One Stunning Walk Through the Unique Cypress Forests of Taiwan

Nothing feels more serene than walking through a forest of crisp red cypress, swirling in the wind as they fall freshly off the trees…inhaling the earthy smell from the residue of morning dew

I’ve always enjoyed a good walk in the forest. The serenity here is unlike anywhere else in the world. It feels like you could bump into a forest fairy at any given moment.

There are quite a few forests in Taiwan, but there is a very particularly type of forest that I’ve been wanting to visit for a while now- the cypress forests of Taiwan.

I first stumbled upon the cypress forest in Tai’an, Taichung few years ago while I was volunteering for a winter camp. Tai’an is a quaint little village in a more rural district in Taichung.

I was walking around with my friend during our free time. We found so many cool things to see and do, and amongst them was a miniature forest standing right amidst the village: a forest full of yellow cypress.

Truth be told, yellow cypress probably isn’t the it attraction of Taiwan. It isn’t as elegant as osmanthus, and definitely not as graceful as cherry blossoms. You don’t hear people raving about cypress much, but in some places, they’re especially beautiful.

What’s so striking about this forest is that it’s not really how you imagine a forest to be. It’s so tiny you can see all its corners and edges. It is literally a forest right in the middle of a village, like an oasis in a desert. A pop of crimson red amidst the vast countryside.

Cypress comes in various shades of autumnal colors, from a mellow yellow to an enticing maple red. At the beginning of the cypress season, which is around December here in Taiwan, you’ll see trees of yellow with hints of leftover green. As the season goes on, the cypress leaves will gradually become a warm toned amber. Then slowly, towards the end of January, they’ll transform into their final luscious coat of red before beginning another cycle of life.

I visited at the end of cypress season, so I saw many balding trees and layers of fallen amber on the floor. Being all-present in this forest reminded me of when I used to live in Maryland as a child. The leaves that would slowly turn red and fall off the trees as the wind blew gently against it, and the trees that would become more and more naked as the temperature dropped.

You don’t see much of that in Taiwan. The leaves here rarely change color, and if they do, it usually occurs in January when the weather actually becomes chilly. This happens all within a span of a few weeks before spring comes around again, ready for another year of warmth.

Many are envious of the year-round scorching hot warm weather in Taiwan, but there’s something so romantic about autumn and winter that just can’t be replaced by the passion of summer.

The charming colors here also makes for a great photography setting. You’ll be able to get the most gorgeous photos here from literally every angle.

All the fascinating things aside, there are a few cons to consider when visiting this forest. Because cypress forests have been getting increasingly popular over the past few years, this particular forest in tai’an has become quite the tourist destination. Many people have been coming to tai’an (which is literally in the middle of nowhere) just for this forest. For such a small forest, there is an admission fee of 60NTD, and it is rather crowded and can get pretty noisy even on the weekdays. This sort of takes the peaceful forest experience away and makes it a little hard to take good photos without getting a bunch of people into your shot.

If you’re not into the touristy crowds, then you could also consider many of the free (and less popular) cypress forests in Taiwan that are just as beautiful.

Do you like taking walks in forests? have you been to a cypress forest before?

let me know in the comments below! 🤍

Until next time,