Taiwan police station's 80-year-old lychee trees yield bumper crop, shared with community

In Changhua County, Taiwan, two ancient lychee trees at the County Police Bureau's Cianjhen Police Station have yielded an extraordinary harvest this year. The trees, estimated to be 80 years old, are a familiar sight at the station, which itself dates back to the Japanese colonial era.

Each year during the lychee season, officers and volunteers gather the abundant fruit. This year's harvest was particularly impressive, yielding hundreds of pounds of Black Leaf lychees. The fruit is known for its excellent moisture content, aroma, and sweetness, attributed to the fertile soil of the police station's grounds and the favorable local climate.

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These two lychee trees might be 80 years old. Because the soil in the police station square is fertile, the lychees have excellent moisture, aroma, and sweetness. We pick the lychees every year at this time and give them to fellow villagers or police personnel to enjoy, as a way to foster good neighborly relations.

Station chief Hong Qing-mou explained that the tradition of sharing the lychees with the community and fellow police officers is a way to foster neighborly relations. Even though Fenghyuan Township is a major lychee-producing area, residents appreciate the gesture. The abundance is such that one tree's branches extend over the wall, yet the fruit remains untouched, as locals have their own plentiful supplies.

Changhua Police Bureau Chief Liu Qian-xiang highlighted that the shared harvest strengthens the bond between the police and the local community. Despite a general decrease in lychee yield across Fenghyuan this year, the station's trees thrived, allowing for continued sharing and community engagement.

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This year, although the Black Leaf lychee yield in Fenghyuan Township has decreased, the two lychee trees at the police station are still bearing abundant fruit. Therefore, after picking the lychees, we share them with the villagers to promote emotional exchange between the police station and the local area.