Giant Tree Boardwalk Introduction
After the legendary life of the sacred tree in Alishan came to an end in June 1998 due to natural fall, it was replaced by the Alishan Xianglin Sacred Tree and Giant Tree Trail. Currently, there are two phases of the Giant Tree Trail within the Alishan National Scenic Area, divided by the Shenyin Bridge. The first phase begins at the ancient cypress and is constructed using an elevated wooden trail and point-like concrete bases as part of the ecological engineering method, ending at the site of the sacred tree. The trail is 600 meters long and features three elevated wooden bridges, allowing visitors to admire 20 giant red cypress trees with diameters ranging from 5 to 12.1 meters and heights between 25 to 42 meters. Completed in November 1998, visitors walking along it are often awed by the magnificent scenery, exclaiming that "big trees are beautiful." In August 1998, to connect the giant red cypress trees around the Spirit Tower, the Forestry Bureau set up a wooden fence around the Alishan Xianglin Sacred Tree and the ancient cypress and built an observation platform, forming a significant giant tree system within the amusement area along with the first phase of the Giant Tree Trail. Starting in 2001, the second phase of the Giant Tree Trail was opened, beginning at the Shenyin Bridge near the sacred tree site. It is 418 meters long, featuring 16 giant red cypress trees along the route, with the largest being Tree No. 28, having a breast height diameter of 4 meters, and Tree No. 2 being the oldest among them. Starting from mid-March each year, the route of the Giant Tree Trail is adorned with blooming Rhododendron for example, creating a unique Alishan flower season landscape amidst the towering cypress forest, often surrounded by mists.
