Tree branch ‘swallows’ utility wire in Pingtung

Tree branch ‘swallows’ utility wire in Pingtung

2026-10-02

Local residents spotted a rare spectacle along County Highway 187 in Pingtung: an electric wire fully encased in a tree branch. The cable was tightly enclosed in a section of wood suspended in mid-air, leading people to wonder whether it was a new kind of installation art. Turns out it was entirely natural. An expert suspects that the tree’s branches grew too close to the wires. Fearing it might be dangerous, the cable TV operator who owns the lines removed the branches.

This electric wire is firmly encased inside a tree branch. From a distance, it looks like someone hung a tree trunk directly onto the cable.

From up close, you can even see small green leaves growing from the branch. This is no art project, but a living, completely natural phenomenon.

- Wow, it’s so strange. I’ve lived this long and never seen anything like it. It’s a first for me.

The section of County Highway 187 in Pingtung near land owned by Taisugar is lined with trees on either side, interspersed with utility poles. The thick foliage almost conceals the cables, which appear to belong to a cable TV provider. Over the years, the branches became closely entwined with the wires.

Lo Kai-an
NPUST Department of Forestry associate professor
A tree is a living organism that will continue to grow, adding to its volume by the year. The cause was likely that the wire and the branch rested against each other, and over time, the branch gradually enveloped it.

Experts say it must have taken many years for the tree to completely enclose the cable. Since the branch and the wire became completely inseparable, workers trimming the tree likely cut off both ends and left this small section behind, unintentionally creating this amusing mid-air installation.

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#oddity #Pingtung #trees #cableTV #unintentionalart

罕見奇景! 電纜線"被樹木包裹" 民眾笑喊:新型裝置藝術?

2026-10-02

屏東187縣道，被民眾發現罕見的"樹幹包電纜"奇景，懸掛半空的電纜線，被一截樹木牢牢包裹，笑說是不是新型裝置藝術，但這其實這是自然形成的獨特景觀，專家推測，樹木枝條跟電線靠太近才形成，就怕發生危險，電纜所屬的有線電視業者，也連忙將上面的樹木移除。

一小截樹木枝幹，牢牢包裹在電線上，遠看就像是有人，把樹幹掛到電線上。

近看還可以看到，騰空的樹幹上，長了小綠葉，這可不是裝置藝術，而是活生生自然形成的，"樹幹包電線"。

- 喔，很奇特捏，長這麼大沒看過，第一次看到

屏東187縣道台糖用地附近，道路兩側長滿茂密的樹木，電線杆跟樹木一起，穿插排排站，茂密的樹叢，幾乎遮蔽掛在電線杆上的，疑似是有線電視的電纜線，經年累月之下，培養出好感情，樹木就在成長過程，不知不覺，把電纜線"抱緊緊"。

[[屏科大森林系副教授羅凱安]]
“樹木是一個活生生的生物，它也會生長，每一年會增加它的材積，所以原因可能是因為，電線跟枝條靠在一起，那當然可能慢慢的，就被這個枝條把它包起來”

專家說，應該要很多年的生長，才能把電線完全包覆起來，也因為枝幹跟電線，完全無法分割，才會在修剪時，去頭去尾，把這一小截留下來，意外形成騰空高掛的有趣畫面。

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Chang Ching-han
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It seems, he applied for a work permit to come to Taiwan three years ago as a company manager. However, when I visited his shop on Dihua Street, I saw that he was just taking care of the shop, which is inconsistent with his application.

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- If its yummy, I’ll say its yummy.

Just last month, Zorro was happy to take an interview with FTV at the store entrance, but this time, given the violation of work and residence regulations, he was unwilling to speak with media and even called the police on us.

Zorro facing online backlash for criticizing Taiwanese food is the least of his concerns, he now faces issues with residency as his permit is set to expire on the 19, and it may not be a smooth extension.

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Baishatun Temple builds capsule hotel for pilgrims and tourists

The annual Baishatun Matsu pilgrimage, which draws hundreds of thousands of people each year, is getting a major upgrade. As part of a NT$520 million three-year investment for a second dormitory, the Baishatun Gongtian Temple built a first-of-its-kind capsule hotel, with some rooms even offering ocean views. It’s perfect for pilgrims and tourists traveling along Taiwan’s west coast.

This is a new capsule-style hotel for pilgrims at the Baishatun Gongtian Temple.

It’s great for one person. It’s very comfortable.

It’s quite nice for a capsule hotel, as each tiny room has a vent for AC, shelves, and a curtain at the front for privacy.

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- It’s not bad! It’s the first time I’ve seen it. I like it.

Hung Wen-hua
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There are 54 capsule rooms, 26 two-person rooms, 26 three-person rooms, and 30 four-person rooms.

This is Taiwan’s first capsule hotel at a temple, with 54 individual capsule rooms designed for young backpackers and solo pilgrims offered at affordable prices.

Lin Hsing-fu
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There’s a lot of demand for accommodation along the coast. When we were building the second pilgrim dormitory, we planned the capsule hotel for individual visitors and tourists to use.

Miaoli’s Baishatun Gongtian Temple invested NT$520 million to build this new accommodation. It has a beautiful environment, with some ocean-view rooms where guests can enjoy beautiful sunsets.

Lin Hsing-fu
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We hope to work with Yu Da University of Science and Technology to upgrade our service quality, so that people can get to know Miaoli and Tongxiao Township better.

The new accommodation is a great spot to stay for pilgrims and any tourists traveling along Miaoli’s coast.

#Miaoli #Temple #Matsu #Mazu #Baishatun #pilgrimage #accomodation #tourist #travel #capsule #capsulehotel #pilgrim

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White smoke billows from the back of a trash truck as it rushes to the lot in front of a fire station. The driver dumps all the trash onto the ground and works with firefighters to spray the smoking pile down with a firehose.

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Duty firefighters at our station immediately deployed hoses to help cool down the smoking items. After confirming there was no further danger, they helped clear the area.

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The thundering sound of engines pierced the sky as two F-16 fighter jets touched down at the Air Force base in Taitung. Military enthusiasts outside the restricted area got a front row seat to this spectacle.

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Watched the F-16 arrival
30 years ago, in 1996, I went to the US for training, also in a F-16. It’s been 30 years.

Enthusiasts were thrilled to see the fighter jets as this marked the first time in nearly 30 years that Taiwan’s Air Force received brand-new fighter jets.

Under this project, 66 F-16 fighter jets were purchased from the US, a purchase that was only approved in 2019 when Trump took office. Delivery was originally scheduled for 2023, but various delays resulted in only two aircraft departing from the US earlier this year. They officially landed in Taitung’s Air Base today, after spending a month in Hawaii.

Voice of Lieutenant General Yu Te-chung
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Commenting on incident
We should never behave that way. At our company, if we pull something like that, we’d be fired. He tossed the luggage out. It must be one of those independent taxi drivers. They don’t really have rules to follow.

The incident was picked up by Korean media, which reported that prosecutors had closed the case without charges. But the district prosecutor’s office says an investigation is still ongoing. Regardless of the legal consequences, it’s not a good look for Taiwan.

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