1:47am on Sep.21 1999, the biggest earthquake in Taiwan's seismic history happened. Even though two years have passed, the horrific memory still exists in people's minds.

According to the testing analysis of Central Weather Bureau , the scale of 921 Earthquake was 7.3. The epicenter was in Chi Chi Town, Nan Tou County, so it was also named "Chichi Earthquake". The depth is only one kilometer. At least scale-3 quake happened all over the country. The strongest shaking magnitude, scale 6, was in Nan Tou and Taichung City near the epicenter. Taipei was scale 4. Serious disaster news was reported from all over the country.

Establish emergency command center immediately

When all the country felt the fear of the horrific 921 Earthquake, director Lin Yi Ho and primary secretary Guo Nian Xiong arrived at Central Disaster Prevention Center to command at 2:30am. Through the press, we requested all architects, structure technicians and ground technicians etc. (over 1500 people who have ever participated in "post-disaster building emergency

estimation personnel lecture" held in April ~ June 1999) to report to the disaster rescue command center in all counties and cities, and work together to investigate the disaster areas.

At that time, Taiwan Architect Association's offices in all counties and cities had established a rescue team and reported to Public works Bureau to offer the counseling service of rescue, inspection and building public safety, etc.

We actively helped people reinforce the buildings according the post-disaster building estimation result to secure people's lives and property.

On the day of 921 Earthquake, director Lin Yi Ho accompanied Executive Yuan Premier Xiao Wan Zhang to investigate Nan Tou disaster areas and vice director Lui Qing Nan convened colleagues to establish an emergency command center to cope with any possible effect of the disaster. Our heavy machinery teams of north, central and south areas were on standby and were going to cooperate with all counties and cities' rescue centers to enter the damaged areas. Among them, heavy machinery team of central area was deep into the disaster areas to operate rescue missions.