Taiwan 2024 - Waterfall Area Near Chenjean's Village, Interesting Incense Setup

Also seen on the extensive patio area...never have seen a setup just like this for incense.

Taiwan 2024 - Waterfall Area Near Chenjean's Village, More Money

These small statues were situated in an alcove going into the wall of the temple building.  Lots of money here...

Taiwan 2024 - Waterfall Area Near Chenjean's Village, Buddha's Money

There was nothing outstanding about this statue of Buddha, but found the tradition of laying money at his feet interesting.

Taiwan 2024 - Waterfall Area Near Chenjean's Village, Incense Basin at Temple

This being a temple, these are the kinds of accoutrements found here and there on the spacious patio leading from the temple itself.

Very fortunately, they had a restroom for public use also...

Taiwan 2024 - Waterfall Area Near Chenjean's Village, Steps to Temple

Even after reaching the main waterfall, there is still a ways to climb up to the temple via these stairs.  Or you could drive it using a road that leads up to the back.  Not sure how far up the mountain all this is, but it must be pretty close to the top.

The next series will be photos captured from this place that offers a magnificent view of the mountains on either side of the valley.

Taiwan 2024 - Waterfall Area Near Chenjean's Village, Waterfall Shot #4

This one is posted by request.  Sun wasn't shining at the moment, but I stuck with a faster shutter speed anyway, which preserved the water blobs, as I call them, as if they were frozen still.

This was a more obscure fall, the same one featured in yesterday's post.  It was captured from a couple hundred feet above the main fall (posted two days ago) that serves as the attraction that draws the tourists to this area.  There is a Buddhist temple way up there, and it is from that vantage point that this shot was taken.  Imagine it looks much more impressive with a little more rainfall fueling the current...

Taiwan 2024 - Waterfall Area Near Chenjean's Village, Waterfall Shots #2 and #3

This is much more typical of the type waterfall shot that we're after.  The afternoon sun was shining bright, so at my preferred 1/10th sec shutter speed it was very difficult to get a picture that was not over-exposed, as I didn't have a density filter.  This is actually at the very bottom of the fall, where shadow and dark rock combined to make this one possible.

Wider shot below of same from a different angle:

Taiwan 2024 - Waterfall Area Near Chenjean's Village, Waterfall Shot #1

Now for the falls themselves.  Actually there are several.  Once you make your way up the 500+ steps to the first major flow, here's what you see.  It had been unusually dry for several weeks before our arrival, so this isn't nearly the volume of water that you'd normally see.  But it was interesting and kind of pretty nonetheless.

Being a tall waterfall, it's possible to observe something at work here...the simple effect of gravity.  The water at the top isn't yet going very fast, so the water appears as the series of blobs that it is.  However, close to the bottom, when the pull of gravity has accelerated its descent, with an exposure time of 1/200th of a second one can see the drops as silky lines, as if the shutter speed were slower in a typical, artistically-crafted waterfall shot.

Taiwan 2024 - Waterfall Area Near Chenjean's Village, More Steps

More steps further down the trail.  Would say that it's a young man's game with the 500+ steps leading up to the falls, but I saw plenty of oldsters negotiating the climb with no apparent trouble.  As for me, I took advantage of every lookout and bench along the way...

Taiwan 2024 - Waterfall Area Near Chenjean's Village, Tower of Steps

This is the tower of steps on the way to the falls.  I was pretty sick the first time I tackled it (by myself), so barely made it up then.  Later on, after the kids arrived, I was feeling better and it wasn't so difficult.

Closer shot below: