Pair of mailboxes become unlikely social media sensation, tourist destination
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Two mailboxes have become an unlikely tourist destination and social media phenomenon in Taiwan.
The pair of brightly painted boxes survived Typhoon Soudelor, but not before the winds bent them in a nearly identical tilt.
As residents of Taipei came out of their homes, businesses and shelters they found the boxes and some started taking photos with them.
Word quickly spread on Instagram and more and more people arrived to snap their photos in creative poses.
The hastag #Mailbox was born and now at times there is even a line of people waiting to pose for photos.
English Language Taipei Times reported on the new found stardom for the duo, even citing a local official who said there were plans afoot to turn them into an actual tourist destination.
Chunghwa Post Co chairman Philip Ong (翁文祺) yesterday said that the two mailboxes would remain at their current location, adding that the post office plans to turn the site into a tourist attraction.
He added that a sign would be set up to the side of the mailboxes informing visitors how they had been damaged by Typhoon Soudelor.
Ong told the times the base would need some reinforcement in order to allow them to continue to function as actual mailboxes. But after that he said it was possible the postal service might even sell "memorabilia related to these tilted mailboxes" if visitors continued to flock to them.