This trip was primarily planned for photography, including both natural landscapes and hidden scenic spots in Taiwan.
This article will introduce Qingjing and Hehuan Mountain.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the day of departure, the weather was truly "not as expected"—Taiwan's weather was poor, with frequent rain and thick cloud cover. Checking the weather forecast, it seemed this condition would persist throughout the week.
My girlfriend and I arrived at Taipei Taoyuan Airport with some apprehension (since round-trip flights to Taipei were cheaper). A friend living in Taiwan had already driven to the airport to pick us up. After a brief chat, we set off for our hotel in Qingjing.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Upon arrival, we naturally went for a stroll. Although the view outside the hotel was somewhat limited, we could still see some nice scenery.
There were quite a few cats outside the hotel, presumably fed by the hotel staff. We even spotted a kitten that seemed to have been born not long ago.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Milky Way in Taiwan is expected to rise around 11 p.m. in May. That day, fortunately, there was no moonlight interference, and theoretically, if the sky had been completely clear, we would have definitely captured the grandeur of the Milky Way.
After dinner, the sky still showed no significant improvement, and the humidity was nearly 100%. However, we still hoped for a chance to photograph Taiwan’s starry sky, or even the Milky Way. So, we decided to drive to the highest point on Taiwan’s highways, Wuling, located at an altitude of 3,275 meters on Hehuan Mountain. We arrived at our destination around 8 p.m., and as expected, all we saw was a hazy “A4” whiteout. We waited until 11 p.m., but the fog only slightly thinned. In the end, we decided to head to a lower-altitude shooting spot on Hehuan Mountain, Kunyang Parking Lot, at 3,080 meters. Upon arrival, we noticed many stars between the clouds, but unfortunately, passing vehicles often disrupted the shots.
We kept shooting until almost midnight, yet the Milky Way was nowhere to be seen. So, we decided to try our luck near the hotel. After taking one or two shots, we noticed a faint arc of the starry river in the photos.
Looking up, we finally saw it!!! The Milky Way I had been eagerly waiting to see.
The feeling of seeing the Milky Way for the first time is truly indescribable in words. In that moment, looking at my partner beside me, I took her hand and walked in front of the camera for a photo together (the temperature was only around 10 degrees Celsius, so don’t be surprised by the thick down jackets).
In the end, we kept shooting until 3 a.m. before heading back to the hotel to rest, concluding the day’s journey.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next stop will introduce the sunrise at Hehuan Mountain and other natural scenery in Qingjing.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other articles: Enjoying the Fish Pond Scenery at Jigong Mountain
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to check out more photos on my Instagram: trnsyy