It belongs to the Cupressaceae Family, with the Latin name of Cupressus gigantea.

The evergreen mega-arbor can grow up to 25 to 45 meters high, with a chest diameter of 1 to 3 meters. Its bark cracks into strips. The imbricate leaves are lined into 4 rows, intercrossed in pairs. There's a round gland point. The cones are borne on the top of lateral branches, which are prolate spheroidal and 1.6 to 2 centimeters long, with a diameter of 1.3 to 1.6 centimeters. They ripen in the following year, often covered with white powder. The seeds are red brown with narrow wings on both sides.      

It grows on mountainous lands 3,000-3,400 meters above sea level. It grows in valleys or tablelands with dry and windy weather, often found in its pure forest on riverbanks and droughty shady slopes. It can resist cold, drought and strong wind. The cones ripen in September and October.

It's mainly distributed at the bottom of the hillside of the valley on middle reaches of Yaluzangbo River in the east of Tibet. It's a peculiar species of trees in China with small distribution areas. There are many old trees aged a thousand years in its habitat, with a chest diameter of 3 to 6 meters. It's of great significance for the study of botanic phylogenetic development and the relationship between Tibetan vegetation development and the environment there.