Taipingshan's "fals cypress" forests were discovered by the Japanese early in their occupation of Taiwan. They soon began to fell them, and cypress became an important mainstay of occupied Taiwan's economy. Ilan's second largest city, Luotung, also rose to prominence as the collection and distribution center for Taipingshan timber, and used to enjoy the same sort of prosperity as the cities on the western plains.
太平山的檜木林在日據初期被日本人發現，並開始採伐，因此檜木曾是日據時代台灣重要的經濟支柱；宜蘭的第二大城羅東，也因為扮演太平山木材集散地而發跡，昔日繁榮盛況不下於西部平原大城。