After visiting Taiwan in 2014 to photograph the Three Sisters Taiwania trees, the Australian team The Tree Projects returned in 2023 to photograph the Taoshan Giant Tree. Also a Taiwania, it was found by the Tree Seekers in late August 2020 and measured at 79.1 meters, setting a new Taiwanese tree-height record at the time. Taller trees, including Daan River Yitian Sword and the Ka'alang Giant Tree, were subsequently discovered, placing it third among Taiwan's tallest trees. It stands in a valley on the boundary between Shei-Pa National Park and the Hsinchu Forest District. The Tree Seekers conducted four expeditions, climbing Taoshan to nearly 3,400 meters before descending more than 1,000 meters to reach the tree.

Photographing a giant tree usually requires months of preparation: assembling and installing equipment, planning the route and, above all, waiting for suitable weather. The team had only four days available for on-site photography. For Steve, the director of The Tree Projects, the route to this tree was among the most difficult he had ever undertaken. It first required climbing to a 3,300-meter summit—twice the height of the highest peak in his homeland—then descending 1,300 meters into the valley. Upon reaching the tree, the team discovered that its roots were intertwined with those of a cypress. Steve was also astonished by the biodiversity of Taiwan's forests: the island's geographical position and changes in elevation support a remarkable variety of mosses and other plants, much to the team's excitement.

The team then installed a camera rail system high in the canopy, allowing the camera to travel vertically along the trunk.

They photographed each section at a 1:1 scale, then selected and assembled images from a total of 9,000 photographs before stitching them together in post-production.

Only then could the tree's full form be presented to the public.

Taiwan's tallest trees in 2023:

1. Daan River Yitian Sword, 84.1 meters (photographed)

2. Ka'alang Giant Tree, 82 meters

3. Taoshan Giant Tree, 79.1 meters (photographed)

4. Behuy, the Giant Tree of the Wind, 75.9 meters

5. Xishi Giant Tree, 73.7 meters

6. Nankeng River Giant Tree, 72.9 meters

7. Danshi Giant Tree, 71.9 meters

8. Twin Stars Giant Trees, 71 meters

9. Three Sisters Taiwania trees, 69 meters (photographed)

Giclée print / ProLuster Photo Paper

The Tree Projects is an Australian environmental education and giant wood photography team dedicated to documenting and protecting giant trees and forest ecosystems around the world through the powerful Tree Portrait technology.

In Taiwan, The Tree Projects enjoy tremendous popularity because they are an important driving force for bringing Taiwan's "Shenmu" to an international perspective with a complete face.

The unique "giant wood photo" technology When people shoot magic trees in the forest, they can only shoot from the bottom to the top, causing the trees to be severely deformed and the proportion is distorted in the photo. The Tree Projects employs extremely time-consuming and dangerous technologies to address this issue:

Climbing tracks: They erect climbing ropes equal to the height of the trees next to the big trees as “tracks.” Lifting: The photographer lifts and lowers vertically along the rope, horizontally translating the parts of the giant wood at intervals.

Seamless stitching: Finally, thousands of local photos were stitched in a 1: 1 true ratio into a high-resolution "body photo" with no distortion and high image quality, so that the world can see the real magnificent face of the giant wood.

The Tree Projects has been invited to Taiwan many times, working with a team of "tree seekers" composed of forestry laboratories and successful universities to record Taiwan's precious Taiwania cryptomerioides (known as the king of conifers): 2014 "Taiwan Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Tree Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Tree Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Sister Cilan

2023 "Momoyama Shenmu": Come to Taiwan again to record Momoyama Shenmu with a height of 79.7 meters.

"Da 'an Creek Leaning Sword": They also took a full-length photo of the "Da 'an Creek Leaning Sword", which is currently the highest tree record holder in Taiwan and East Asia, with a height of 84.1 meters, showing the extreme biodiversity and vitality of Taiwan at medium and high altitudes. The work of The Tree Projects is not only a record of scientific exploration, but is also widely used in environmental education and ecological exhibitions, bringing the emotion of alpine giant trees to people in the city.