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.
NEW AGREEMENT: Malaysia approved imports last year after nearly two years of negotiations and inspections to meet quarantine requirements, officials said Up to 3.6 tonnes of pomeloes from Taiwan cleared Malaysian customs on Friday, in the first shipment of Taiwanese pomeloes to Malaysia. Taiwan-grown pomeloes are popular in domestic and overseas markets for their tender and juicy taste, the Ministry of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency said. The fruit is already exported to Japan, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines, it added. The agency began applying for access to the Malaysian market in 2023, compiling data on climate suitability, pests and diseases, and post-harvest handling, while also engaging in nearly two years of negotiations with Malaysian authorities and submitting supplementary
PEAK MONTHS: Data showed that on average 25 to 27 typhoons formed in the Pacific and South China seas annually, with about four forming per month in July and October One of three tropical depressions in the Pacific strengthened into a typhoon yesterday afternoon, while two others are expected to become typhoons by today, Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecaster Lee Ming-hsiang (李名翔) said yesterday. The outer circulation of Tropical Depression No. 20, now Typhoon Mitag, has brought light rain to Hualien, Taitung and areas in the south, Lee said, adding that as of 2pm yesterday, Mitag was moving west-northwest at 16kph, but is not expected to directly affect Taiwan. It was possible that Tropical Depression No. 21 would become a typhoon as soon as last night, he said. It was moving in a
A Taiwanese academic yesterday said that Chinese Ambassador to Denmark Wang Xuefeng (王雪峰) disrespected Denmark and Japan when he earlier this year allegedly asked Japan’s embassy to make Taiwan’s representatives leave an event in Copenhagen. The Danish-language Berlingske on Sunday reported the incident in an article with the headline “The emperor’s birthday ended in drama in Copenhagen: More conflict may be on the way between Denmark and China.” It said that on Feb. 26, the Japanese embassy in Denmark held an event for Japanese Emperor Naruhito’s birthday, with about 200 guests in attendance, including representatives from Taiwan. After addressing the Japanese hosts, Wang
One of two tropical depressions that formed offshore this morning could turn into a moderate typhoon by the weekend, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. Tropical Depression No. 21 formed at 8am about 1,850km off the southeast coast, CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said. It is expected to move in a northwesterly direction as it continues building momentum, possibly intensifying into Typhoon Mitag this weekend, she added. The radius of the storm is expected to reach almost 200km, she said. It is expected to approach southeast of Taiwan on Monday and pass through the Bashi Channel between Tuesday and Wednesday,
RSS