Department of Cultural Affairs

Taipei City Deputy Mayor Tsai Bing-kuen (fourth from left in the first row) and Tsai Tsung-hsiung (second from right in the back row), Commissioner of Taipei City’s Department of Cultural Affairs, with the second Taipei Tree Preservation Award winners. DOCA Photo
 

By Yali Chen
 
This year’s Taipei Tree Preservation Award (臺北樹益獎) went to 5 winners.
 
In an effort to praise the workers and organizations that have done the best job of tree protection over the past few years, Taipei City’s Department of Cultural Affairs (DOCA) pioneered in the establishment of “Taipei Tree Preservation Award” in 2018 – an important milestone for Taiwan to protect and preserve trees.
 

Taipei City Deputy Mayor Tsai Bing-kuen (center) with two Taipei Tree Preservation Award winners – Hsu En-de (徐恩得) (left), Senior Manager of China Life Insurance Co., and Bank of Taiwan Assistant Manager Lin Bing-hong (right) (林炳鴻). DOCA Photo


DOCA Commissioner Tsai Tsung-hsiung (center) with two Taipei Tree Preservation Award winners – Chen Yan-jing (陳燕靜) (left), Executive Director of the Chi Sing Environmental Greening Foundation, and Li You-tian (李有田) (right), Chairman of Treegarden Corp. DOCA Photo

 

Taipei City Deputy Mayor Tsai Bing-kuen, the DOCA Commissioner Tsai Tsung-hsiung, and Wang Ya-nan (王亞男), one of Taipei City’s Tree Protection Committee members, attended an awarding ceremony on October 26. The five winners were recognized for their contribution and dedication to the protected trees in the city.
 
“There are three treasures in metropolitan cities: Old houses, old trees, and old people,” the deputy mayor said. “Trees can live up to hundreds or even thousands of years. The old trees are not only the oldest living organisms in the world, but also witness the history and culture of the city. They are very precious green resources and need our protection.”
 

Wang Ya-nan (left), one of Taipei City’s Tree Protection Committee members, gives the Taipei Tree Preservation Award to Lin Rui-yin (林瑞吟), director of the preschool under the supervision of the Ministry of Justice. DOCA Photo

 
Taipei has nearly 2,000 protected trees with significant heritage value. In a bid to help the public have a deeper understanding of tree protection, the DOCA has set up the Tree Preservation Award. It is divided into three categories: maintenance and management, promotion, and technical maintenance.
 
The five winners include China Life Insurance Co., Bank of Taiwan, Treegarden Corp. (樹花園股份有限公司), the Chi Sing Environmental Greening Foundation (七星環境綠化基金會), and the preschool under the supervision of the Ministry of Justice.
 
Treegarden Corp., a technology transfer manufacturer of the Council of Agriculture, is good at transplanting big trees. The company has accumulated rich experience in treating old trees with the root disease, performing surgical debridement, and improving habitat for trees.
 
The Chi Sing Environmental Greening Foundation is a non-profit organization. Over the past few years, it has worked with government agencies to protect trees and used its excellent gardening techniques to trim trees. Their work solves tree problems, beautifying the urban environment and improving the quality of life for Taipei citizens.