This image is taken in Taiwan’s Alishan area. The tree on the left corner of the road, that is the famous Giant Taiwan Red Cypress. It is estimated to be around 1,600 years old — a really remarkable natural heritage tree where one of the oldest Giant Red Cypress. Around 36 meters tall, towering over the roadside forest and drawing many travellers to stop and photograph it.

Red cypress in Taiwan can live for many centuries, often reaching ages well over 1,000 years when left undisturbed. Ancient Red Cypresses like this one are living links to the distant past — they began growing long before much of human history unfolded in the region, surviving storms, climatic shifts, and centuries of change in the landscape. Their size and longevity reflect the unique forest ecosystems of Taiwan’s central mountains.