檜木穿越千百年的歲月，即使化作一株枯倒木，它守護的也不只是自己族群的延續，而是一個森林的穩定存在和一個充滿生機的世界遺產。

Through thousands of years, even becoming snags, cypress trees will still keep guarding not only their species but also the whole environment of the forest and a world heritage full of life.

就世界自然遺產登錄的四項傑出普世價值來看，棲蘭山檜木林具有下列的價值：

From the four universal criterions for the designation of World Natural Heritage Sites, the values of Qilan Mountain Cypress Forest can be as follows:

「棲蘭山檜木林」之林區海拔範圍從500公尺到2,800公尺，因受到地形與東北季風的影響，長年為雲霧所籠罩，是臺灣「霧林帶」森林的典型代表，極適合紅檜、臺灣扁柏等檜木林的生長，有著臺灣目前最大面積的原始檜木林，目前有保存歷代神木園區的許多檜木大樹景觀。同時在棲蘭160線、130線保留有檜木野外教室，供全民作為生態遊憩與自然教育之用，充分展現臺灣檜木林特殊的自然美景與美學普世價值。

Being the largest cypress forest in Taiwan, it preserves ancient sacred cypress trees such as Taiwan Red Cypress and Taiwan Yellow Cypress. These trees are typically located in the “cloud forest belt”.

2. 鴛鴦湖為獨特的高山湖泊，湖泊邊有臺灣扁柏林、濕地植群與稀有植物(如東亞黑三稜及卵葉水丁香等)，其內的水文波動隨著颱風或暴雨所呈現的特殊“脈衝”的水文機制，這種機制在臺灣的山地湖沼也是少見的現象，同時對一些生物的維持非常重要。

Yuanyang Lake is a unique high altitude lake where several rare plants can be found. In addition, the hydrological pulse mechanism caused by typhoons or storms in this lake is rarely seen elsewhere and the mechanism also sustains the growth of some of the creatures.

3. 扁柏屬全世界共七個分類群，其中三種在北美洲，兩種在日本，另兩種在臺灣。紅檜為該屬植物胸徑最巨大者，並只出現在臺灣。

Taiwan has Taiwan Red Cypress and Taiwan Yellow Cypress. Taiwan Red Cypress is the largest tree of diameter at breast height and can only be found in Taiwan.

4. 在冰河時期許多溫帶森林，遷移到日本、韓國、臺灣及中國大陸，扁柏屬植物在日本及臺灣有發現化石紀錄，韓國及中國大陸則沒有出現記載。這也見證生物地理學物種在冰河時期與更早期的遷移與演化，極具研究與保育價值。

In ice age, many plants in temperate climate zone migrated to the south; however, the fossils of Taiwan yellow cypress can only be found in Taiwan and Japan. The fact implies that the Qilan Mountain had witnessed the migration and evolution of the species and it is crucial to study and conserve the forest.

5. 過去近百年之內，由日治時期開始砍伐檜木林，並大量使用檜木，目前臺灣只有幾個地區保留有較完整的檜木林，其中棲蘭山擁有全臺灣最大面積的原生檜木林。保留棲蘭山檜木林可見證過去的開發歷史和目前的保育狀況，不僅具有自然意義，更彰顯也有人文歷史的價值。 After the deforestation for nearly a hundred years, the Qilan Mountain forest has become the largest primeval cypress forest in Taiwan and has witnessed the twofold history of forest development and conservation.

6. 棲蘭山保育的物種多樣性，植物與動物資源的特有率非常高，植物資源佔全臺特有種之三成，其中冰河時期孑遺之裸子植物有14種，如南洋紅豆杉、臺灣杉、巒大杉、臺灣肖楠、臺灣鐵杉、臺灣二葉松、臺灣粗榧等。動物資源部分：哺乳類39種，其中16種為特有種；鳥類132種，其中9種為特有種；爬蟲類45種，其中11種為特有種；兩棲類19種，其中9種為特有種；昆蟲373種，其中25種為特有種。其中不乏本島特有及保育類野生動物，如臺灣黑熊、長鬃山羊、山羌等大型哺乳類動物，及黑長尾雉、藍腹鷴、林鵰等鳥類動物，以及寬尾鳳蝶、觀霧山椒魚等蝴蝶與兩棲類動物，當視為本島保育生物多樣性之熱點地區。

The Qilan Mountain is known for its biodiversity of animals and plants. Some of them are even endemic species. The Qilan Mountain also accounts for 30 percent of the plant resources in Taiwan such as Taiwan Yew, Taiwan Incense Cedar and Taiwania. There are also protected species of wild animals such as Taiwan Blue Pheasant, Taiwan Lesser Salamander, Formosan Serow, Formosan Reeves' Muntjac and Taiwan Blck bear. It is one of the most important biodiversity hotspots in Taiwan.

7. 終年雲霧飄渺、參天巨木遮天蔽日，瀰漫神秘又肅靜氛圍的檜木霧林，充滿著自然的力量，常被泰雅族原住民視為聖地或祖靈的居住所，因而不得任意妄為，無形中使檜木林的生態千年來都保有難得的生氣和活力。
土地是母親、山林是手足，人屬於自然界的一部份，泰雅族的居住、遷徙及各種生業活動也成為這生態系的一員，是本區最重要的人文景觀。

The Qilan Moutain Cypress Forest has been regarded as a holy place and also the residence for ancestral spirits by Atayal people. The conventions and taboos have created an intangible force and harmony between human beings and the Nature; these elements help to sustain the ecological system for thousands of years. Coexisting with the Nature, the inhabitance, migration and production activities of Atayal people are the most significant cultural landscape in this area.