Thousand-Year Couple Tree Introduction
The species of the couple tree is banyan, standing on a hillside one in front of the other. The "wife tree" is located lower, with softer branches and plump, oval-shaped leaves that bear fruit; the "husband tree," positioned higher, has harder branches and narrower, longer leaves that do not produce fruit. The age of the wife tree is approximately 500 years, while the local people say the husband tree is about 1500 years old. Originally embracing each other, during a typhoon, the husband tree's arm was struck by lightning and was severed, forcefully separating them. The husband tree used to extend this branch to hug the wife tree, but now, with the arm broken, the deep affection between the two trees cannot be seen. The couple tree, having endured for hundreds of years, is valued and listed as a precious tree in Taitung County and was even selected as one of the top ten beautiful spots in the Hengchun area in a competition held by the Taitung County Community Education Center. After enjoying some pigeon ice cream, one can take a walk along the trail around the couple tree, and if time allows, experience the fun of pottery at the nearby Dongjiu Kiln.
