Nicknamed “Elephant Paps”, slides in the shape of pachyderms were once omnipresent on the island of Taiwan, a heritage that enthusiasts want to preserve.
These slides, made mainly of terrazzo or concrete, were an integral part of schoolyards in the 1960s and 1970s.
But due to increased safety rules on playgrounds, some slides have been removed and others banned.
“The elephant slide is like a friend who grew up with us,” Yu Chiu-ling, 58, who has been identifying and documenting the remaining structures since 2010, told AFP.
This writer explains that the idea was born during a visit to her old primary school, in Lukang (west), where the sight of the elephant slide from her childhood aroused in her an immense feeling of nostalgia.
“A lot of things had changed, except the elephant. He’s still round and chubby, he hasn’t aged,” she explains. “It was very moving to see him again, I had the impression that he was waiting for me.”
Convinced that the “memory” of these elephants would awaken the same feelings in other people her age, she began visiting schools in Taiwan to identify these elephant slides.
Its Facebook group “Find our elephant friends (slides)” has become a place of exchange, where photos, locations and naturally all the stories linked to these play structures are posted.
Some slides are decorated with colorful tiles, others with fantastical scenes. Some even look like real elephants.
– “Love your country” –
The origin of these games is unclear.
Most Taiwanese believe the pachyderm was chosen because an elephant’s trunk is ideal for children to slide on.
Others suggest it was inspired by Taiwan’s beloved pachyderm, Lin Wang, an Asian elephant born in 1917.
Lin Wang was captured by Chinese troops from Japanese forces in Burma during World War II. He was brought to Taiwan in 1947 where he died in 2003 at the Taipei Zoo at the age of 86.
Most of the slides still in place feature phrases reflecting the era of their installation.
Like “Strengthen your body to build the country” or “Love our country”, symbols of the patriotism that the nationalist government wanted to encourage against China. More recent structures evoke “beauty” and “liveliness”.
According to Hsiu Pi-cheng, a Taiwanese designer who traveled the island to photograph and locate these slides, there are between 400 and 450 left.
Many schools have chosen to transform them into art installations.
“I hope they can be preserved and continue to create happy memories for children,” said Yu Chiu-ling.
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