TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Astrophotographer and creator of the “Formosa Forevermore” Starry Skies documentary series Chen Pei-Kung (陳培堃) shared some of his favorite stargazing locations in Taiwan, how he discovered them, and an easy solution for light pollution in an exclusive interview with Taiwan News.

Chen, who is known as the first person in Taiwan to capture a photo of Halley’s comet, has been an astrophotographer for decades. When asked how he selected the images and experiences to present in “Formosa Forevermore,” he said he chose themes that linked stars to people in Taiwan.

He used the episode on Penghu as an example. “Taiwan’s Han population all came from China, and hundreds of years ago, when they migrated, Penghu served as an important pit stop in their journey."

A boat sails on the sea under the Southern Cross seen in Penghu. (Taiwan Plus, Chen Pei-kung photo)

To these people, the Southern Cross served as a compass that led to a new life. However, the constellation’s importance is not limited to Taiwan’s history; its appearance on the flags of countries including Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil shows its universal significance across human civilization.

Another major stargazing location highlighted in the video series is Yushan, which Chen frequents so much he knows by heart. His familiarity with Yushan allowed him to capture the image of the zig-zagging trail leading to the Main Peak lit up by hikers’ lights.

Unlike regular hikers who must rest in the evening before making their way up in the early morning to catch the sunrise, Chen said he would spend the night on the peak to photograph the night sky. Therefore, when hikers began their journey, he would stand at the top and watch them make their way up.

“As I watched, I noticed the zig-zag pattern of their headlamps, and had the idea to capture it on camera,” he said. He pointed at the image, where stars can be seen circling one particular point, adding, “Here, we see the North Star above the mountain… it formed a very special image.”

Beneath the North Star, hikers' lights form a zig-zagging trail as they climb up Yushan. (Taiwan Plus, Chen Pei-kung photo)

However, “Formosa Forevermore” currently presents a mere fraction of the footage and experiences Chen has to share. During the interview with Taiwan News, he said he had to save an episode featuring a unique stargazing location at Dongpu Village for the future.

According to Chen, Dongpu Village is a major Bunun settlement on Yushan. Its location right at the head of the Batongguan Historic Trail made it an important location that facilitates Taiwan’s east-west traffic in the past.

The Bunun, Chen said, are Taiwan’s version of Sherpa people. “If you want to climb Yushan or Taiwan’s Central Mountain Range, many porters are Bunun. They are extremely well adapted to the local environment and tough.”

It was thanks to them that he was introduced to an outdoor hot spring that inspired him to photograph night sky’s reflection in the water.

“Usually, when people soak in the hot spring at night, they soak and then go to sleep,” he said, explaining how he realized he could combine the hot spring with stargazing to create a one-of-a-kind experience. “But night owls like us, we don’t sleep.”

Additional to the view of the night sky, the hot spring also happened to sit across from Yushan’s Main, North, and Northern North peaks. The place’s natural and historical features deeply moved Chen.

As a photographer, Chen has been a frequent visitor to Yushan for decades. (Chen Pei-kung photo)

Yushan is also where Chen photographed Halley’s comet in 1985, making him the first person in Taiwan to do so. Having become famous because of this, Chen was assigned in the same year to serve as a guide to top government officials who wanted to view the comet at the Kenting National Park, another place he is deeply attached to.

“In 1985, I was already in Kenting. The Kenting National Park was founded in 1982, so at the time, it was just starting out,” Chen said. To prepare for his job, he explored the area thoroughly on a scooter, which helped him get to know Kenting and contributed to his knowledge of many “secret attractions.”

Chen said that despite the commercialization of Kenting nowadays, it has one huge advantage for stargazing — the Bashi Channel and Pacific Ocean are right to its south, meaning there is never light pollution.

In Kenting, the Southern Cross is visible from March through May. Stargazing in Kenting is a very special experience because it highlights the difference between people within the same space.

“At the Chateau Resort or on the Kenting Night Market, everyone is eating and drinking… but someone is also by the sea, admiring the starry sky above.” Chen said the contrast, as well as the juxtaposition of primal beauty and commercialization is very interesting to him, which is why he keeps revisiting the place.

The night sky as seen from Kenting. (Taiwan Plus, Chen Pei-kung photo)

Another contrast Chen observed was between Taiwan’s past and present night skies. Chen said the biggest difference is light pollution.

“However, it is inevitable. This is due to the constant need to install street lamps as we advance material civilization,” he added. “I would never go by theory and tell people ‘light pollution must be controlled by’ so and so, no.”

He said as he frequently travels in Taiwan’s eastern counties lately, he considered solutions to the problem that would not prevent economic development and came up with a simple solution. As long as street lamps come with shades that direct the light downwards, the problem is solved.

Chen said, “In the early days, in the 1950s and 60s, street lamps came with shades on top of the light bulb. Why shades? Mainly to direct the light to the ground, because the street lamp’s purpose is to provide light on ground level.” Light pollution can thus be reduced, which not only is cheap and easy for the government to do but also does not require restricting the number or range of street lamps.

“Controlling light pollution has benefits for not just stargazing, either. It also helps nocturnal creatures, animals and plants, who need rest,” he added. Not everything is a crop that is made to grow constantly to be sold for profit.

Though it would take time to raise public awareness, Chen was optimistic about promoting the idea. Like how quickly and deeply the public learned the concept of wildlife conservation, if the government, schools, and media can help spread the word, soon everyone will know to add a shade to street lamps.

Before light pollution is contained, though, Chen said he has his own solution—using a fishing rod, he covers street lamps with plastic bags, which dims the light just enough to help with taking photos, but not enough to cause danger to traffic. After a night of photographing the night sky, he removes the bag again with the fishing rod.

To watch the “Formosa Forevermore” series, please visit Taiwan Plus.

The creators of the "Formosa Forevermore" series, Liu Yamm-ming, Yang Sen-hong, and Chen Pei-kung pose for a group photo. (Taiwan News photo)