Written/Compiled and Reported by Wei Ruyu
The inspirational film 'Bang Teng', which tells the story of local folk culture, had a strong box office performance during the Spring Festival and has so far surpassed one hundred million in ticket sales. Many scenes in the movie were shot in Pingtung, including locations such as the Penghu Bay Cross-Sea Bridge, Donglong Temple in Donggang Township, fishing ports, the Jiaodong military airstrip along Ping'e Highway, and the Fangshan coastline. During the holiday period, visitors are encouraged to explore these filming locations in person and experience the emotions brought by the movie scenes firsthand.
Many scenes of 'Bang Teng' were filmed at Donglong Temple in Pingtung. (Photo provided by Pingtung County Government Tourism and Communications Department)
The 'Bang Teng' production team was led by director Feng Kai to Pingtung for filming between April and May last year. One scene required a procession of heavy motorcycles to ride across the Penghu Bay Cross-Sea Bridge. On that day, nearly 20 heavy motorcycles were mobilized, thanks to the strong support of enthusiastic bikers who followed the director’s instructions and rode back and forth on the bridge to capture the best shots. Another aerial shot of the Penghu Bay Cross-Sea Bridge also involved assistance from the Tourism and Communications Department in coordinating a helicopter. Since the bridge’s “opening show” only takes place on holidays, the Dapeng Bay National Scenic Area Administration specially cooperated with the shoot to showcase the bridge’s majestic grandeur.
Many enthusiastic heavy motorcycle riders also joined the filming of 'Bang Teng'. (Photo provided by Pingtung County Government Tourism and Communications Department)
In recent years, an increasing number of movies and TV dramas have been drawn to Pingtung’s unique tropical charm, scenic landscapes, and cultural themes, choosing to film there. Examples include internationally renowned director Ang Lee’s 'Life of Pi', Wei Te-sheng’s 'Cape No. 7', Chu Yen-ping’s 'New Perfect Two', Wang Xiaodie’s 'Kuma', as well as TV series like 'Police et vous' ('波丽士大人') and 'New Recruit Diary' ('新兵日记'). Most recently, Berlin Film Festival Best Director Lin Cheng-sheng plans to bring the inspiring story of world bread champion Wu Pao-chun to the big screen, gradually creating a cinematic trend in Pingtung. As 'Bang Teng' achieves impressive box office success, it also allows more people to discover a different side of Pingtung.