Taiwanese Artist Transforms City Bus Into a Roaming Forest

A florist from Taipei, Taiwan, has achieved the impossible: He’s found a way to make riding the bus through a crowded city a pleasant experience. All he had to do was drape the vehicle’s interior in carpets of moss and curtains of flowers.

The Agence-France Presse reports that the “forest bus” offered toll-free rides to commuters in Taipei for one week only. The bus ferried passengers to an art museum, a popular temple, and a night market, but the fairy tale environment made it hard to step off.

The project was intended to give riders a brief respite from the city. From their moss-covered seats, commuters were able to soak in the sights and smells of the hanging orchids, ginger lilies, and ferns surrounding them. Designer Alfie Lin told AFP, “They can smell the scent of summer on the bus and see the vibrant green plants to feel messages from nature.”

Lin is known around the world for his floral art—he even gave a TED talk about the power of flowers last year. His bus was taken off the road Sunday, May 28, but at least one citizen wants to see it return as a fixture in the city. Celine Wei told AFP, “I hope it can become a regular service on a double-decker. It would become something special to Taipei.”