The Giant Tree
March 11, 2009
By: thenhbushman
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Category: Park, Taiwan, Topography, Travel
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Photos by MJ Klein
Hui-chen and I were out the other day, with one of our longtime suppliers and friends. We came upon this very old tree in the Taichung area:
This incredible giant camphor tree was made into a park to appreciate it.
Upon closer examination, we find that there isn’t just a single tree, but rather four species all growing together!
This shot gives us a good view of one of the other tree species growing along with the giant camphor. The predominant tree is the giant camphor and you can actually smell the camphor in the air.
The tree is so extensive that it can no longer support it’s own weight. Here we see a pair of “A” frames that were constructed to hold up the outer limbs. There are several such structures in place around the tree.
This shot is taken from the opposite perspective as our very first shot. Incredible, isn’t it?
Our last photo is taken on the side of the tree. Notice how the green metal railing is holding up many limbs that overhang it. It was gratifying to see that this tree is being cared for so well, despite some other giant camphor trees not being so fortunate. We’re glad that the local people appreciate this wonderful tree for what it is.
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March 11th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
What a great tree. Have you been to Sai Ngarn in Thailand? It’s near Khorat. It’s huge – I think it’s the largest banyan tree in the world.
cfimagess last blog post..Moneyshot Horns @ VU Livehouse
thenhbushman
reply on March 11th, 2009 9:38 pm:
Craig, no i haven’t, and i’ve not heard of that one before. do you have any photos of it? thanks.
cfimages
reply on March 12th, 2009 8:44 am:
I don’t have anything online that really shows the full extent of it. This shows the main trunk covered in garlands.
http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=4495713
The tree is 350 years old and covers a 35000 square foot area.
cfimagess last blog post..Moneyshot Horns @ VU Livehouse
thenhbushman
reply on March 12th, 2009 10:25 am:
wow Craig! impressive age and coverage for that old tree! it amazes me how long a tree can live in comparison to a human being.
March 11th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
that is one pretty awesome tree if u ask me, grand
thenhbushman
reply on March 11th, 2009 9:38 pm:
Dennis, “grand” is a very good way to describe that tree. it was incredible seeing it in person. hope you can find it some day. it’s not too far away from Fonyuan, Taichung.
March 11th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
What an impressive tree! Great pics MJ!
Todds last blog post..Daily Photo – Fortune Kitty
thenhbushman
reply on March 12th, 2009 10:21 am:
thanks Todd. it’s worth a trip (IMO) to see it in person sometime. i know you’d appreciate it!
March 12th, 2009 at 9:07 am
That tree is not far from where I live. If you visit on a Sunday, you will likely enjoy the charming sight of parents doing nothing to stop their children from climbing over the rails and up onto the tree, probably because they are too busy deciding what snacks to buy from the vendors
Kaminoges last blog post..Them WBC Blues
thenhbushman
reply on March 12th, 2009 10:29 am:
well Kaminoge, deciding what snacks to buy is a very important decision for parents! i guess the tree is safe as long as the kids are only climbing on it and not trying to deface it in any way. when we were there, no kids were climbing it at all. if it were up to me, no one would be allowed to pass the rail.
Kaminoge
reply on March 12th, 2009 8:26 pm:
I agree. Actually, this tree was relatively unknown until a few years ago. My wife took me there once back when we were dating, and we were the only ones there (on a weekend!). However, with the leisure boom of the last few years, the tree has been “discovered”, and is now an official “tourist attraction”.
Did your friends take you to see the nearby “Love Bridge” (a completely manufactured “sight”) as well?
Kaminoges last blog post..Them WBC Blues
thenhbushman
reply on March 12th, 2009 9:12 pm:
Kamingoe, interesting story. it was a weekday (Wednesday) when we were there and the park didn’t have so many people. now that times are tight, i would imagine more people will hang out in the free park on the weekends.
we did not see the Love Bridge and something tells me that we didn’t miss much, lol! we did go to a private mountainside homestay and restaurant. the view was spectacular.
March 13th, 2009 at 7:02 am
Interesting to see a shot of a Taiwan camphor. I was looking around for one previously – they were a major industry in Taiwan during the 19th century and a constant source of animosity between Aborigines and Chinese immigrants (new Taiwanese).
Patrick Cowsills last blog post..English Teachers in Taiwan
thenhbushman
reply on March 13th, 2009 10:07 am:
Patrick, i’ve seen them way up in the mountain forests before, but never like this in the middle of a village. i thought they are protected these days, but Michael Turton reported on one being cut down recently.
March 22nd, 2009 at 6:26 pm
Looks like someone threw their bonsai collection out the door before they fled maybe 1000 years ago. Great to see it survived the camphor-exploiting colonial days. Maybe because it was such a mutant. Hope the human interference doesn’t cause breaks in the bark and other bad effects. If the human structures interfere with the skin, fungus and bacteria could affect the integrity of the mighty stand.
I never thought I’d stand up for a camphor laurel’s rights. These trees are a pest back home.