Taipei’s Typhoon-Bent Mailboxes

In August 2015, a powerful typhoon named Soudelor slammed into the east coast of Taiwan bringing torrential rain and fierce wind in excess ...

In August 2015, a powerful typhoon named Soudelor slammed into the east coast of Taiwan bringing torrential rain and fierce wind in excess of 200 km/h. As the storm tore through the island nation, it left a trail of destruction in its wake — trees were split across the trunk, utility poles were ripped off the ground, and houses collapsed. At least eight people lost their lives, and some four hundreds were injured.

After the storm had passed, the only lighthearted relief the locals got from the otherwise dark situation were two mailboxes in downtown Taipei that were bent out of shape when strong winds picked a signboard from a nearby building and crashed it against the poles of the mailboxes. Many Taiwanese think the city’s postboxes resemble faces, and this side-by-side pair, with their poles identically bent looked like a pair of dogs cocking their heads in confusion.

The post office originally wanted to remove them, but the mailboxes —nicknamed "Xiao Hong" (little red) and "Xiao Lu" (little green)— became so popular with locals as well as with tourists that the post office decided to keep them in their current shape. The mailboxes still accept letters, and Chunghwa Post now stamps them with a special postmark showing the two leaning celebrities.