What might have started as an incidental act by random travelers has become a piece of spontaneous installation art in the C6 lounge area at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.
The area features four electric outlets, each with its own table, and an acrylic sheet between the wall and the passenger, allowing passengers to charge their cellphones, tablets, or laptops before boarding their flight.
Some passengers one day, whether deliberately or accidentally, dropped a coin between the acrylic sheet and the wall, which created a ripple effect, with many other passengers copying the act.
Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times
As people of varying nationalities passed through the C6 lounge, the acrylic boards began to amass coins and bills from different countries, turning what used to be a charging station into a multinational currency expo.
The phenomenon was first mentioned online in a Threads post by user chiu_te_yen, who asked: “How did the recharging stall become a temple donation box?”
Some users responded by saying that the original act was due to someone accidentally dropping their coins between the wall and the sheet while charging their phone, while others predicted that the site, now brought to the attention of the Internet, would become a new fad.
As for whether the feature would be kept or if Taoyuan International Airport Corp intends to remove it, the company said on Friday that the space is still reserved for passenger rest and device charging.
However, it would keep tabs on public comments and suggestions for future reference, it added.
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