Tongliang Great Banyan, Baisha Township, Penghu County, Taiwán
Located in front of Baoan Temple in Tongliang Village, Baisha Township, the Great Banyan is a spectacular tree of Penghu Island. It has live more than 300 years with dozens of branches and lush foliage forming a natural awning of over 660 sq feet. To protect the branches, the local villagers surrounded each branch with a board, and supported the giant tree with a pillar in the middle.
Penghu has very sparse vegetations due to the harsh wind all year round and infertile soil. Therefore, when a giant banyan tree manages to survive here for more than 300 years and spreading over a 660 sq feet area, it instantly becomes a sacred attraction. Legend has it that during the Qing Dynasty, a merchant ship capsized at the nearby seashore. Nothing was left except a banyan tree seedling that floated to the shore. The villagers planted it in front of Baoan temple and it has not stopped growing since then. The tree is being upheld as a spiritual boost for the local villagers and a major landmark in Penghu.
Epic Taiwan Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound
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