Taiwan Today

Taiwan first became known to the Western world as Ilha Formosa, or the “beautiful island,” after Portuguese sailors caught sight of its green forests and lofty mountains on their way to Japan in the 16th century. The land is indeed endowed with a variety of fascinating terrain including coastal plains and basins, foothills, tablelands, mountain ranges and volcanic mountains. Some two-thirds of Taiwan’s total land area of approximately 36,000 square kilometers is covered by forested mountains with fast-flowing rivers and streams.

“Taiwan is small, but really beautiful, featuring diverse topography and ecology, and moreover offers easy access to its many natural attractions,” says Chuang Ling (莊靈), a veteran photographer. “It’s a blessing to live in Taiwan and we all should cherish and try to protect our natural heritage.” That is also a message that Chuang hopes to convey in a photography exhibition titled “The View of Formosa’s Landscape from Photographers,” which he curated for the National Taiwan Museum (NTM) in Taipei. The show opened June 4 and will run until November 24 this year.

The exhibition showcases 94 works created by 15 photographers from Taiwan and abroad from the time of Qing dynasty rule in Taiwan (1684–1895), through the Japanese colonial era (1895–1945) and into the Republic of China era, with 69 of the images being displayed to the public for the first time, according to the museum.

The show starts with images taken by Scottish photographer John Thomson (1837–1921), who sailed from Xiamen, mainland China to Taiwan in 1871. He carried equipment for making glass negatives and spent more than one month capturing images throughout present-day Tainan and Kaohsiung cities in southern Taiwan. The landscape photos that he took of the coastline, ports and rivers as well as the plains-dwelling indigenous peoples and their villages are the earliest photographic images of Taiwan still in existence. Thomson’s glass negatives are conserved at the Wellcome Library in London in the United Kingdom.

Also included in the exhibition are photos of the Tamsui River in New Taipei City and Jade Mountain—Taiwan’s tallest peak at 3,952 meters—such as those by late photographers Fang Ching-mian (方慶綿, 1905–1974), Li Ming-tiao (李鳴鵰, 1922–2013) and Juan Jung-chu (阮榮助, 1935–2013). In particular, Fang, who ran a photo studio in Chiayi, southern Taiwan, climbed Jade Mountain scores of times and left nearly 500 images of the peak.

Chuang, a winner of the National Award for Arts—the highest such honor in Taiwan—in 2011, says that the photographic works on display are not only precious as historical records of Taiwan’s ecology, mountains and rivers, but are also valuable as artistic creations given each photographer’s expressive style, perspective and technique.

“We hope that these pictures can touch and inspire viewers with the beauty and grandeur of Taiwan’s natural landscapes, and alert them to the ever-present risk of serious damage to the environment as a result of natural or man-made disasters,” Chuang says. “We’d like to use the event to promote environmental awareness and encourage people to get closer to nature and join in conservation efforts.”

Documenting the Damage

Degradation of the environment is on display in a panoramic aerial image of Fengshan Temple in Kaohsiung, which was taken following flooding caused by devastating Typhoon Morakot in August 2009. In the image, driftwood that had washed down from the mountains blankets the ground in front of the temple, while the original landscape at the rear of the building has been obliterated by mud. The photo was created by aerial filmmaker and photographer Chi Po-lin (齊柏林).

Chen Ming-ming (陳敏明) also specializes in aerial photography, and the NTM show displays nine of his works including shots of the Central Mountain Range, Neidong Waterfall in New Taipei City and Xindian River in Taipei City, among others. He says that aerial photography is the best way to capture a complete view of a particular landmark, and the only way to show certain sites in remote locations.

“One of the great attractions of aerial photography is that you get to see places that many people have no chance to see or don’t even know about,” Chen says. “Such a task, however, involves a great many risks, largely associated with [the unpredictability of] the weather and hefty costs. Oftentimes, I struggle with the decision of whether to wait a little longer for skies to clear up or give up the mission.”

Renting a helicopter to take aerial photos can cost as much as NT$800,000 (US$27,000) a day, Chen says, thus making it essential to use every second of the flight regardless of any moments of fear or motion sickness.

Despite the difficulties, Chen says that aerial photographs have great value as educational or reference materials for authorities conducting environmental assessments and scholars doing research in geography and geology.

In fact, as a photographer Chen says his responsibility is to capture an image, not make a judgment about whether a particular area should be conserved or developed. “I simply hope that my aerial works can help experts draw a conclusion—a decision based on facts given that seeing is believing,” he says.

“Many people underestimate the value of aerial photographs. I often need to convince business owners or government authorities of their worth and make a strong case for doing the work.” Chen says. “My goal is to create a complete record of Taiwan’s terrain and how it has changed over the years.”

With nearly 30 years of experience in aerial photography, Chen has been commissioned for such assignments a number of times by central and local government agencies including national park administrations and the Forestry Bureau, as well as by private establishments. He has also funded several projects out of his own pocket. The 60-year-old lensman is enthusiastic about taking on more such jobs in the future. “[Aerial photography] is a very challenging task. Still, I have a great passion for it and believe that I do it well,” he says.

Likewise, photographer Tung Min (董敏), 78, continues to find great joy in traveling throughout Taiwan to take landscape photos, and says he is often moved by the majestic natural scenes he observes. Twelve of his works featuring the island’s forests, mountains and waterfalls are exhibited in the NTM show.

Tung has had a love of the outdoors and natural areas and a keen interest in ecology and ecotourism since his undergraduate studies in the Department of Forestry at National Chung Hsing University in Taichung, central Taiwan. He has visited almost all of the national forest recreation areas islandwide.

One of Tung’s favorite places is 3,417-meter-high Hehuan Mountain in central Taiwan. Though at the highest elevation of any of the national forest recreation areas, the mountain is easily accessible by public roads, an important reason for its popularity as a travel destination, he adds.

“Standing on Hehuan’s main peak, one can take in the breathtaking views of the mountain terrain, not only because of its height, but also the presence of other surrounding mountains,” Tung says. “It’s also the best place to enjoy alpine flowers, the sight of snow, and magical sunrises, sunsets and stars.” All these unique vistas have lured the photographer back more than 40 times in various seasons.

The most impressive trip to Hehuan Mountain for Tung was the one he made in May 2009, when he was invited by the Forestry Bureau to take panoramic pictures from the top of the peak. The images were commissioned to celebrate the reopening of the bureau’s Song Syue Lodge to the public after renovation.

During his two-week stay, Tung says he was lucky enough to enjoy one perfect day that was gorgeously sunny and clear without a cloud in sight to mar the sky. The photographer, who was 74 years old at the time, fastened thick ropes about his waist and climbed an electrical transmission tower on the peak in order to take the 360-degree shots.

“Great photography relies very much on being in the right place at the right time. [Perfect conditions] are something to wait for, not ask for,” he says. “I’m thrilled at capturing naturally beautiful moments for posterity and bringing those inspiring aesthetic experiences to others through my work.”

“It’s both fun and meaningful to make use of photography to promote our country’s environmental treasures—from evergreen-studded mountains to tranquil estuaries. I’ll keep on doing it as long as my physical condition allows,” he adds.

Hsu Jen-shiu (徐仁修), 67, a noted writer and photographer, points out that Taiwan encompasses tropical, subtropical and warm temperate zones. This has given rise to a remarkably diverse range of habitats and a correspondingly wide array of both plant and animal species, many of which are endemic to the island. “Taiwan is a wonderful place blessed with lush vegetation and distinctive landscapes such as the spectacular gorges, mountains and waterfalls of Taroko National Park on the east coast,” Hsu says. “Having traveled extensively overseas, I’ve found few places [like Taiwan] that possess such diversity in terms of biology, climate and physiography.” “The View of Formosa’s Landscape from Photographers” displays 19 of his works.

Inspiring Conservation

Numerous economic development projects together with the country’s high population density have caused significant environmental pressure, however, Hsu says. Sensing an urgent need for environmental protection, he established the Society of Wilderness in 1995 to promote nature education, habitat preservation and public participation in conservation projects. He contributes to the society’s work by giving lectures, publishing children’s books and organizing nature-related activities.

Hsu has trekked throughout Taiwan photographing landscapes and wildlife for some 40 years now. “I like to shoot pictures of all types of flora and fauna as they are equally important and worth featuring,” he says.

A native of Hsinchu County in northern Taiwan, Hsu believes that an appreciation of art, literature and nature is key to the development of imagination and creativity, and also leads to happiness. Producing visually pleasing nature photographs is one way to gain people’s attention and appeal to their emotions, he says.

“I want to share the beauty of nature with others and get my messages out to affect their thinking and behavior,” Hsu says. “We need to maintain the island’s natural charms not only for us, but also future generations to enjoy for years to come.”

Curator Chuang, who also serves as the chairman of the Society of Photographic Museum and Culture of Taiwan, believes the legacy of Taiwan’s photographers also needs to be preserved. Most of the photos exhibited in the NTM show were obtained directly from photographers or their families, he says, explaining that he is worried about the future of such priceless pictures if it is left up to individuals to maintain such collections.

In recent years, Chuang has been advocating for the establishment of a photography museum in Taiwan that would collect, study and preserve old photos. Such an establishment could also work to popularize photography through education, exhibitions, publications and exchanges with galleries, schools and other museums.

“It’s my hope that those displayed in the NTM exhibition as well as many others can be collected and permanently preserved in a dedicated institution in the near future,” Chuang says. “They’re invaluable cultural assets that should be passed on to future generations.”

Write to Kelly Her at kher@mofa.gov.tw