◎ Hong Jinfeng
"Shovel Superman" from various counties and cities and local people took to the streets on September 26 holding yellow sunflower balloons, symbolizing that Guangfu Township has stood up again from the disaster. (File photo) The Matai'an River barrier lake in Guangfu Township, Hualien County was flooded on September 23 last year. It has just celebrated its anniversary. Thinking of the floods and mud disasters that caused many residents to be displaced. The entire Guangfu Township and surrounding villages were submerged in mud. Houses and furniture were soaked in water. All daily necessities, even cars, were damaged. Washed away by the incoming flood, some residents stood on higher floors waiting for rescue. There was still sadness in their hearts. They felt powerless against the ruthlessness of natural disasters and uncontrollable disasters. However, when they witnessed the heart-warming acts of kindness in the world and the superman with a shovel who came to rescue, they felt moved beyond the helplessness caused by natural disasters.
The first anniversary of the recovery of the Matai On River flood disaster
I saw news reports on the anniversary of the flood: "The government has built intermediate houses for victims to stay. Even though the living environment is simple and inconvenient, some people are unwilling to leave their beloved Guangfu Township." Guangfu Township, which was originally beautiful, leisurely, with good mountains and rivers, and not well-known, is a place that people yearn for for a slow life and a paradise for retirement. Unexpectedly, the news that became famous overnight turned out to be "floods and raging mud disasters."
At this time last year, everyone was happily preparing to reunite for the Mid-Autumn Festival (10/6). The wind and rain brought by Typhoon Huagasa caused the barrier lake in Matai'an River, Guangfu Township, to burst its banks. A large amount of sediment rushed downwards, and many villages were submerged in a short time. Some people disappeared into the sediment before they had time to escape.
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At first, because the information about the disaster was not yet clear at the time, we in the south did not feel the seriousness of the disaster. After a day or two, pictures of villages affected by the disaster and waiting for rescue, trucks washed away by water, without electricity and water, and mud and sand everywhere gradually appeared on various social networking sites and news media. With more and more news reports, everyone began to face the seriousness of the disaster and pay attention to the safety of the local people.
Affected by the passage of Typhoon Huagasa, the barrier lake located in the upper reaches of Hualien's Matai'an River overflowed on the afternoon of September 23, 2025, and a large amount of muddy water washed into Guangfu Township downstream, causing serious disasters in the area. (File photo) Shovel Superman gathers and rushes to Hualien for disaster relief
Within a few days, many "warriors" from all over the world began to put on rain boots, pick up shovels, and go to the disaster area at their own expense to rescue. With their enthusiastic hearts, they gathered more and more strength, and more and more people were enthusiastic about saving and helping others. At that time, the topic that everyone talked about when they met was: "Have you gone to Hualien for disaster relief?" or "When are you going to Hualien?"
There are more volunteers that I know and don't know, and they all meet to go to Hualien together. The focus of everyone is not to travel, but the common purpose is to help Guangfu Township dredge the silt so that the residents can have a safe place to live and move forward.
As passionate as I am, I just had the opportunity to go with the Marine Corps officers and soldiers. During the dredging process, I saw officers and soldiers, civilians, and foreigners of different skin colors, regardless of gender and age. Everyone's face was sweating, their bodies were covered with mud, and their skin was tanned. They were shoveling mud and digging seriously on the muddy streets. Although everyone's expressions were not smiling, I could see that there was selfless love in their expressions.
That is the most beautiful picture I have ever seen.
The volunteer known as the "Shovel Superman" helped clean up homes on the muddy streets of Guangfu Township, Hualien last year. (File photo) It has been a year, and those pictures of friendship still exist in my heart. They knock on my door from time to time and tell me: "Time passes by and time leaves no one behind. But you, me, and we, who once showed great love in the dredging of Guangfu Township, will never forget the influx of all the love and the strength of everyone's unity during those days."
On the anniversary of the flood, I hope that the light will revive and the people will be healthy. I hope that in the future we will live in a place with good mountains and good water. Although wind, rain and earthquakes will inevitably come, please God bless us with only minor intrusions of wind, rain, and minor earthquakes, so that people can live and grow in a safe environment.
(The author is an administrative staff member)
