The heavist pig in 2012. On the 6th day of the Chinese lunar year, the Tsuhsih Temple in Sanxia holds a pigs of God contest where the aim is to raise the fattest pig. The controversial practice is opposed by animal rights activists. In 2012 the winning pig weighed in at 1061kg. Sanxia, Taiwan, 28 January 2012 (Craig Ferguson)

One of the more controversial festivals that takes place in Taiwan is the Pigs of God festival held by the Tsuhsih Temple in Sanxia, a small town close to Taipei. It takes place on the 6th day of the lunar year, is dedicated to Master Chingshui’s birthday and attracts tens of thousands of spectators. The main feature of the event, and the reason for the controversy, is that it’s essentially a competition to raise the fattest pig. This year, a new record size was set with the heaviest animal weighing in at a staggering 1061 kilograms (2334lbs). Chen Hsien-teh, the owner of the winning pig, fed it with 15kg of oatmeal and rice every morning and night for a period of 22 months.

Crowds line the street as the pigs are paraded. On the 6th day of the Chinese lunar year, the Tsuhsih Temple in Sanxia holds a pigs of God contest where the aim is to raise the fattest pig. The controversial practice is opposed by animal rights activists. In 2012 the winning pig weighed in at 1061kg. Sanxia, Taiwan, 28 January 2012 (Craig Ferguson)

Of the 126 temples in Taiwan that are dedicated to Master Chingshui, the Tsuhsih temple is the only one still practicing the fat pig contest. Animal rights groups lead the call against the practice, and have long campaigned for it to be ended. According to Chen Yu-min, director of Environment and Animal Society of Taiwan (EAST) the

pigs have become so fat that their whole bodies are sick and paralyzed, so that they are unable to move at all

Prior to the event, the governmental Council of Agriculture issued a press release urging the use of normal-sized animals in religious ceremonies, and also suggested that rice, noodles or flowers could be formed into the shape of a pig and used in place of an actual animal.

A God pig arrives at Tsuhsih Temple. On the 6th day of the Chinese lunar year, the Tsuhsih Temple in Sanxia holds a pigs of God contest where the aim is to raise the fattest pig. The controversial practice is opposed by animal rights activists. In 2012 the winning pig weighed in at 1061kg. Sanxia, Taiwan, 28 January 2012 (Craig Ferguson)

During the day of the festival, a parade is held through the streets of Sanxia that features the pigs, marching bands, Ba Jia Jiang and lion dances. The pigs are eventually displayed in the courtyard of the temple, with the ritually slaughtered meat ultimately being distributed to the pilgrims.

On a personal note I have to say that as a cultural photographer this is quite a fascinating event to document but as a vegetarian of 15 years I hope they end it soon.

The temple management organization has stated that the use of fat pigs will be phased out with 2017 being the last year the competition will be held.

Small Waterfall in Yangmingshan

Yesterday gave us a very rare sunny winter’s morning in Taipei so I decided to head to a waterfall in Yangmingshan National Park that I’d read about but never been to. After a 20-30 minute uphill walk along a road (complete with a sighting of the Google Street View car), I reached the trail head and headed in. I was only planning to do half the hike mentioned in my Yangmingshan hikng guide, being only interested in the promised waterfall. I veered right at the fork in the path like the guide book told me and according to the directions, it should have been a walk into the denser part of the valley and the waterfall. The first dilemma came when I reached a second fork that wasn’t mentioned in the hiking guide. One direction looked like it headed towards some houses on the road above, the other seemed to head toward the river valley. So I followed the likely looking path only to quickly find out that it soon ended at an abandoned and overgrown farmhouse. Backtrack time. Taking the other fork, I headed up and after another small wrong turn, found my way to the correct path.

Most of the way, the path was a narrow ledge – maybe a foot wide at most – next to a fairly steep vertical drop. It wasn’t particularly difficult to follow but it did require concentration and attention. Finally I reached the first, smaller waterfall which is seen in the photograph above. Fortunately (from a photography perspective) it was a bit wider here, giving me enough space to set up my tripod and get a few pictures. There were really only 2 angles that were possible, so it was a pretty quick shoot. Continuing on, scrambling up a muddy, slippery path and then along an even narrower ledge, I came across a blockage in the path with my goal in sight. I could see the waterfall and also see another hiker on the other side of the obstacle. He advised me to back up and look for a smaller dirt path to my left that would allow me to bypass the blockage. Finally I was in. Only to discover that it really wasn’t worth it. In the areas that it was possible to access, there really wasn’t much of a view and there was so much spray in the air that the shots I did take mostly have visible water drops on them. It would be a good location for macro photography but that’s not really my thing. It took a fair bit of effort to get into the location and when I got there, I wasn’t impressed with what I found.

Oh well, there’s always tomorrow.

As I arrived back home and went to import the photos, I noticed that Adobe had just made available a public beta of Lightroom 4. I downloaded it and the shot above was processed in it. There are a few new features that I like. In this photo, I made use of the ability to locally adjust the white balance via the adjustment brush, as well as some better shadow control. For sake of comparison, below is the same shot processed in Lightroom 3.6.

Processed in Lightroom 3.6

A young Taiwanese couple watch the sun set behind Mt Guanyin, Taipei, Taiwan.

We’re in the middle of the coldest spell of winter so far here in Taipei. Low temperatures, high humidity, gray skies and days of rain. Not exactly my favorite weather conditions. I’m definitely a summer person and I really wish it would come back. Still, I’ve arranged some talent and found a couple of assistants for some personal work over the weekend that winter is tailor-made for so it’s not all bad.

I shot these at the end of last summer. Nothing special to them at all – camera on a tripod and a 3 stop soft graduated neutral density filter used. The location was a new one to me though. I’d often seen it from below but had never made the time to trek up to the viewpoint. I’m glad I did and there are plenty more trails to walk in the immediate vicinity of this spot that I’ll be headign back to as soon as the weather cooperates. Here’s a few more photographs from the same day.

Mountain bikers prepare to descend the technical and dangerouns Battelship Rock in Taipei.

A Taiwanese man takes a photograph of the colorful sunset from a viewpoint hihg above Taipei.

Asian tourists at Battleship Rock, Taipei, Taiwan.

Taiwanese relax on a late afternooon at a scenic viewpoint above Taipei city while waiting for the sun to set

The Source

Yangmingshan National Park in Taipei is known for its hot springs and fumaroles. A lot of the spring water is then piped away, bound for the numerous hot spring resorts in the area. Before the water enters this piped area, it offers scenes similar to the one above.

Face the other direction though and it’s not so pretty. Story of life really.

Piped away. f5.6 1/100 sec, ISO100, 70mm

January 2012 Calendar

Happy New Year.

A new year means a new month which means a new desktop calendar. January’s photograph is one I created a few days ago at a beach a short distance from my apartment. It was pretty cold down there but on the plus side, I had the beach completely to myself and the conditions were right for some black and white landscape photography.

As always, select the size(s) you want and save them to your computer.

2560×1600 1920×1200 1680×1050 1600×1200

1440×900 1280×1024 1024×768 – sized for iPad iPhone

For anyone interested in the photograph without the calendar, whether as a fine art print or to license for any purpose, click on the image below and follow the steps.

Taiwan for Culture Vultures

Taiwan for Culture Vultures is an iPhone travel app that was written by author Steve Crook. I contributed a number of photographs to it (27) and it’s now available for $2.99 from the App Store for iPhones and iPads. Here’s the press release that went out with it.

Taiwan for Culture Vultures, a new downloadable travel guide published by GuideGecko, is aimed at visitors intrigued by Taiwan’s fascinating blend of cutting-edge modernity and centuries-old tradition. Users of the guide are saying it opens a door into a society that is one of Asia’s most distinctive, but which often leaves visitors who can’t speak Chinese baffled.

Author Steven Crook, who has spent most of the past 20 years in Taiwan, expects it to be the first in a series of electronic guides about the island for visitors and expatriates. “Taiwan is such a fantastically diverse destination that hikers, foodies and eco-tourists also deserve tailor-made guides,” he says. “I decided to begin with cultural attractions because travelers have told me that’s an area they need special help deciphering what they see.”

Taiwan for Culture Vultures is available for iPhones and iPads and priced at US$2.99.

“Electronic platforms have several advantages over traditional printed guidebooks. In addition to being very inexpensive, because there are no printing costs, they are of course lighter to carry, and they’re updated, corrected and expanded very often,” he says. “As a writer, I’ve appreciated being able to avoid repetition. Instead of having to explain who a particular person (or deity, in the case of temples, or ethnic group) is each time he or she is mentioned, I simply link to one of the background articles.”

Currently the guide features 95 places of interest, among them museums, temples, churches, parks, and other landmarks. Taiwan’s key cultural and architectural attractions, notably the National Palace Museum, Taipei 101 and Tainan’s Confucius Temples are featured – as are many lesser-known but just as fascinating attractions.

“I decided to include several places I feel have been neglected by English-language travel writers,” says Crook. “At Ten Drum Culture Village, visitors can enjoy performances that are modern yet draw heavily on folk traditions, and which have won international acclaim.”

“Also, I have included some places – such as Houtong Coal Ecological Park – which opened too late to be included in the conventional guidebook I researched and wrote in 2009-2010.”

“I really think there’s a good mix. There’s plenty for those who want to learn about and appreciate traditional arts. If they want a more outdoorsy experience, they can head to the Old Mountain Railway Line. Those with environmental interests will enjoy the new Magic School of Green Technology.”

Screenshot of the National Palace Museum entry.

Entries average 250 to 300 words with between one and four photos, giving users an in-depth introduction to each site. In spring 2012, the guide will be expanded to cover at least 120 sights.

“I researched the guide by combing both English- and Chinese-language sources, in addition, of course, to visiting each spot at least once,” says Crook. “Many of the details I’ve included don’t appear in any of the major English-language guidebooks to Taiwan.”

Crook is the author of three books about the island: Keeping Up With The War God (2001), Dos and Don’ts in Taiwan (2010) and Taiwan: The Bradt Travel Guide (2010). Links to many of the hundreds of articles he has written about Taiwan can be found at: http://crooksteven.blogspot.com

The Little White House, Danshui.

Culture.tw, a government portal to various aspects of travel, culture and history in Taiwan, has just published my most recent piece for them. Tamsui – Four Centuries of Taiwan History an Easy MRT Trip From Taipei puts the spotlight on a few of the attractions that are at my doorstep. The feature covers the Red Fort, historic temples and churches, Oxford College that was founded by Dr George Leslie Macka and more. For anyone familiar with the area, you’ll notice that there are a couple of locations that aren’t mentioned. This wasn’t an oversight on my part – my editors had asked me not to cover those as they’ve been written about elsewhere on culture.tw.

Getting the last couple of photographs for this article took some patience as I began just as the weather turned bad and we had an unusually wet November. Fortunately the sun came out one Monday morning which allowed me to finish photographing with some blue sky above.

Wenwu Temple at Sun Moon Lake. Sun Moon Lake in Nantou county is one of Taiwan's premier tourist destinations.

October 10 is Taiwan’s National Day and this year marks the 100th year of the Republic of China, as Taiwan is officially named. That means parades, fireworks, military fly-by’s, and everything else associated with a centennial celebration. Below I’ve put together a rough slideshow featuring 100 photographs from around Taiwan as my contribution to the celebration. This was thrown together very quickly as I’m currently on assignment in Nepal and didn’t have as much time as I’d have liked to devote to this before I left as I’d have liked.

As with anything of this nature that concerns the status of Taiwan, it can get political. On this blog, I don’t do politics, so whatever your thoughts and feelings about Taiwan’s status, independence or the appropriateness of the centennial, I request that you debate them somewhere else. Any politic comments here will be treated as spam and dealt with accordingly.

Rituals to honor the Chinese sage, Confucius.

It’s often said that Chinese culture is better preserved in Taiwan than it is on the mainland and no where is that more evident than in the rituals and ceremonies conducted to honor the great sage Confucius. September 28th is traditionally celebrated as his birthday and 2011 marks the 2561st year since his birth. Throughout Taiwan, Confucius temples in each city hold ceremonies at dawn to mark the occasion. In Taipei, the ritual is a mixture of public and private with the president typically taking part in the public event and the oldest male lineal descendant of Confucius conducting the private ceremony. Currently the 36 year old Kung Tsui-chang, a 79th generation direct descendant of Confucius, occupies the position as lineal head of the family. He also serves as a special adviser to the president of Taiwan.

Robed officials during the dawn ceremony to honor Confucius.

Confucius was born in 551BCE at Mount Ni, close to the town of Qufu in the present day Shandong province of China. He lived until his early 70′s dying in 479BCE and his tomb is located in Qufu. The philosophy he expounded during his life has gone on to form the basis of Chinese society and customs with the effect still strongly felt today. A focus on family loyalty, ancestor worship, respect for elders and an early version of the Golden Rule are noted aspects of Confucian philosophy.

Looking through the main gate towards Dacheng Hall and the Confucian ceremony.

Confucian ceremony in progress.

In Taiwan, the day doubles as Teacher’s Day when the virtues, struggles, and contribution of teachers to both their own students and wider society are honored. Students and former students will often give cards or small gifts to favorite teachers. Local civic offices and educational institutes will choose this day to bestow honors and recognition on teachers who excel.

At Confucian temples, the rituals begin at 6am with musicians dressed in Ming Dynasty robes beating drums and bells to start the ceremony. After three rounds of drumming, officials, custodians and other participants move into place inside the main hall where incense, food and drink is offered. Following this, the Yi dance takes place outside. The Yi dance predates Confucius, tracing it’s origins back to 1115 BCE in the Zhou Dynasty and was traditionally performed to pay respect to people with different social positions.

The Ya Yue Dance is an ancient Chinese dance performed during ceremonies. The Yi dance shown here is a procession of music and dance in memory of the great sage Confucius. The dance is usually performed only on the anniversary of Confucius' birth (September 28th), however it is occasionally performed on other important secular occasions.

Students offering incense to the spirit of Confucius.

The ceremonies conclude at about 7am with the closing of the main gates to the Dacheng Hall, the central location for worship. The gates will remain shut for another year.

Each year, a mixture of students, tourists, officials and teachers attend the ritual. Following the closing of the gates, special rice cakes known as wisdom cakes are given out to those in attendance. The belief holds that taken even a small bite enables one to produce a better academic performance. Participants and onlookers will often use this time to pose for photographs in front of the Confucian temple.

Students pose for a group photograph on the steps of the Confucian Temple.

Gods and guardians at water Lantern Parade held on lunar July 14 at the Keelung Ghost Festival, Taiwan. (Craig Ferguson)

Faces of Ghost Month is the third post in this series covering the ghost month festival held in Taiwan during the 7th month of the Chinese lunar calendar. Last week I presented an overview of ghost month in Taiwan as well as a post covering ghosts at play. Today I’m looking at some of the faces of ghost month – portraits of the people involved. They range from musicians to custodians, priests to Gods.

Before we get into the pictures, I’ll take a quick second to let you know that a new newsletter is going out this week. Click on this newsletter signup link if you wish to receive it and haven’t already joined. Also, later this week I’ll have news about the Taiwan leg of the Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalk so stay tuned.

A Taiwanese musician plays an erhu during the mid-summer ghost month. (Craig Ferguson)

Tuning a qinqin, a type of Chinese lute. (Craig Ferguson)