Sunday’s magnitude 6.8 earthquake in Taitung has caused massive damage to buildings and infrastructure. Now one community may lose most of its yearly tourism earnings, leaving questions on how to move forward.
Two earthquakes rocked eastern Taiwan this past Sunday, damaging buildings and infrastructure. One Hualien resident says a wall surrounding his house collapsed onto a neighboring kindergarten. That left him worried about the children’s safety.
The quake also caused the Lun Tian Bridge to collapse. That left a nearby structure’s foundation damaged. With elderly residents regularly meeting in the area, some of their relatives living in faraway Taipei rushed back to assess the situation.
One resident’s daughter says half of her father’s home has been hollowed out as a result of the tremor.
Locals have been left surprised at the damage caused. One especially hard-hit spot has been the Sixty Stone Mountain area.
One local coffee shop owner says the quake has more or less ended the tourist season, causing incalculable losses.
About 100,000 visitors come to the mountain each year to see the Orange Day-lillies bloom. Now business owners are saying they may lose 50 to 60% of their potential earnings this season because the area is too damaged for tourism. Now all they can do is wait for next season to make up for their losses.