The reduction of trees at Ren'ai Circle in Taipei City caused controversy. Du Yijin questioned the response of the Parks Department

The Taipei City Government's recent frequent pruning or removal of street and old trees has sparked online discussions and controversy. Du Yijin, founder of Taiwan Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, said, "How likely is it that the ringed tree will get a terminal disease at the same time?" An elderly person whose savings suddenly decrease may be a special case. If five elderly people are short at the same time, they should call the police for investigation. The Taipei City Parks and Streetlight Management Engineering Office stated that four Poinciana trees were removed one after another due to brown root disease, lodging due to wind damage, etc. There were still three tree holes in the area that were cleared to meet the sight distance of the intersection. At that time, low shrubs were planted for greening, and the trees will be replanted today and tomorrow.

Du Yijin posted a comparison picture of Taipei City's Ren'ai Circle in 2019 and 2025 on Facebook. It can be seen that in 2019, the Ren'ai Circle was full of green, but in 2025, all the street trees were cut down. Du Yijin said in the post, how likely is it that the tree in the ring will get terminal disease at the same time? Just as elderly care can be abused by insiders and outsiders, one elderly person whose savings suddenly decrease may be a special case, and five elderly people who are short of money at the same time should call the police for investigation.

The Parks Department stated that the four poinciana trees in front of No. 109, Section 4, Renai Road, were successively removed due to infection with brown root disease, lodging due to wind damage, etc. According to the street view, they had been removed before March 111. Among them, one tree hole is located in front of the crossing line and has been sealed. The remaining three tree holes were cleared by sight distance at the intersection and were greened by planting low shrubs. They will be replanted with trees within two days today and tomorrow.