TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's bullet train operator will hand out thousands of indigenous tree seedlings next week in a green initiative coinciding with Earth Day celebrations. The Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation (THSRC, 台灣高鐵), the island's high-speed railway system connecting major western cities, announced Friday (April 18) it will distribute 3,600 native plant saplings at stations nationwide on April 22, supporting this year's Earth Day theme, "Our Power, Our Planet." Officials estimate these trees will eventually absorb approximately 150 tons of carbon emissions once fully grown.
The giveaway will occur simultaneously at three major transit hubs spanning Taiwan's western corridor: Taoyuan Station near the international airport, central Taiwan's Taichung Station, and southern Taiwan's Zuoying Station in Kaohsiung city. Each location will distribute 1,200 saplings during a two-hour window from 10 a.m. until noon. Promoting digital transformation alongside environmental consciousness, the railway company offers bonus saplings to passengers displaying the "T-EX Mobile Ticketing" app or mobile tickets. Fitness-conscious travelers who recorded more than 8,000 steps on health-tracking devices between April 1 and Earth Day qualify for an additional plant.
Each station features a carefully selected assortment of Taiwan's indigenous plant species. Northern Taiwan's Taoyuan Station will distribute mock orange, fragrant yellow gardenia, and Tashiro's osmanthus varieties. The central Taiwan location in Taichung offers a broader selection including mock orange, small-leaved red nanmu, wild melastoma, short-column camellia, Taiwan beautyberry, and Taiwan lily. Southern Taiwan's Zuoying Station highlights regional biodiversity with mock orange, Kinmen red nanmu, thick-leaved osmanthus, umbrella plant, and species native to outlying islands including Lanyu persimmon and Lanyu podocarpus.
Reflecting holistic environmental design principles, organizers have packaged all seedlings in eco-friendly containers made from biodegradable pulp or fully decomposable materials. This thoughtful approach enables recipients to transfer the young plants directly into permanent locations without removing them from their initial containers, which naturally break down and enrich the soil. The comprehensive sustainability strategy demonstrates the railway corporation's environmental ethos while making participation straightforward for commuters and travelers. ★
