Photo courtesy of Pingtung Post Office

Taipei, June 18 (CNA) The coastal township of Fangshan (枋山) in Pingtung County, known primarily for its onions and mangoes and as the hometown of President Tsai Ing-wen's (蔡英文) family, now has another big draw: a post office shaped like a post box.

Since it opened on Oct. 14, 2016, the Fangshan Post Office (or the 41st branch of the Pingtung Post Office) has been a tourist attraction in the rural township thanks to its unique appearance, as it resembles a gigantic Chunghwa Post post box.

Just as eye-catching are the local farm products -- Irwin mangoes and onions -- painted on the office's exterior walls and outdoor surroundings made to look like a beach and the sea that include a shrike-shaped postman figure that functions as a mail collection box.

Pingtung Post Office manager Yu Su-chen (尤素珍) lauded the branch's special features, saying it was Taiwan's first green post office powered by solar energy and decorated with 3D paintings.

"It reverses the traditional ice-cold image of post offices" with cultural features and art, she said.

The two-man post office, located on Provincial Highway 1, has solar panels installed on the roof and an intelligent information service system.

As with all post offices, the Fangshan facility offers regular postal and banking services, but Yu said it also has the extra benefit of helping local farmers promote their onions.

(By Kuo Chu-chen and Elizabeth Hsu)
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