Giant Tree of Alishan Introduction
The Alishan Sacred Tree is a red cypress that entwines two trees and is over 3,000 years old, having once held the title of the oldest tree in Asia both in terms of age and circumference. It is located beside the 69-kilometer mark of the Alishan Railway and is regarded as one of the five great wonders along with the sunrise, sea of clouds, high mountain railway, and cherry blossoms in Alishan. In 1906, Japanese engineer Tomijiro Ogasawara discovered a grove of giant trees in Alishan, averaging between two to three thousand years old. However, due to plans to extend the forest railway through the area, around 300,000 towering cypress trees were nearly all cut down. The old red cypress that was left behind, having its heart completely eaten away by lotus root fungi, was spared from being chopped down because of its “uselessness” and instead became a symbol of reverence. The solitary Sacred Tree was struck by lightning in the year 1953, with the fire spreading down its hollow trunk to the ground, yet it still steadfastly clung to life. However, a second lightning strike in 1956 finally severed the upper branches of the tree, leading to its complete death. In July 1997, the entire tree collapsed under the pressure of wind and rain, breaking into four large pieces and crushing the nearby Alishan Forest Railway. Consequently, on June 6 of the following year, the Forestry Bureau decided to bring down the Sacred Tree artificially at its original location, allowing visitors to pay their respects to the remains of this towering giant. To commemorate the year 2007 and highlight Taiwan's resilient spirit, a selection for the second-generation Sacred Tree in Alishan was held. The tree originally named “Guangwu Cypress” was chosen from the joint voting event “Who Will Compete for the Second Generation Sacred Tree in Alishan” organized by the Chiayi County Government, Alishan National Scenic Area Administration, and Chiayi Forest District Office. It received a total of 13,846 votes, has an age of over 2,300 years, stands 45 meters tall, has a diameter of 3.92 meters, and a circumference of 12.5 meters, making it remarkably massive and elegant; thus, it was selected as the second-generation Sacred Tree and renamed as “Alishan Xianglin Sacred Tree” on January 1, 2007.
