It is currently just a pale shadow of the attraction that once drew crowds of hundreds each day, but things are looking up for the “Takeshi Kaneshiro tree” to return to its former glory.
The Bischofia javanica standing amid picturesque rice fields in Taitung, arguably the nation’s best known tree, fell victim to Typhoon Matmo when the storm swept over the nation early on Wednesday, uprooting it and leaving it lying beside the road.
By Thursday, it had been restored to an upright position, even though some media reports described it as looking like “a bald man on crutches.”
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
The 7m tree shot to national fame in the summer of last year when Taiwanese-Japanese actor Takeshi Kaneshiro (金城武) was featured sipping tea in its shade for a prominent EVA Airways television commercial.
Since then, the tree and its picturesque backdrop of rice paddies and mountains have become a popular tourist draw despite the remote location.
Taitung’s Chihshang Township (池上) Mayor Lin Wen-tang (林文堂) called the tree “an ambassador of tourism” and credited it with bringing 2,000 visitors a day on average to the town.
Photo: Wang Hsiu-ting, Taipei Times
The tree received special attention immediately after news broke that it had fallen into a neighboring field.
Local officials and EVA Airways executives vowed not only to save the tree, but also to make sure it grew stronger. Work got under way as soon as the storm blew past.
On Thursday morning, horticulturists contracted by local authorities trimmed the tree’s branches and wrapped its trunk to preserve its internal moisture. They also removed excess roots and dressed where the wood had been sawed to avoid infection.
An excavator carefully removed gravel from around the roots and replaced it with nutrient-rich soil, before a crane hoisted the tree upright, to the joy of applauding spectators.
Once the tree was righted, workers applied wooden supports to the trunk and compacted the soil around it.
The manager of a local nursery called in to help with the operation, who identified himself only by his surname, Yang (楊), said the work would give the tree a more solid footing compared with before, when it was like a “potted plant.”
If it shows signs of growth within two months “it will show that the Takeshi Kaneshiro tree is alive,” Yang said.
“If it is alive, it will grow branches, twigs and leaves like before,” Yang added.
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
Two Taiwanese prosecutors were questioned by Chinese security personnel at their hotel during a trip to China’s Henan Province this month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. The officers had personal information on the prosecutors, including “when they were assigned to their posts, their work locations and job titles,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. On top of asking about their agencies and positions, the officers also questioned the prosecutors about the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, a pact that serves as the framework for Taiwan-China cooperation on combating crime and providing judicial assistance, Liang
Reports of Taiwanese going missing, being detained or interrogated, or having their personal liberties restricted in China increased about fourfold annually last year, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. Last year, 221 Taiwanese who traveled to China were reported missing, were detained and interrogated, or otherwise had their personal freedom restricted, up from 55 the previous year, the council said. Reopening group tours to China would be risky, as it would leave travelers with no way to seek help through official channels after Beijing shut down dialogue between the associations tasked with handling cross-strait tourism, the MAC said. Taipei’s Taiwan Strait Tourism
SHIFT: Taiwan is evolving from a transit stop into a tourist destination, with more international travelers willing to spend on tours, dining and cultural activities Taiwan rose three places in the World Tourism Barometer to 36th globally in 2024, with international tourism revenue of US$10.028 billion, the Tourism Administration said on Monday. The UN Tourism Organization publication said that its focus has switched from whether a country has returned to pre-COVID-19 levels of tourism to the amount spent by a tourist during an overseas trip. The nation last year welcomed 8.57 million international tourists, about 9 percent more than in 2024, with most tourists coming from Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong and Macau, all of which accounted for at least 1 million tourists each. During the first
RSS