The Muzha Refuse Incineration Plant smokestack in Taipei’s Muzha District (木柵) is to be redecorated with images of Taiwanese blue magpies, banyan trees and rhododendrons, Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said on Wednesday.
The 150m smokestack currently features images of giraffes.
Ko in a Facebook post cited wear and tear as the reason for the new paint job.
Photo provided by the Environmental Protection Administration
The change is part of a planned refurbishment, which will see the plant’s exhaust gas treatment and power and electric systems upgraded, Ko wrote, adding that the public’s standards regarding air quality have continuously risen.
The refurbishment would reduce the plant’s emissions, increase the power it generates from waste heat by 6 million kilowatt-hours per year, and return its capacity to more than 1,000 tonnes of waste per day, Ko said.
Liang Hung-lang (梁宏郎), who heads the plant, had said on Monday that the image would be kept secret until it was painted at the end of the year.
Photo provided by the Environmental Protection Administration
The giraffes have remained on the smokestack for 24 years, Ko said, adding that many people mistakenly believe that it marks Taipei Zoo, which is also located in the area.
The new images are more representative of the city’s ecological environment and would better blend into the scenery, Ko said, adding that they were created by local artists Chen I-ming (陳一銘) and Lin Chia-wei (林家蔚).
The Taiwanese blue magpie, the banyan tree and the rhododendron are the city’s official bird, tree and flower, the Taipei City Government’s Department of Environmental Protection said in a statement.
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