Banyan Tree Collapses in Heavy Rain in Front of Tainan's Old City God Temple, Crushing Small Shrine
A banyan tree approximately 60 years old collapsed in front of the 'Quan Tai Shou Yi County City God Temple' in Tainan's old city during heavy rain early on the 5th, crushing a small adjacent shrine. No injuries were reported. Temple officials clarified that the fallen tree was not the century-old, municipally protected tree in front of the temple's main entrance.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: June 5, 2026 at 13:51
- 🔍 Collected: June 5, 2026 at 14:09 (18 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: June 6, 2026 at 15:10 (25h 1m after Collected)
(CNA reporter Zhang Rongxiang, Tainan, 5th) A banyan tree approximately 60 years old collapsed in front of the Quan Tai Shou Yi County City God Temple in Tainan's old city district during heavy rain early this morning, crushing a small 'Wuying' shrine beside it. Fortunately, no one was injured. Temple officials clarified that the fallen banyan tree was not the century-old, municipally listed protected tree located directly in front of the temple's main entrance.
A 70-year-old man surnamed Wu, standing next to the fallen tree, told CNA that the tree was planted by his father. He said he was told last year that the tree might be infected with brown root rot, but no one paid particular attention or treated it. He noted that the tree collapsed between 5 and 6 AM during heavy rain, and its roots appeared to be completely rotten.
When the banyan tree fell, it crushed the adjacent Wuying shrine, causing its roof to fall to the ground. The shrine's command flags had already been removed. The elderly man said it was fortunate the tree fell early in the morning when there were no pedestrians, otherwise the consequences would have been unthinkable.
There is another huge, century-old tree standing upright in the center of the temple's front square. Online communities briefly spread rumors that this old tree had fallen. The elderly man clarified, 'No, if this tree had fallen, it would be a disaster. This is a municipally protected tree over 100 years old.' However, he also expressed concern about whether this old tree might be infected with brown root rot.
The Quan Tai Shou Yi County City God Temple is a famous temple in Tainan's old city, established in 1711 (the 50th year of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty). The 'Fucheng County City God Night Patrol' event in the 7th lunar month preserves rich, unique local rituals and has been registered as an intangible cultural asset of Tainan. The temple is currently undergoing renovations. (Editor: Zhang Mingkun) 1150605
A 70-year-old man surnamed Wu, standing next to the fallen tree, told CNA that the tree was planted by his father. He said he was told last year that the tree might be infected with brown root rot, but no one paid particular attention or treated it. He noted that the tree collapsed between 5 and 6 AM during heavy rain, and its roots appeared to be completely rotten.
When the banyan tree fell, it crushed the adjacent Wuying shrine, causing its roof to fall to the ground. The shrine's command flags had already been removed. The elderly man said it was fortunate the tree fell early in the morning when there were no pedestrians, otherwise the consequences would have been unthinkable.
There is another huge, century-old tree standing upright in the center of the temple's front square. Online communities briefly spread rumors that this old tree had fallen. The elderly man clarified, 'No, if this tree had fallen, it would be a disaster. This is a municipally protected tree over 100 years old.' However, he also expressed concern about whether this old tree might be infected with brown root rot.
The Quan Tai Shou Yi County City God Temple is a famous temple in Tainan's old city, established in 1711 (the 50th year of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty). The 'Fucheng County City God Night Patrol' event in the 7th lunar month preserves rich, unique local rituals and has been registered as an intangible cultural asset of Tainan. The temple is currently undergoing renovations. (Editor: Zhang Mingkun) 1150605