The Starry Skies: Dressing the Couple Trees in a Moonlight Wedding Gown

Reporter/Provider - TaiwanPlus
Publish Date -
Watch On App

The Yushan National Park includes large areas of Taiwan’s Central Mountain Range, and another famous site – the Couple Trees. Their name can be traced back to 1963, when a forest fire raged. Afterwards, the two Taiwan Red Cypress trees remained, and their lifeless trunks, from afar, looked like a man and woman holding hands. When the New Central Cross-Island Highway opened through the area in 1985, the Couple Trees slowly became popular. Today they are a renowned sightseeing spot in Yushan National Park. Most people only see the Couple Trees by day. But a certain type of photographer insists on finding views not seen by the masses; that kind of photographer sees a view during the day, and imagines what it might look like at night. Some strive to add moonlight to their work, keeping the starlight as background. Another interesting technique is to use the Earth’s rotation and the changing angles of moonlight. Recording the dancing lights as moonlight slowly spills across the Couple Trees is another experience. As moonlight illuminates the Couple Trees, it is as if the light is dressing them in the train of an eternal wedding gown. An image combining the Milky Way with the Couple Trees makes it feel ethereal. You can feel you are becoming one with nature. And a feeling of “zen”.

Up Next

program cover image

Formosa Forevermore

"Formosa Forevermore" is a documentary series that uses the beauty of wild birds and starry skies, paired with unique traditional songs, to engage international audiences. It tells stories that belong to Taiwan, guiding viewers from home and abroad to experience Taiwan’s ecology and environment.