Hualien farmer shares fruit with passing cyclists

Want China Times, Yang Han-sheng and Staff Reporter 2013-03-09

Wang Chin-tsai in front of the cyclist rest area he built. (Photo/Yang
Han-sheng)

An old farmer in eastern Taiwan has made headlines for offering free fruit to passing cyclists, reports our Chinese-language sister paper China Times.

The fruit orchard belonging to 62-year-old Hualien resident Wang Chin-tsai was severely damaged three years ago during a typhoon, rendering the fruits unmarketable to customers because of their unappealing appearance. Rather than let the fruit go to waste, Wang built a shack on the side of the local bicycle track as a rest stop for cyclists who would like to take a break and enjoy some fruit. Wang does not charge for the fruit but accepts donations from those who appreciate the gesture.

Wang spent more than a month building the shack on the side of the 193 county highway with wood from a tree near his orchard in Fenglin. He admits it was not an easy task because he had no assistance.

None of the fruit at the shack used pesticides. Banana is provided all year round, while orange is available in spring and grapefruit in autumn. Besides fruit, Wang also spends NT$1,000 (US$33.70) a month on mineral water, also provided to the riders free of charge.

"I only want to share. It has now become a habit. So I come back every week to see if everything is okay," Wang said.

"All the fruits and mineral water are for free [to have there], but it costs NT$10 (US$0.37) for take away. There is an old cash drawer in the shack and visitors are free to pay and take their change. Although these fruits do not look appealing from their appearance, they are still good on the inside. Even birds fly in here to taste them," Wang said.

The cash drawer is usually filled with coins of all denominations as well as banknotes.

People who have tasted Wang's fruit sometimes leave him a kind message on the walls, one of the most touching is "You taught me what sharing actually is."　

References:

Wang Chin-tsai　　王金財