TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Photos of the landscapes of nine different locations across Taiwan taken between 2017 and 2020 went viral on social media last week.
The photographer, Maxwell Chu, a 27-year-old Taiwanese-American teacher, told Taiwan News that he captured these photos with an iPhone X. On March 9, he posted the nine photographs on the social media site Reddit, and they soon gained 600 upvotes and 29 comments.
The locations Chu photographed in order from top to bottom are Maolin Mountain in Pingtung County, Provincial Highway 9 in Taitung City, tea fields in Yilan County, Sanxiantai in Taitung County, Mingchi National Forest Recreation Area in Yilan County, Sanxiantai Arch Bridge in Taitung County, Taroko National Park in Hualien County, Sixty Stone Mountain in Hualien County, and Chishang Township in Taitung County.
Maolin Mountain. (Maxwell Chu photo)
Chu pointed out that Maolin Mountain is known for its annual butterfly migration.
Provincial Highway 9. (Maxwell Chu photo)
Chu pointed out that driving down Provincial Highway 9 on the east coast “nestles you close against the sea” while mountains tower on the other side.
Tea fields of Yilan. (Maxwell Chu photo)
Yilan has a number of tea plantations open to tourists, such as Yulan Tea Garden and Hu-Shan Tea Farm.
Sanxiantai. (Maxwell Chu photo)
The name of this area, Sanxiantai (三仙台), translates as “Three Immortals Platform.”
Mingchi National Forest Recreation Area. (Maxwell Chu photo)
In his Reddit post, Chu thanked the “young lady playing her cello by the foggy lake.”
Sanxiantai Arch Bridge. (Maxwell Chu photo)
As Chu noted, Sanxiantai Arch Bridge undulates like the body of a dragon soaring through the clouds.
Taroko National Park. (Maxwell Chu photo)
Chu observed that Taroko Gorge, which has the nickname “The Marble Gorge,” historically had been mined for its white marble. Now the park features many hiking paths winding through high cliffs and deep gorges.
Sixty Stone Mountain. (Maxwell Chu photo)
According to Chu, the flowers found on this mountain, daylilies, are a “popular ingredient featured in the local cuisine.”
Chishang Township. (Maxwell Chu photo)
Chu says that this township is renowned for its rice and “great cycling paths throughout the area.”