An orange “elephant” from Green Island (綠島) off the nation’s southeastern coast journeyed to Taiwan proper over the weekend in what its owner called a fulfillment of its dream to travel around Taiwan.
The elephant, actually an old playground slide designed in the shape of the animal, is serving as a cultural ambassador that embodies the environmental spirit of Green Island and hopes to unify all of Taiwan’s townships, said Lee Meng-fa (李孟發) the slide’s owner.
“I hope my elephant can make a lot of friends throughout his journey,” Lee said. “He is the guardian angel of Green Island and the friend of every Taiwanese.”
Photo: CNA
Lee said the elephant’s journey north was made to raise environmental awareness and encourage eco-friendliness, because the elephant slide barely escaped the fate of being discarded last year.
When Green Island Primary School tried to throw away the 24-year-old playground fixture — an object of childhood memory of many of the island’s 3,000 residents — Lee bought it for NT$100.
Determined to turn it into a public art work and a landmark for Green Island, Lee worked with Taitung Gungguan Primary School students to paint the slide and give it a new face.
Transporting the 3m long, 2m wide and 1.5m tall elephant was no easy task. After being shipped by ferry from Green Island to Taitung County, it changed cargo trains twice as it proceeded up the east coast before arriving in Yingge Township (鶯歌) at 8am on Friday.
Unable to accompany his “elephant” in the cargo train, Lee drove himself north to wait for his prized animal at Yingge Station, and when the 80kg elephant finally arrived, its fans and the station master cheered.
The “Green Island Elephant” has gained fame on Facebook, with almost 3,000 fans, and Lee believes it has plenty more to give as an icon for unity and environmentalism and a landmark for Green Island.
“A small [price of] NT$100 can create a big dream far beyond our imagination,” Lee said. “Who said it can’t be the icon of Taiwan just like the Little Mermaid -symbolizes Denmark?”
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