Hidden groves of giant trees
Giant tree expert Huang Zhaoguo, who has systematically surveyed over 400 giant trees in Taiwan, says that Taiwan’s largest tree by girth, with a circumference of 20.5 meters, is located at the 35 kilometer mark of Daxueshan Forest Road 230. Standing impressively upright, it is known as the “Da’an River Giant Tree,” the “Daxueshan Giant Tree,” or the “Matchless Giant Tree.”
After the Jiji Earthquake of September 21, 1999, there was a severe landslide along Forest Road 230, followed by repeated flooding of the area. Huang Zhaoguo was concerned about the Da’an River Giant Tree, and invited Chou Yeh-chen, a mountain guide who has surmounted all of Taiwan’s famous “Hundred Peaks” (a select list of mountains over 3,000 meters tall) 16 times, along with mountaineer Huang Yongli, to accompany him on a visit to the tree.
It turned out that there were two newly formed cliffs about two kilometers from the giant tree, and the trio slipped and slid along barren slopes where it was difficult to move forward and even harder to go back. Though Huang Zhaoguo has climbed more than 80 of the Hundred Peaks, he was exhausted. He feared that with any careless move they would plunge down into the 100-meter-deep gorge, and if they kept on going they might need to by rescued by helicopter.
At that moment Huang joined his hands together in prayer to the Da’an River Giant Tree and said: “Please let me get over to see you!” To his surprise, he felt a sudden burst of energy, and was able to walk for two more hours until at last the trio arrived at the majestic tree. As they slept that night in a Forestry Bureau storage building, he worried about how they would manage the return journey. The three men, each for himself, all ended up praying to the tree, and somehow the return trip went smoothly. “You tell me, do these trees have special powers?” asks Huang.
Huang Zhaoguo began surveying giant trees more than 20 years ago, and has since spent all of his weekends and holidays in the mountains. In fact, in his working life he was a reporter for the Liberty Times, and at that time his beat happened to be Sanxia, close to Taoyuan’s Fuxing District, where the Hewei group of giant trees is located. He discovered that in addition to the giant tree areas publicized by the Forestry Bureau there were also many hidden giant trees, which inspired his hobby. He divides trees into three categories according to their girth: those with a trunk circumference of six to nine meters, those of ten to 12 meters, and those of more than 12 meters.
To Huang the most beautiful giant tree is the great Taiwan red cypress named “Yaya Qparung” near the Atayal indigenous community of Smangus in Hsinchu County. In his words, it is the “boss” of giant trees. Located in a cloud forest at an elevation of 1,650 meters, it is surrounded by more than 30 red cypresses of various sizes, and appears like a monarch with arms raised, imperiously issuing commands.
“A person’s life and legacy don’t last much more than 100 years, but giant trees remain standing proudly without wavering despite going through countless disasters and changes,” says Huang, adding that when he sees these great trees he often cannot help but spontaneously salute them. For example, Lalashan Tree No. 18, the largest by girth of the giant trees on Mt. Lala in Taoyuan’s Fuxing District, is a fused tree composed of four red cypresses. Although some of the limbs have withered, others are still producing green leaves and shoots as the ancient tree admirably continues its fight for life.
Giant tree expert Huang Zhaoguo has discovered that there are at least 60 groups of giant trees across Taiwan.