from My Home Disappeared, a locally published picture book by Taipei Municipal Zhong-zheng Senior High School that chronicles the history of the “soft bridge” area. Designed by rising illustrator and designer Humor star, the murals feature characters from the book—including a young girl named Xiaomi, a wise old Tree Grandpa, and a graceful egret—who guide viewers through scenes representing the past, present, and future.

In the “past” mural, viewers are immersed in imagery of early rural life: countryside fields, birdsong and blossoms, the historic Fuyu Temple, and traditional Sanheyuan courtyard houses. The characters from the book—Xiaomi, the egret, Tree Grandpa, and local residents—are woven into the landscape, evoking a powerful sense of local identity and nostalgia. The egret, depicted with a star in its beak, symbolizes the passing of hope from the past into the present.

In the “present” and “future” mural, the egret continues its hopeful flight. The scene unfolds with modern homes, the ever-familiar Fuyu Temple, a grown-up Xiaomi, the enduring Tree Grandpa, and a community working together to weave a starlit sky and open a “gateway of memories” that transcends time. Even as the scenery evolves, the memories and emotions of the residents endure. The mural concludes with an abstract artistic style, symbolizing the weaving of the future through imagination and the preservation of the past through memory—conveying the core themes of heritage, freedom, and hope.

Since the mid-Qing Dynasty, Shipai Bridge has served as a vital route for local farmers, continuing through the Japanese colonial era and into the early postwar years. It bears the footsteps and everyday memories of countless generations. A historical and cultural interpretation board beside the bridge continues to tell the story of this land and its people. The murals on both sides are not just visual highlights, but extensions of the bridge’s living memory. The public is warmly invited to stop by, take in the artwork, and reflect on the rich heritage and exciting future embodied by Shipai Bridge.