Taroko oak replaces centennial banyan tree in Fuli, Hualien

Taroko oak replaces centennial banyan tree in Fuli, Hualien

2026-02-02

A century-old banyan tree that stood beside a temple in Hualien’s Fuli Township, serving as a landmark for the local community, was removed last year after it was damaged by a typhoon. Residents chose to replace it with a Taroko oak, a species endemic to Taiwan, hoping to carry on the old tree’s spirit by continuing to serve as a community gathering place.

A large crane carefully transplants a tree into its new home. It’s not a common camphor or banyan tree, but a Taroko oak, a species endemic to Taiwan.

A century-old banyan tree stood here before, serving as a gathering place for the community. But it was damaged in Typhoon Kong-rey last year and its roots rotted, leaving the local government no choice but to remove it. Now residents gather to bless the new tree, encouraging it to take root.

Peng Jen-ting
Tree donor
After consulting with local leaders, the organizing committee invited me to take a look. Since I’m from Fuli, I thought I would donate one of my large trees to the town. Being a Fuli native, I hope this will help my hometown.

Yeh Chia-chi
Resident
Planting this tree for everyone in Fuli, we wanted it to be a more representative species. It might be the only land god temple in Taiwan that has a Taroko oak tree.

Standing 8 meters tall—nearly three stories high—this Taroko oak is 30 years old and still growing. This road has a hundred-year history as a Hakka old street, and the temple is a religious center for the community. With a new tree planted, the space can continue to serve its community.

Yeh Hsiu-o
Resident
The banyan tree was a local landmark. When people mentioned Fuli’s banyan tree, they immediately knew where it was.

Chiang Tung-cheng
Fuli Township Mayor
As this tree slowly grows strong and healthy here, it will become a place where we can enjoy the shade, gather, and hold community events in the future.

As the community cares for it, the tree will grow large, and its branches and leaves will become denser. Residents coming to pray at the temple or just passing through can relax under its shade.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#temple #Hualien #Fuli #tree #templetree #banyan #oak #Taroko #planting

花蓮富里鄉老榕樹移除新種"太魯閣櫟"重振生機

2026-02-02

花蓮富里鄉老街，有一株樹齡百年的伯公廟老榕樹，長期是客庄地標，去年底因病移除後，在地鄉親討論後，選擇新種下台灣特有的太魯閣櫟，希望延續老樹精神，並恢復生態，繼續陪伴在地鄉親。

出動大型吊車，小心翼翼，緩緩把新樹吊掛移種，這不是常見的樟樹或是榕樹，而是台灣特有種"太魯閣櫟"。

這裡原本有棵百年老榕樹，是村民乘涼休憩好去處，卻因為去年康芮颱風重創，樹根腐爛，公所只能忍痛移除。如今舉辦祈福儀式，迎接新樹落腳。

[[捐樹鄉親彭仁丁]]
“經過大家鄉長、村長，他們這個主委會邀請來會堪，就覺得既然是富里人，那我就捐一棵自己的大樹，就給富里鄉，因為自己是富里人，希望幫助富里。”

[[詩人葉日松之侄葉佳祺]]
“幫富里大家種這棵樹，讓它具有比較代表性的樹種，成為全台灣有可能是唯一，是太魯閣櫟的土地公廟。”

新樹"太魯閣櫟"這株高約8公尺，將近三層樓高，樹齡約30年，正值生長期。其實花蓮富里鄉中山路，有上百年歷史的客家老街，伯公廟更是信仰中心，如今新樹的到來，也補足了當地人心中的缺憾。

[[富里鄉居民葉秀娥]]
“(榕樹以前是這裡)地標，人家一講說富里的榕樹下，一下就知道了。”

[[富里鄉長江東成]]
“這個地方讓這個樹種慢慢的茁壯，成為我們日後好乘涼，好聚集，好人文聚會的一個地方。”

枝葉會長越來越茂密，只要定期加強固定和照護，就會順利茁壯長成大樹，繼續陪伴客庄鄉親成長。

更多新聞內容，請鎖定：
民視台灣台（152頻道）週一至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00

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Drone warfare has become prominent in the modern battlefield. Today we’ll take you to the Taiwanese military’s Unmanned Aircraft System Training Center where army instructors are teaching trainees how to operate all kinds of drones in preparation for a potential war.

Like a gray helicopter, a manually-controlled drone takes off vertically. It gradually increases its altitude. Once stable, it can perform all kinds of operations.

The army’s tactical short-range UAV named “Capricorn” has an operational range of up to 30 kilometers, a loitering time of one hour and a top speed of 64 kilometers per hour. It is able to provide reconnaissance capabilities in all kinds of weather. As a trainee operates the flight, instructors are on hand to provide detailed explanations. This is the military’s newly-established Unmanned Aircraft System Training Center.

Wang Pei-yu
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What we want to teach the trainees is how to handle all kinds of situations during these flights. Before their flights, we require trainees to conductor a preliminary check of environmental conditions and the state of the drone.

The army has also set up small-scale indoor training facilities where trainees operate the flight of small drones. These facilities incorporate audiovisual reaction training systems designed to improve reaction speed and accuracy, as well as throttle control training to enhance the precision and finesse of manual control.

By combining drones with virtual reality technology, officers and soldiers can fly from a first-person perspective, which enhances immersion and makes UAV flight training more comprehensive.

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Drones have already become a prominent feature of the modern battlefield. The military is increasing training capacity with hopes of enabling more service personnel to become proficient in their operations.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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Fleecy materials in clothing can cause severe rashes

Temperatures have plummeted during the recent cold spell, causing many parents to bundle their children up warmly in fleecy clothing and sweaters. However, some children have been hospitalized with severe and painful rashes all over their bodies. The causes weren’t allergies or insect bites. Instead the culprit was inner garments lined with fleece or material resembling fleece. Doctors say while this provides warmth, the heat and friction wreaks havoc on children’s skin. Instead choose cotton for your child’s innermost clothing layer.

During the cold winter, children should wear at least two or three layers of clothing. Some may wear sweaters or other thicker garments. However, be careful not to let fleecy inner clothing come into direct contact with their skin.

Parent
I worry this might easily cause skin allergies in children.

Parent
Because they are always moving around. They are also very sensitive to heat, so I won’t dress them in clothes with fleecy lining. At the most, they will wear thermal underwear.

There was a rash here and rash there, and the parents were frantic with worry, so they rushed their child to a doctor. At first they were worried their child had eaten something they shouldn’t, triggering an allergic reaction. However, the doctor’s examination revealed the real cause.

Yen Chun-yu
Pediatric infectious disease physician
Parents often dress their children in thicker clothes with a brushed or fuzzy lining. For children with sensitive or allergy-prone skin, these garments can sometimes trigger reactions. When combined with sweating from the thick clothing, this irritation can lead to folliculitis and hives, resulting in quite severe rashes. Recently, about one in five children with skin problems had issues caused by incorrect clothing choices, such as wearing clothes with a fleecy lining or scarves made of rough, fluffy material.

Although most of the time it’s just redness and swelling, not ulceration, the itching and pain can be very uncomfortable when it gets severe.

Ho Wen-tsao
Dermatologist
For example, Malassezia folliculitis can be so itchy that it can keep children awake at night. Or bacterial folliculitis, where each bump gives a stinging sensation. Acute eczema, which sometimes oozes a little tissue fluid, can also be unbearably itchy.

To avoid developing rashes, doctors recommend the innermost layer of clothing be pure cotton. For the outer layer, choose a fleecy sweater or other thick warm sweaters. This keeps kids warm without irritating their skin.

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Trendy Tainan Half Marathon ponchos sell out immediately

The Tainan Half Marathon is marking its 20th anniversary this year as one of the city’s most iconic international road races. Two towel ponchos that participants can buy after registering have become wildly popular for their Tainan-inspired designs featuring the city’s love of sugar and classic shopping bag.

Cheng Po-hui
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Tainan’s Historical Capital Half Marathon is to be held on March 1. But before the starting gun even sounds, two souvenirs have already raced ahead.

These towel ponchos are unmistakably Tainan. Although they have to be purchased extra, all 2,400 of them have already sold out.

Member of public
Likes the ponchos
They’re cool. And go well with fashions these days.

Member of public
Gets the hype
If you want to collect different things, or if you like the design, then you’ll want to get a few more for your friends and family.

When you put on this Tainan sugar poncho, it looks like you’re wearing a big sack of sugar. Especially with the city’s “full sugar” slogan on the back, young people have found it very appealing.

Chen Liang-chien
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They sold out immediately. Sugar and salt are the main industries in Tainan, both historically and now.

This colorful poncho inspired by the Gaji shopping bag also incorporates a classic Taiwanese design that has gained international appeal.

Chen Liang-chien
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This year in collaboration with the Ministry of Sports we added a recreational division so wheelchair users and people with mobility challenges can also participate.

As the Tainan Half Marathon prepares to celebrate its 20th year, it’s not only set a record for signups, but also created a special recreational division in line with the Ministry of Sports’ equality initiative to make sports more open and accessible to everyone. But if you’ve had your eye on the ponchos, you’re unfortunately out of luck. Limited edition sales can be tough.

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Cram school owner’s kid forces 6-yo to swallow 3cm magnet

A messy bullying dispute at a Tainan cram school ended in court, after a 6-year old student ended up with a magnet in his stomach. The kid had been bullied at the cram school by the school owner’s kid, who’s in the fifth grade. Though bullying is not unheard of among schoolkids, this case was especially shocking, as the aggressor forced the victim to swallow a 3cm magnet. It was only after the kid was treated for stomach pains that the parents learned of the incident. The cram school even refused to hand in security footage from the time of the aggressive act. After local authorities stepped in, the cram school was found with three counts of violations. Meanwhile, the victim’s parents are also suing for assault.

- Take your meds, sweetie.
Don’t worry. It’ll come out.

The little boy wouldn’t stop crying. His parents gently coax him to take laxatives, because there’s a 3cm magnet in his belly.

Mr. Fang
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An older kid wanted to play with him, but he didn’t want to. So they started shoving each other, and my son was forced to swallow the magnet.

The father is heartbroken that his 6-year-old kid was bullied at a cram school in Annan District, Tainan. The X-ray image clearly shows the magnet in his body. To add insult to the injury, when Mr. Fang asked to inspect security footage, the cram school refused.

Mr. Fang
Father
The aggressor is the cram school owner’s kid. I didn’t understand why he wouldn’t show me the security footage. His only response was that the security camera wasn’t working.

The father is furious that the cram school wouldn’t deal with the incident. A city councilor also lambasted the cram school, saying that the act of aggression went beyond bullying as it threatened the victim’s life.

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The action violated Article 49 of the Child and Juvenile Welfare and Rights Protection Act, and pursuant to Articles 13 and 45, the cram school has a duty to report it. Failing to report the incident is liable to penalties.

Cheng Hsin-hui
Tainan City Department of Education
While conducting administrative investigation, we found two counts of violations; there was also an instance of delayed reporting with another incident. We will issue penalties in accordance with regulations.

Tainan’s Department of Education found three instances of operational violations by the cram school, and will issue penalties accordingly. Meanwhile, the kid’s parents are also suing for assault, in order to seek justice.

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Teppanyaki worker goes viral after wardrobe fail

A hilarious wardrobe malfunction at a teppanyaki restaurant has taken the internet by storm. The incident happened at a shop in Tainan that was open late at night. The only member of staff working at the restaurant was in the toilet, when a potential customer walked through the door. The worker rushed to attend to them, but he was so eager to get to work that he didn’t put his pants on properly. You can imagine what happened next. The pants fell down his legs, causing him to trip and fall face-first on the floor. The diner seemingly didn’t know how to react, and ultimately fled the scene as fast as he could. After a short while, he returned to take pictures of the awkward reception, which has caused countless people to laugh out loud online.

A worker at the teppanyaki rushes out from the toilet to greet a costumer… until a wardrobe fail left him on the floor.

From another angle, seeing the staff fall down bare-butted, the diner turns around and runs off, frantically trying to open the door to flee the scene.

- I’d look away and wait for him to put the pants back on.
- Would you tell your friends he wasn’t wearing pants?
- Yes.

- It’s so awkward
- So you don’t think it’s funny?
- It is, it is funny. There’s no need for such a rush!

The diner thought the scene was so amusing that he returned to the restaurant to take more photos. Amusing and mortifying. The teppanyaki worker has since apologized, explaining that he was manning the shop alone and went for a toilet break when there were no customers. That ultimately resulted in this viral and hilarious moment.

Worker
Works at another teppanyaki shop
You can get quite nervous in situations like this, like when customers suddenly arrive while you’re in the toilet. You might have been holding it in for a long time. We stand for three, four, sometimes five hours straight. When it’s busy, you really don’t have time to use the toilet.

Running a shop single-handedly is quite a tough job. Working alone, you have to mind your valuables when you’re using the toilet, and have to stay put in case customers arrive. If you panic, you could end up tripping over your pants, and accidentally launching your restaurant to fame.

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