Ding-ding: mushrooms surprise commuters on Hong Kong’s iconic trams
The mushrooms probably grew on Sunday night on wooden parts of old tram models amid high humidity; workers cleared them the following morning
Passengers on the city’s iconic trams recently found some strange companions on board in a visual reminder of the current spring humidity.
A Facebook picture of two 50-cent-sized mushrooms growing on a wooden windowsill on a tram has gone viral since Sunday night.
In another picture, a standalone mushroom was seen growing on the wooden roof of the upper deck of a tram.
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A spokeswoman for Hong Kong Tramways said such sightings on a tram were rare.
The pair were believed to have been seen on tram No 62 from the sixth-generation fleet in service since the mid-1980s. The other growth was seen on another vehicle from that era – No 138.
They are probably some of the last models in service sporting nostalgic wooden components – and are therefore possible breeding grounds for mushrooms.
The newest, woodless model belongs to the seventh generation, which started running in 2011. They are unlikely to be suitable for mushroom growths.
The company believes the mushrooms ... mushroomed on Sunday night.