"Golden Hour Tree" Being Treated After Being Uprooted; Retaining Wall Added to Prevent Collapse

Reported by Chen Tzu-yin / Taipei

Taiwan’s most famous tree, the "Golden Hour Tree"Was uprooted by strong winds from Typhoon Matmo the night before last and found lying beside the Boran Boulevard by villagers on the 23rd, and today (24th), after rescue efforts by the county government, township office, and residents of three villages, it has been successfully replanted, butits bare appearance is very different from before,Village Chief Hsu Chin-hsing stated that a retaining wall will be built around the "recovering" Golden Hour Tree to ensure it can withstand future wind and rain.

 
▲ The Golden Hour Tree has been replanted in its original location, though its bare appearance is very different from before. (Photo / Provided by Hsu Chin-hsing)

Hsu Chin-hsing explained that after pruning the branches, the tree was replanted in its original spot, and a retaining wall was added behind the tree in the farmland area. On the other side, backfilling techniques were used to add soil, and the tree was treated with a protective medicine. Subsequent care will be handled by a local professional gardening company, with both EVA Air and Chunghwa Telecom expressing interest in funding its future maintenance.The Taiwan Tree Protection Alliance expressed their opinion on their fan page yesterday, stating that the tree "was never well treated to begin with."In response, Hsu Chin-hsing said, "Actually, you can't blame the planting method. The Golden Hour Tree is already 40 years old, and the landowner originally only intended it to provide shade for farmers—it was never expected to become so famous." Hsu believes there's no need to dwell on the planting method, and in fact, most trees on Boran Boulevard were planted the same way. Recently, due to local development needs and road widening, paving the road with asphalt was also necessary. Additionally, the original landowner of the Golden Hour Tree donated a small plot of land around the tree for the township office’s future maintenance.



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Hsu Chin-hsing further explained that since the Golden Hour Tree became famous, many tourists have come to take photos with it and even touch it, leading to signs of illness as early as during the Lunar New Year. A scar about one meter above the ground was caused by excessive fungi.Hsu Chin-hsing urges visitors to avoid touching the tree with their hands or stepping on its roots, and a fence may be installed in the future to protect the Golden Hour Tree.