Text by MOOK Travel Life Network Editorial Team, compiled and reported
Near the Hudi Settlement in Hushan Village, Beitou District, on the outskirts of Taipei City, there is a 300-year-old soapberry tree that had been gradually withering due to being entangled by parasitic plants. However, in 2012, the Taipei City Government’s Department of Urban Development invited experts to treat the old tree. After recuperation, it has now regained vitality, and it is estimated that by the end of November, it will once again display a golden-yellow canopy, adding another excellent scenic spot to Hushan Village.
Platform beneath the soapberry old tree. (Photo source / Taipei City Department of Urban Development)
The form of the soapberry old tree. (Photo source / Taipei City Department of Urban Development)
The leaves and tips of the soapberry tree are turning yellow. (Photo source / Taipei City Department of Urban Development)
The soapberry trees in Hushan Community were all planted by early settlers when they migrated to Taiwan, among which the soapberry tree in the Hudi Settlement is the oldest. Local elders often gathered under the tree in their leisure time to drink tea and share stories, creating a deep emotional bond and shared memories akin to family. Unfortunately, over the decades, typhoons have caused most of the old trees’ branches to break and wither. Thanks to the Department of Urban Development conducting “health check-ups” for the old trees—through pruning and removing parasitic plants—the trees have finally regained vitality and survived.
The door plaque “Gaoyang” indicates that the owner’s surname is Xu. (Photo source / Taipei City Department of Urban Development)
The osmanthus old tree is said to have been the grandmother of the Xu family’s dowry. (Photo source / Taipei City Department of Urban Development)
- 1
- 2