Taiwan – Alishan Forest, Tainan Skies and Lions Head Mountain

Continuing our journey down the mountainous central spine of Taiwan, we headed for Alishan — a celebrated ancient forest with millennia-old cypress, yellow cedar and spruce trees and a famous railway. Stopping off for a few days’ rest in Tainan (and catching some astonishing skies), we continued to the last of our mountain destinations, Shitoushan Quanhua Temple on Lions Head Mountain in the north-west of the country.

Photographs in this album include: the ancient forests of Alishan, Impatiens flowers, mock-Tudor architecture at Cingling, white butterfly ginger at Sun Moon Lake, dramatic skies over Tainan, and the rococo temple structures of Shitoushan Quanhua Temple.

▸ Technical data — all 23 images

Image	Camera	FL	f/	Shutter	ISO	GPS
Cingling mock-tudor	OM-5	46mm	f/5.6	1/2500s	320	24.0583°N, 121.1611°E
Cingling vista	OM-5	40mm	f/5.6	1/1000s	200	24.0583°N, 121.1611°E
White butterfly ginger flowers at It Thao, Sun Moon Lake	OM-5	40mm	f/7.1	1/320s	320	23.8500°N, 120.9300°E
Alishan and the mountain forests	OM-5	32mm	f/5.6	1/1250s	320	23.5058°N, 120.8081°E
Impatiens flowers at Alishan	OM-5	109mm	f/5.6	1/50s	320	23.5058°N, 120.8081°E
Alishan and the mountain forests	OM-5	102mm	f/5.6	1/4000s	320	23.5058°N, 120.8081°E
Alishan and the mountain forests	OM-5	14mm	f/5.6	1/25s	320	23.5058°N, 120.8081°E
Alishan and the mountain forests	OM-5	102mm	f/5.4	1/2500s	320	23.5058°N, 120.8081°E
Ancient cypress root in the mountain forests	OM-5	26mm	f/5.6	1/13s	400	23.5206°N, 120.8106°E
Giant cypress with split root in the Alishan forest	OM-5	14mm	f/3.5	1/100s	320	23.5058°N, 120.8081°E
Rickety bridge at Shitoushan Quanhua Temple	OM-5	26mm	f/5.0	1/250s	320	—
Shitoushan Quanhua Temple	OM-5	40mm	f/5.0	1/60s	320	24.6442°N, 121.0106°E
The rococo fake cranes of Shitoushan Quanhua Temple	Pixel 9 Pro XL	7mm	f/1.7	1/78s	20	24.6417°N, 121.0100°E
Shitoushan Quanhua Temple	OM-5	40mm	f/5.0	1/320s	320	24.6442°N, 121.0106°E
Shitoushan Quanhua Temple	OM-5	19mm	f/5.0	1/250s	320	24.6442°N, 121.0106°E
Shitoushan Quanhua Temple	OM-5	28mm	f/5.0	1/160s	320	24.6442°N, 121.0106°E
Real moon, fake cranes at Shitoushan Quanhua Temple	Pixel 9 Pro XL	7mm	f/1.7	1/24s	339	24.6425°N, 121.0103°E
(real) large white Ibis on the coast road to Taipei	OM-5	264mm	f/5.4	1/1600s	100	23.1939°N, 120.0947°E
Dramatic skies in Tainan	Pixel 9 Pro XL	2mm	f/1.7	1/5322s	53	22.9883°N, 120.1703°E
Dramatic skies in Tainan	Pixel 9 Pro XL	2mm	f/1.7	1/264s	53	22.9883°N, 120.1703°E
Dramatic skies in Tainan	Pixel 9 Pro XL	7mm	f/1.7	1/64s	22	22.9883°N, 120.1703°E
Dramatic skies in Tainan	Pixel 9 Pro XL	2mm	f/1.7	1/257s	53	22.9883°N, 120.1703°E
Dramatic skies in Tainan	Pixel 9 Pro XL	18mm	f/2.8	1/348s	49	22.9883°N, 120.1703°E

View the full album at mcaughtry.photo/albums/taiwan-alishan-forest-tainan-skies-and-lions-head-mountain. Touch or click any image to open a lightbox view; tap the full-screen icon for the best experience. Click the “i” icon beneath any thumbnail for full EXIF data and location information for that image.