Notes about Some Photos I Take in Taiwan

Last year I visited Taiwan， the treasure land that had haunted me for a long while. I took a great number of photographs during the visit. Here are some notes about the photos I took there.

Dome of Light

While I was in Kaohsiung， Formosa Boulevard Station， a metro station located in Sinsing District， Kaohsiung was recommended to me. It is a transfer station between the Red Line and the Orange Line of the metro system. Friends said that it was a must for first-time visitors to Kaohsiung.

The station is known for its \"Dome of Light\"， the largest single glasswork in the world. It was designed by Italian artist Narcissus Quagliata. It is 30 meters in diameters and covers an area of 2，180 square meters. It is made up of 4，500 glass panels. Even with wide angle lens， I was not able to capture the whole dome on my camera.

Hsitzu Bay

The Hsitzu Bay (Hsitzuwan) is perched on the sea at the western edge of Kaohsiung City.

The bay's main feature is a swimming beach known for its clear blue water， the beauty of its sunsets， and its natural reef. Each moment of the day has its special attraction， but the brilliant colors of the sunset are unparalleled in their beauty. The vessels both large and small scattered like stars on the surface of the sea are entertained by the intermittent sound of foghorns. As the day darkens and the air of romance deepens， pairs of lovers stroll along the breakwater， listening to the waves and watching the lights of fishing boats on the sea. To my surprise， the splendid sunset scene on the bay was comparable with the sunset on the West Lake in Hangzhou. It is therefore appropriate that they share the name (the West Lake in Hangzhou is also called Hsitzu Lake if the same spelling system is used).

Mount Ali

Situated in Chiayi County， Taiwan， Mount Ali is strictly speaking not an solitary mountain. Geographically it contains a series of mountains and it is where a natural reserve is. One of the top tourism attractions in Asia， Mount Ali offers attractions such as the forest railway， sunrise， sunset， a sea of clouds， and Formosan cypress woods.

While driving into the mountain area， we saw mists floating upward and looking as if the forests were on fire. It was a spectacular view. Formosan cypresses are huge and majestic. During the Japanese occupation period， a lot of Formosan cypresses were felled and shipped to Japan. Many have survived Japanese looting. A rain toward evening sent me into a shrine for shelter. I was worried that the odds of seeing the sunrise the next morning were almost nil.

I boarded a forest train before the dawn to see the sunrise that day. It was cold at this time of the day and this time of the year. As soon as we stepped off the train， we heard someone shouting in excitement. “We are going to see the sunrise today!”

The sunrise viewing platform is just a flight of dozen steps away from the railway station. The east began to go white， a sea of clouds floating across a group of peaks. The golden sunrays were seen streaming up toward the dome of sky from behind the peaks， meaning the sun had already rose above the horizon. When the sun finally emerged from the peak， the spectators cheered and applauded. By this time， the sun was a glaring fire ball.

Queen’s Head

I had long since wanted to see the Queen’s Head， the most famous rock formation at Yehliu Geopark in Taiwan. It rained on my 1.5-hour way to the seaside scenic spot. It cleared up when I arrived. I learned from a local friend that the rock had looked thicker when he was a kid. Experts say that the Queen’s Head will eventually fall apart due to ceaseless assault of the elements. I was still pondering the dire fate of the beautiful rock when the setting sun showed its face from behind the clouds. Incredibly， there appeared a fabulous rainbow. I thought I was in a land of dream and fairytale. I lingered， unable to tear myself away from the scene. When I finally walked back to the parking lot， my friend had been waiting for me for a long while.

An Aerial View

The airplane sailed slowly high in the sky across the Taiwan Straits toward the mainland. In the azure sky were numerous white clouds. I looked down through the cabin window. Not far from the tip of the wing， down there spread a dark-green island. It was Taiwan， the treasure island of our motherland. I said a silent prayer for the prosperity， happiness and peace of the people on both sides of the straits.