He traveled to all 368 townships in Taiwan in 6 years, capturing hometown beauty you've never seen through his lens

▲ Beiguan Tidal Park, Toucheng, Yilan County. (Photo/ Authorized by Chen Yanyu, please do not reproduce without permission)

Reported by reporter Cai Wenjun

The hustle and bustle of subway stations or the endless flow of traffic on streets—these everyday scenes we’ve grown accustomed to are, in others’ eyes, the most beautiful sights of their hometowns. Chen Yanyu, an 8th-generation photographer who is just 22 years old this year, has planned a“368 Township Photography Project”, through the eye of his lens, documents the diverse details of scenery across Taiwan’s 368 townships, leaving viewers amazed at his works: “So my hometown is actually this beautiful!”

▲ Husband and Wife Trees and the Milky Way, Xinyi, Nantou County. (Photo/ Authorized by Chen Yanyu, please do not reproduce without permission)

Chen Yanyu explained that the “368 Township Photography Project” came about when he was going through a low point in life—he had taken a break from university and gone through a breakup. For a period, he felt lost and aimless. Eventually, he began to think, “What is something I can never give up on?” In the end, he decided to start with what he had always loved doing, so he picked up his sister’s old camera and began traveling alone.

▲ Sanxiantai, Chenggong, Taitung County. (Photo/ Authorized by Chen Yanyu, please do not reproduce without permission)

During his travels, Chen Yanyu was deeply moved by many of the sights along the way. Coming from Miaoli, he especially loved going to Longfeng Fishing Port to enjoy the sea breeze and the scenery. To preserve the emotional impact these views gave him, he started learning photography, hoping to record scenes from different corners. This way, whenever he looked back at them, he could instantly recall those feelings—and also hoped to pass on that inspiration to the people around him.

▲ Rainbow Bridge at Yuanli Fishing Port, Yuanli, Miaoli County. (Photo/ Authorized by Chen Yanyu, please do not reproduce without permission)

“Some people like portraits, some like landscapes, but no matter which, not everyone appreciates them. So I decided to photograph the hometown sceneries that everyone shares,” Chen Yanyu said. The 368 Township Photography Project is actually a large-scale island-circling plan, expected to take six years to complete. So far, he has visited over 100 townships. Currently a soldier by profession, he takes every break to ride his motorcycle around the island and take photos. Sometimes, he also shoots around specific themes, such as the golden needle flower season or the Milky Way, but the core idea remains to convey, through his lens, the most touching sceneries within the four corners of his frame to the viewers, revealing more of Taiwan’s beauty.

However, this project does have certain difficulties. Chen Yanyu said that Taiwan has a total of 368 townships including outlying islands, among which Wu Township in Kinmen County is a military base and is not open to the public. Therefore, he hopes to apply for permission to enter and shoot there in the future, aiming to capture all 368 townships in Taiwan completely.

▲ Liushitou Mountain, Fuli, Hualien County. (Photo/ Authorized by Chen Yanyu, please do not reproduce without permission)

How important is photography to Chen Yanyu? “Photography changed my life,” Chen Yanyu said. He used to be rather pessimistic and not close to his family, but after starting photography, he found purpose in life. After reading extensively about photography, many photographic perspectives brought him positive energy and helped him transform. To save money for better photography equipment to carry out his shooting plans, he even signed up for a volunteer position in the Marine Corps. With a stable job and no longer being pessimistic, his relationship with his family also improved.

“I also want to thank the officers and colleagues in the military for supporting my vision,” Chen Yanyu said. Because his superiors were very supportive—sometimes even coordinating manpower to allow him to finish photography competitions or projects—helping him gradually achieve what he has now, and he remains deeply grateful.

▲ Jingshui Highway, Ruifang, New Taipei City. (Photo/ Authorized by Chen Yanyu, please do not reproduce without permission)

Many people have also wondered where Chen Yanyu gets the funds to support his continuous island-circling travels. Chen Yanyu laughed and said that each of his island-circling trips usually lasts about six days, with an average cost of only 3,000 NT dollars. Since he travels by motorcycle and has friends in central, southern, northern, and eastern Taiwan, he sometimes stays at friends’ homes or in backpacker hostels. He doesn’t eat extravagantly either, so expenses are quite low.

As 2016 is coming to an end, Chen Yanyu hopes to complete the photography of all 18 townships in Miaoli before the year’s end. He also wants to hold a photography exhibition of his own, themed around the emotions toward his hometown. This dream-building island-circling story will continue to be written.

View more beautiful, lesser-known photos of Taiwan ＞＞Facebook page of the 368 Township Photography Project,Instagram of the 368 Township Photography Project

▲ Chi Mei Museum, Rende, Tainan City. (Photo/ Authorized by Chen Yanyu, please do not reproduce without permission)

▲ Haowangjiao, Houlong, Miaoli County. (Photo/ Authorized by Chen Yanyu, please do not reproduce without permission)