Local hero protects old trees

When retired school teacher Liao Shou-yi (廖守義), aged 58, picked up his "Honorable Taipei Citizen" award last Wednesday for his efforts since the early 1990s to preserve old trees in Taipei, many said this was the perfect award for a person like Liao, who had put so much of himself into the city.

"He's crazy about trees, especially old trees. Such characters are extremely lacking in a city like Taipei, where there is little respect for people -- let alone trees," said Hugh Lin (林正修), director of the city's civil affairs bureau.

"The fact that Liao has been selected this year as an `Honorable Taipei Citizen' was intended to highlight the lack of this kind of spirit in Taipei -- that is, respect for trees," said Lin, who had joined Liao in his efforts to save an old tree along Hoping East Road several years ago, when Lin was still a student.

Liao's neighbors, whose house is located next to a 115-year-old linden hibiscus tree on Chungteh Street in Taipei's Hsinyi district, have had a good opportunity to observe him.

"I often see Liao bringing experts and climbing enthusiasts to visit the tree. He knows a lot about old trees, and he deserves the title," said Lin Ching-fu (林慶福), who is ward chief in the city's Lishun neighborhood (黎順里).

The day after receiving the award, Liao returned to the 115-year-old linden hibiscus tree for another visit, and told the story of what sparked him to devote himself to the preservation of old trees.

According to Liao, it was the sight of a 25-meter-tall banyan tree in 1992 when he was mountain climbing with his wife, that inspired him to seek out old trees. After he retired from teaching in 1994, he scoured Taipei for them.

Liao said that Taiwan's golden-rain tree (also known as the flamegold tree) and the Taiwan cherry are two of his favorites. He added that he had a particular affection for old trees.

"Old trees can be regarded as the real `Honorable Taipei Citizens' because they are faithful to places where they were born, never departing from their birthplace," he said.

After he retired, Liao began to scour the city for old trees, winning himself the nickname "the father to old trees," which was given him by acquaintances and community members.

In 1995, Liao was invited by the Wenshan district office to design guided tours to advertise the old trees as a destination for eco-tourism, in the same way that historic sites such as old temples are venues for conventional tourism.

In May 1995, the Taiwan Tree Lovers' Archive Workshop (台灣愛樹人文史工作室), which Liao founded earlier the same year, worked with the city government to hold a birthday party for the district's banyan tree -- nicknamed Chiangmu tree (薑母樹). It was the first event of this kind in Taipei.

Chen Che-nan (陳哲男), former director of the city's civil affairs bureau, then invited Liao and his counterparts to organize a series of tours of Taipei's old trees during that summer.

At the same time, Liao was invited by the bureau to work with Wu Chih-chin (吳智慶) to conduct a thorough survey of old trees in Taipei, culminating in the publication of the book Valuable Old Trees in Taipei City (台北市珍貴老樹) in December 1995. The book gives detailed information about the height, age, location, health and anecdotes of over 80 old trees in Taipei.

Chen, now deputy commissioner of Tainan City, said Liao's devotion to his work on old trees in Taipei impressed him. "He has great persistence. He could spend the whole day with trees. He could tell what sort of illness a tree is infected with by merely looking at the leaves," Chen said.