Couple Trees

Driving along the scenic Provincial Highway 21, you will encounter Couple Trees that tell an everlasting love story. Serving as the entrance to the highest peak in Taiwan — Yushan (Mt. Jade), the Couple Trees are actually two dead Formosan cypresses that had been standing for more than a thousand years before they were killed in the forest fire back in 1963. Due to the high altitude of the location, the trees are not rotten and remain as two white trunks as they are today.

The trees were seemingly holding hands/branches of one another, hence the name. Unfortunately, a lightning in 1996 knocked the branches off the trees. Today, the affection between the Couple Trees can only be imagined and appreciated from certain angles. The stories behind the trees also make them an inspiring legend. It is said that a couple from the local tribe of Bunun committed suicide off the cliff here as their love was not accepted by their parents. Two giant trees started to grow, and the locals decided to name them “Couple Trees.” Some indigenous people believed that two evil wizards have been imprisoned in the trees after causing chaos for years, so the trees are also known as “Evil Trees.” No matter where the name came from, during the day, Couple Trees welcome motorcyclists as a parking lot and becomes a paradise for photographers to shoot spic star photos as the night falls.