"Shovel Superman" Statues Unveiled to Commemorate the Warmest Figures of Hualien's Guangfu Flood
To honor the more than 500,000 volunteers who assisted after last year's devastating floods in Guangfu Township, Hualien, two "Shovel Superman" statues were unveiled in front of Guangfu Station. Spearheaded by the Global Federation of Chinese Business Women, the statues serve as a memorial and a new tourist attraction.
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- 📰 Published: April 23, 2026 at 15:05
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Central News Agency
(CNA Reporter Chang Chi, Hualien, 23rd) Last year, Guangfu Township in Hualien suffered severe flooding after an overflow from a landslide dam on the Mataian River, severely damaging the Guangfu area. Over 500,000 volunteer visits from all over the country spontaneously entered the disaster area to assist with recovery. A civic group recently created "Shovel Superman" statues and placed them in front of the train station to commemorate these most heartwarming figures.
Two "Shovel Superman" statues were unveiled yesterday at Guangfu Train Station. One features a figure wearing a superman suit, holding a shovel and wearing rain boots, while the other portrays a figure deeply engrossed in shoveling mud. The donating organization hopes everyone will always remember that during Guangfu's hardest times, a group of people with the most ordinary figures bent down in the mud to shovel up hope with their own hands.
Lin Shu-min, President of the Global Federation of Chinese Business Women, stated that after the disaster, they gathered the strength of all chapters and raised over NT$11 million in just two weeks. They donated 40 motorcycles and 2 disaster relief vehicles to the affected area, and every time she visits Hualien, she witnesses a different kind of rebirth.
Lin Shu-min added that during the relief efforts, "Shovel Supermen" from everywhere voluntarily stepped into the disaster zone to help restore homes. She hopes this spirit can remain in Guangfu forever so the victims remember how many people helped them rebuild.
The idea for the Shovel Superman statues came from the Hualien Chapter of the Federation. Chapter President Lin Fang-chao said the "Shovel Superman" represents Taiwan's precious kindness and warmth. Beyond commemorating this spirit of mutual aid through the statues, they hope it becomes a check-in landmark for Guangfu, revitalizing the township's and Hualien's tourism industry.
The Global Federation of Chinese Business Women also visited elementary and junior high schools in Guangfu Township to donate sportswear and uniforms, and established an academic progress award to encourage students to study hard.
(CNA Reporter Chang Chi, Hualien, 23rd) Last year, Guangfu Township in Hualien suffered severe flooding after an overflow from a landslide dam on the Mataian River, severely damaging the Guangfu area. Over 500,000 volunteer visits from all over the country spontaneously entered the disaster area to assist with recovery. A civic group recently created "Shovel Superman" statues and placed them in front of the train station to commemorate these most heartwarming figures.
Two "Shovel Superman" statues were unveiled yesterday at Guangfu Train Station. One features a figure wearing a superman suit, holding a shovel and wearing rain boots, while the other portrays a figure deeply engrossed in shoveling mud. The donating organization hopes everyone will always remember that during Guangfu's hardest times, a group of people with the most ordinary figures bent down in the mud to shovel up hope with their own hands.
Lin Shu-min, President of the Global Federation of Chinese Business Women, stated that after the disaster, they gathered the strength of all chapters and raised over NT$11 million in just two weeks. They donated 40 motorcycles and 2 disaster relief vehicles to the affected area, and every time she visits Hualien, she witnesses a different kind of rebirth.
Lin Shu-min added that during the relief efforts, "Shovel Supermen" from everywhere voluntarily stepped into the disaster zone to help restore homes. She hopes this spirit can remain in Guangfu forever so the victims remember how many people helped them rebuild.
The idea for the Shovel Superman statues came from the Hualien Chapter of the Federation. Chapter President Lin Fang-chao said the "Shovel Superman" represents Taiwan's precious kindness and warmth. Beyond commemorating this spirit of mutual aid through the statues, they hope it becomes a check-in landmark for Guangfu, revitalizing the township's and Hualien's tourism industry.
The Global Federation of Chinese Business Women also visited elementary and junior high schools in Guangfu Township to donate sportswear and uniforms, and established an academic progress award to encourage students to study hard.