Taipei inaugurated a commemorative plaque Tuesday to mark the 15th anniversary of the “little green man,” the now ubiquitous animated traffic signal that tells pedestrians around Taiwan and in other countries when it is safe to cross the road.

The plaque, which explains the origins of the made-in-Taiwan phenomenon in both Chinese and English, was installed by the city government at the intersection of Songshou and Songzhi roads near Taipei 101 — the place where the first little green man premiered on March 18, 1999.

With his signature top-hat, the moving traffic safety icon has marched his way onto lights in Europe, the United States, Japan and China, according to officials at Taipei’s transportation department, who said he is also present at 2,268 intersections around Taipei.

Animated in seven frames at various speeds, the walking green man also transforms into a standing red man to tell pedestrians to stop.

 

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