Taiwan’s Volunteer Bridge Builders: The Chiayi Ant Army – Snack 09
In 1960s rural Taiwan, crossing a river could be deadly. After children drowned on their way to school, a small group of charity workers in Chiayi decided to act. They had previously provided rice and coffins to the poor. But now they turned to building bridges in rural, often remote mountain areas. Nicknamed the “Ant Army,” they worked in human chains, carrying rocks and pouring concrete by hand. Their raw physical effort was supported by the expertise and guidance of engineer Ho Ming-teh (何明德1922–1998) who would be internationally recognized for his contribution. By the time of his death, Ho and the Chiayi Philanthropy Group had built more than 200 bridges.
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- In 1960s rural Taiwan, crossing dangerous rivers without proper bridges posed a deadly threat, especially to school children.
- A dedicated group of charity workers in Chiayi shifted their focus from providing rice and coffins to constructing vital rural bridges.
- Nicknamed the "Ant Army," these volunteers worked tirelessly in human chains, moving rocks and pouring concrete entirely by hand.
- The massive physical effort of the volunteers was guided by the expertise of engineer Ho Ming-teh, who received international recognition for his humanitarian contributions.
- By the time of his passing in 1998, Ho Ming-teh and the Chiayi Philanthropy Group had successfully built more than 200 bridges across remote areas.
In 1960s rural Taiwan, crossing a river could be deadly. After children drowned on their way to school, a small group of charity workers in Chiayi decided to act. They had previously provided rice and coffins to the poor. But now they turned to building bridges in rural, often remote mountain areas. Nicknamed the “Ant Army,” they worked in human chains, carrying rocks and pouring concrete by hand. Their raw physical effort was supported by the expertise and guidance of engineer Ho Ming-teh (何明德1922–1998) who would be internationally recognized for his contribution. By the time of his death, Ho and the Chiayi Philanthropy Group had built more than 200 bridges.
NOTES
Some of the people mentioned in the episode include:
Lín Bǐngshān 林炳山, an early organizer and one of the original founders of the charity group, and Hé Míngdé 何明德, who was trained in civil engineering and surveying and became the movement’s best-known leader. In 1995, Hé was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership.
We also mention some of the volunteers, including “Squid,” a former gangster transformed by his experience of bridge-building, and A-Zhen, a woman diagnosed with terminal cancer who devoted her remaining years to charitable work.
The main source for this Formosa Files Snack was the 2003 Chinese-language book 《憨人造大橋》 (Hānrén Zào Dàqiáo) by Lài Shùmíng 賴樹明. Possible English translations of the title include Fools Build Great Bridges and The Honest Fools Who Built Bridges.
https://www.eslite.com/product/1001131801290992
A second source (which has some excellent photographs of the charity members at work) was the March 1997 edition of Panorama Magazine.
Charity website:
https://www.chiayidogood.org/
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Ho Ming-teh?
Ho Ming-teh (1922–1998) was an engineer who guided the Chiayi Philanthropy Group in building over 200 bridges in rural Taiwan, earning international recognition for his contributions.
What was the Chiayi Ant Army?
The Ant Army was a nickname for a group of volunteers in Chiayi, Taiwan, who worked in human chains to manually carry rocks and pour concrete for bridge-building projects in the 1960s.
Why did the Chiayi Philanthropy Group start building bridges?
After tragic incidents where children drowned while trying to cross dangerous rivers on their way to school, the charity workers decided to take action by building safe river crossings in remote areas.