Giant 'Temples of Giants' Discovered in Taiwan's Remote Mountains
Researchers exploring Taiwan's steep, remote mountains have uncovered extraordinary ancient forests hiding in plain sight. After years of challenging expeditions, LiDAR mapping, and citizen-science detective work, scientists discovered an 84.1-meter (276-foot) Taiwania fir—the tallest tree currently known in all of East Asia.
The discovery goes beyond a single record-breaker. The team also found dense concentrations of enormous trees that they describe as "temples of giants," where dozens of massive specimens grow together. These ancient forests, long protected by their inaccessible terrain, rank among the world's most carbon-rich ecosystems, storing significant amounts of carbon dioxide within their massive trunks and surrounding soil.
The Taiwania fir (Taiwania cryptomerioides) is a ancient conifer species native to Taiwan, southern China, and parts of Myanmar. Some of the newly documented specimens are estimated to be centuries old, representing living relics of forests that once covered much broader regions of East Asia.
The findings highlight both the ecological value of Taiwan's mountain wilderness and the importance of continued exploration using modern mapping technologies. LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) proved particularly valuable, allowing researchers to peer through forest canopy and identify the tallest trees before confirming them on the ground.