März 2024 – rene bauer photography

Taiwan: Burning Money In The Temple

Maybe you noticed these stacks of yellow papers in my prior posts. Well, these are ‚paper money‘ what get burned for the ancestors and family members who passed away, to ensure they have the financial fundings for a comfortable afterlife.

While i visited the City Temple in Tainan, i found myself in the backyard in a nice garden. I noticed a huge chimney. Getting closer to inspect it, i became a witness how people enlightened stacks of these paper money and let it burn in big flames, providing a comfortable time for their people in afterlife.

März 31, 2024März 30, 2024 by Rene Bauer Categories: Asia, culture, history, reportage, tradition, travel, urbanlifeTags: Asia, ceremony, citytemple, culture, gods, papermoney, people, religion, renebauerphotography, reportage, tainan, taiwan, taoism, temple, Travel, worshipping Hinterlasse einen Kommentar

Taiwan: People Of Tainan

Roaming through the streets of Tainan many people gave me a smile or a wink or even posing in front of my camera. So did the lady with helmet, who had seen me with camera and jumped literally towards me. The three guys in bicycle training who winked me and posed shy but proud. Two young ladies nicely dressed up with amazing, traditional hairstyle posed happily on the street. Not to forget the proud owner of a ‚Vespa‘ shop, which caught my attention, since this brand is rarely seen here.

März 29, 2024März 28, 2024 by Rene Bauer Categories: Asia, culture, humansofplanetearth, portrait, reportage, tradition, travelTags: Asia, fareast, people, peoplephotography, portraits, renebauerphotography, reportage, streetphotography, tainan, taiwan, Travel, vespa Hinterlasse einen Kommentar

Taiwan: Tainan Puji Temple Impressions

There was a Puji Temple just around the block. It wasn’t the biggest and most important, but beautiful set in the neighborhood and colorful decorated with many lanterns.

When i found it, it was pretty busy with worshipper and priests. The smell of incenses and the atmosphere with the dimmed lantern lights gave me quite an impression…

März 27, 2024März 27, 2024 by Rene Bauer Categories: Asia, culture, humansofplanetearth, portrait, reportage, traditionTags: Asia, culture, god, goddesses, incense, lantern, people, phoenix, priest, puji, pujitemple, religion, renebauerphotography, reportage, tainan, taiwan, taoism, temple, Travel, worshipper Hinterlasse einen Kommentar

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März 27, 2024Mai 10, 2024 by Rene Bauer Categories: travel

Taiwan: Arriving In Tainan

It was late afternoon when i arrived Tainan, in southern Taiwan. But it’s never too late to go out for a stroll in the neighborhood.

Much to see explore, as i found out soon. Around and inside the temples were still lots of lanterns, since the final festivities about Chinese New Year weren’t over yet. In one of the temple two nice, young ladies explaining me, how they interact with their gods and asking questions. It works with throwing two crescent-shaped wooden parts. Depending how the lie, the gods are willing to listen to their questions. Next step is to choose one of the providing sticks, which have numbers what leads to a certain box in a cupboard, where finally is a piece of paper with the answer to your initial question. Maybe.

They also told me about the various gods and goddesses in the different niches of the temple. There’s one who helps to find your soulmate, another one brings luck for women wants get pregnant, or students pray for their exams. On the wall were the proof of success, when it worked. Not so far from catholicism, where various Saints get these tasks done, i thought for myself.

Outside of the temple a sudden strong rain started. It makes the colorful lanterns reflect on the street, giving a new, friendly atmosphere. A small snack on my way home and some juicy strawberries for dessert. The first day in Tainan ended nicely.

März 24, 2024März 24, 2024 by Rene Bauer Categories: Asia, culture, portrait, reportage, tradition, travel, urbanlifeTags: Asia, chinesenewyear, city, culture, fareast, goddesses, gods, holy, lantern, lanternfestival, people, portrait, rain, religion, renebauerphotography, reportage, scooter, streetfood, streetlife, streetphotography, tainan, taiwan, temple, Travel, urbanlife Hinterlasse einen Kommentar

Taiwan: Lost Place On Lü Dao

There’s one last place i wanted show you on Lü Dao.

Okay, actually two. Because there’s also this small cave, called Guanyin Cave, which considered to be holy and worth a short stopp anyway.

And then there’s the tipp i got. An abandoned house on a hill near the lighthouse. There’s no road up there, just a path overgrown by dense bush. It took me awhile to find my way up to the hill, but it was completely worth it. That ‚lost place‘ appeared a beautiful spot for a quite hour or so. It would be also a nice sunset point. But i preferred another coffee on my favorite place @coffeestray

März 22, 2024März 22, 2024 by Rene Bauer Categories: Asia, culture, landscape, nature, reportage, travel, Uncategorized, urbanlifeTags: abandoned, altar, Asia, cave, coffeestray, graffiti, graffitiart, greenisland, hiuse, island, landscape, lüdao, lighthouse, lostplace, nature, overgrown, renebauerphotography, reportage, sea, shrine, sunset, taiwan, Travel, wallart Hinterlasse einen Kommentar

Taiwan: Hike on Lü Dao

There’s a hike on Lü Dao which leads to the highest point of Green Island. And there was the most beautiful weather to do that. So, hiking boots on and up the hills.

The path is wide, well maintained and not to miss. But on its side is dense forest with rich flora and fauna. Most obvious are the many butterflies fluttering in the air, buzzing insects and the calls of different birds. Also obvious became these big spiders and their sticky webs, especially when you run into it. They use the space on the path and once i missed it, i was busy for quite awhile to get rid of the gluey threads all over my face and head.

A nice surprise was but the sights of these little deers. Even twice they crossed my path, had a look at me and jumped back into the bush, before i could grab my camera for it. And there was more. Small lizards and even a pretty big snake, which flee from me too. I could just take picture from its tail, before disappearing.

At the summit i was rewarded with a splendid view almost over the entire Island. From here, once more you can imagine how it came to its name Lü Dao, the Green Island. This day surrounded with the deep blues, not only by the sea but also from the sky. And look closely, the air is clear enough to see even the town of Tauting on mainland Taiwan.

Another beautiful day on this remarkable island. Only to finish with a local speciality, an omelette with local seaweed and of course a coffee in my favorite cafe @coffeestray

(sorry for the many butterflies, but they were too many too nice ;-))

März 20, 2024März 20, 2024 by Rene Bauer Categories: Asia, flower, landscape, nature, travelTags: Asia, birds, butterflies, butterfly, cafe, coffeestray, fauna, flora, forest, greenisland, hike, hiking, island, landscape, lüdao, nature, renebauerphotography, snake, Spider, taiwan, Travel, whiteheron, wildlife Hinterlasse einen Kommentar

Taiwan: The Prison Island (Lü Dao)

There is also a dark side in the history of Green Island. For the period of so called „White Terror“, from 1949 until late 1980’s, many political prisoners were held on a prison on Green Island, which got the name Prison Island back then. Nowadays it’s converted to a museum and memorial.

There are more places outside the prison walls, which played a role in those times. Most obvious the cementery, but also a cave, in which the prisons were forced to play and watch scenes and plays in order to get the right mindset for the Taiwanese society.

März 17, 2024März 17, 2024 by Rene Bauer Categories: Asia, history, landscape, nature, reportage, travelTags: Asia, cave, coast, greenisland, history, island, landscape, lèdao, memorial, museum, nature, people, prison, prisonisland, renebauerphotography, reportage, taiwan, Travel, whiteterror Hinterlasse einen Kommentar

Taiwan: The Unique Hot Springs On Lü Dao

Why should I take a trip to the Island of Lü Dao, also known as ‚Green Island‘, just for a bath in the ‚Zahori Hot Springs‘? The answer is simple: because this place is one of only three saltwater hot springs in the world! Learned this, i just had to go, if just for a day trip and short dip there.

The idea of a day trip ended up to a five day vacancy on the beautiful Green Island. But later more about it. On my first visit in the pool area i expected the place full of people, but ended up alone there. At least for almost an half hour or so. It’s a public bath, that’s why i couldn’t run around with my Nikon camera. But i grabbed my cell phone for a few pictures, whilst i’m pretty on my own in the pool.

My blue baseball cap replaced with a blue swimming cap i dived in the warm water. And while i’m floating in the different pools with water temperatures up to around 42°C, one of the staff member was willing to explain me, where the water comes from and how it get pumped up from the sea into the pools. The hottest pool is at the top, and its water flows down terrace like pools, mixed with colder water to reach the specific temperature of each pool.

He was also telling me with a proud tone, that there was only three saltwater hot springs on the world, but that one in Japan isn’t accessible anymore due an earthquake. Now there are only one left in Italy, and this one on Lü Dao.

März 15, 2024März 15, 2024 by Rene Bauer Categories: Asia, culture, landscape, nature, portrait, reportage, tradition, travelTags: Asia, bath, fareast, greenisland, hotsprings, island, landscape, lüdao, nature, pool, portraits, renebauerphotography, reportage, sea, selfies, swimming, taiwan, tauting, Travel, zahori, zahorihotsprings Hinterlasse einen Kommentar

Taiwan: Along The Coast Of Lü Dao (Green Island)

Fascinated from the cliffs at the sea i spent hours to watch the waves rolling over those sharp rocks when the tides came in. Just some impressions from these hours.