The Chinese proverb Remember Where Water Comes From can be found on the wall outside the offices of the Taiwan Water Corporation (TWC). Whilst the Taipei Water Department (TWD) looks after water for the capital, Taiwan Water Corporation is responsible for the rest of the country.
Because the sign is in Taiwan, it is written in traditional Chinese characters. Simplified characters were in use earlier in the 20th century but the government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the 1950s and 60s mandated their use with a view to improving the education of the population. The proverb’s meaning is literal and metaphorical: it is easy to take things for granted with which we are overfamiliar.