Taipei residents caught off-guard by a sudden downpour can now take shelter under free umbrellas that have been made available at district offices, municipal hospitals, MRT stations and service centers for the elderly.
More than 14,000 of the "love umbrellas" were placed at various locations in Taipei yesterday thanks to a lifelong relationship between two old army friends.
The story began in late October when a retired veteran surnamed Hsu (
The Taipei City Government's Bureau of Social Affairs then tracked down Hsu and found out more about his gesture.
Sun, who lived alone, fell seriously ill in 1994. He left all his savings -- more than NT$700,000 -- to his old army buddy, Hsu, to take care of his funeral.
After deducting the funeral expenses, Hsu deposited the remaining NT$500,000 in the bank.
For years, Hsu kept the money and used the interest to pay for the maintenance of Sun's tomb.
With each passing year, Hsu began to feel his age and now has difficulty moving, making the trips to his friend's tomb a burden. He then started to worry about how to deal with the money.
One day, Hsu had a dream in which he "discussed with Sun" how to use the money. Sun told him to use the funds to buy umbrellas for those in need.
"Sun suggested that I go to the city government to discuss the matter," Hsu said.
The NT$500,000 was used to purchase 14,020 umbrellas, which are red and blue with wooden handles and display the words "Pass the love forward" written by Ma.
Bureau of Social Affairs officials selected Taipei Municipal Hoping Hospital, where Sun died, as the location of the donation ceremony where they disclosed the touching story.
Bureau officials urged the public to cherish the umbrellas and to return them after they have been used so that "the love can pass forward."
Hsu, who wants to keep a low-profile, was absent from the ceremony and asked only to keep one of the umbrellas in memory of his late colleague.
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