Taiwan’s “Heaven Sword” Confirmed as East Asia’s Tallest Tree

In January 2023 a multidisciplinary team measured a Taiwania fir in the Da’an River valley at 84.1 meters (276 feet), establishing it as the tallest known tree in East Asia.

IFL Science

Taiwan covers ~36,000 km², is 60 % forested with ~950 million trees, and its steep, humid terrain preserves old-growth stands, including Taiwania firs called “the tree that hits the moon.”

CNN

The “Taiwan tree seekers” include Dr. Rebecca Chia-Chun Hsu (Taiwan Forestry Research Institute), Prof. Chi-Kuei Wang and Dr. Chung-Cheng Lee (National Cheng-Kung University), professional climbers and Indigenous Rukai advisors; Steve Pearce and Michael Taylor offered external commentary.

Frontiers Media

2014: Expedition in Cilan targeting the “Three Sisters.” 2020: Citizen-science corrected 93 % of LiDAR over-estimates. 2022: Taiwan Giant Tree Map listed 941 trees > 65 m. Jan 2023: Height of Heaven Sword confirmed.

Frontiers Media

Airborne LiDAR generated a 3-D canopy model; drone imagery and volunteer review filtered false positives. Height was finalized with a tape-drop measurement from the crown.

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The tree measures 84.1 m and ~1,000 years old. The Giant Tree Map records 941 trees > 65 m, with clusters of 11 near Mt. Benya and ~30 near Great Ghost Lake. A surveyed stand shows carbon density of 1,384.5 Mg ha?¹.

Frontiers Media

Large Taiwania firs increase forest structural complexity, provide critical habitat, and store carbon at densities surpassing conventional forest models, making them key assets for biodiversity conservation and climate-mitigation efforts.

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Dr. Hsu said the integrated use of LiDAR, drones and tape-drop “provides the most accurate height assessment for giant trees.” National Cheng-Kung University researchers noted citizen-science “substantially improved the reliability of the LiDAR-derived map.” Authors added that earlier biomass equations “underestimate carbon density” of these giants.

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LiDAR specialist Michael Taylor warned that many groups “over-rely on automated height generation software” which can inflate measurements on steep slopes, highlighting the need for ground verification.

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An IFLScience headline lists the tree at 81 m, while the peer-reviewed study and all other sources record 84.1 m, suggesting a likely editorial error.

Frontiers Media

• “The common characteristics are probably that we are all tree lovers and like adventures,” — Rebecca Chia-Chun Hsu, Taiwan Forestry Research Institute.

CNN

• “Very few other groups actually do that, instead over-relying on these inflated figures using automated height generation software alone without consideration of hillside leaners,” — Michael Taylor, lidar specialist, Columbia Land Trust.

CNN

• “I think these amazing creatures remind us that humans are just a tiny part of the Earth,” — Rebecca Chia-Chun Hsu.

CNN

• “Beyond their carbon value, large trees contribute to the structural complexity and functional diversity of forests and provide critical habitat for other organisms,” — Lalasia Bialic-Murphy, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL.

CNN

The team will map bioclimatic preferences of giant Taiwania, expand 3-D biomass models, and quantify root carbon, while maintaining citizen-science participation and high-resolution LiDAR surveys.

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