Tao's fans celebrated his birthday in advance with a very special forest named after him.
Although Tao's birthday is still on May 2, his Korean fansite "XO TAO" and Chinese fansite "Baidu Tao Bar" collaborated since November last year to plant a forest in Gangnam and have it named in honor of Tao. This activity is in partnership with "Star Forest Project" which has become an ideal gift from fans to their favorite celebs. Through this project fans are not only able to celebrity their idol's birthday, but they are also able to help save the environment.
Participating fans under "XO TAO" and "Baidu Tao Bar" were able to collect 10,300,000 KRW (approx.. $9,300 USD). "Fans from all over the world joined the project to show their love for Tao and to celebrate his birthday. We always hope for Tao's health and happiness, the same way Tao has wished happiness for everyone he loves."
Recently, Tao has spoken for the first time since news about his father convincing him to leave SM Entertainment made the headlines. In a very brief message on Weibo, Tao said, "I'm sorry. Thank you." Although this doesn't say much about his current condition or about his decision to leave SM Entertainment and EXO, fans are still hoping all the best for the young idol.
Last week, the entire EXO fandom was shaken when Tao's father revealed in an interview that he has convinced Tao to leave SM Entertainment due to health concerns. SM Entertainment, on the other hand, implied that nothing is final and that they are still in discussions with Tao and his father.