Pingxi Railway Trilogy: 1/3 Planning the Trip

June 30, 2010

Canon EOS 500D 18-55mm F3.5-5.6

Photography is one of those hobbies that takes real enthusiasm to keep going.

I used a day of annual leave to plan a Wednesday trip along the Pingxi railway. The main goal was to photograph Shifen Waterfall. Daytime temperatures in Taipei had been hovering around 30–35°C, and there was basically no chance my wife would bring the kids along to join this particular bout of madness @.@'"

So I left her the car, slung the camera over my shoulder, and set off by train~~

With only a limited number of trains on the Pingxi Line, I first chose the 8:29 departure from Badu and then worked backward to find a train from Taipei. Three services between 7:20 and 7:42 would reach Badu in time, so all I had to do was arrive at Taipei Main Station before 7:20 ^.^

The platform or station area at Badu in the morning — An early arrival at Badu, ready to transfer to the Pingxi Line.

I reached Badu Station at 8:00 and bought a NT$54 Pingxi Line day pass, which allowed unlimited rides between Ruifang and Jingtong that day. The short stretch from Badu to Ruifang cost another NT$15 .'"

Badu Station after the weekday commuting rush — Badu Station was nearly empty on a weekday morning.

It was a weekday and the morning commute had already passed, leaving the station quiet and nearly empty.

A quiet railway platform and waiting area — The platform grew especially quiet after the commuting rush.

Here came the train…

A Pingxi Line train arriving at the station — The Pingxi Line train pulled in, and the journey began.

The early bird really does get the worm ^.^ No crowds, and I could take photographs wherever I liked.

Inside a lightly occupied Pingxi Line train — The early train had plenty of room, with no crowd to squeeze through.

Rows of open seats inside a Pingxi Line carriage — With an almost empty carriage, every camera angle was open.

Another view of the sparsely occupied Pingxi Line train — A rare crowd-free morning aboard the Pingxi Line.

This was the Pingxi Line day pass that would accompany me for the rest of the trip~~

A close-up of the Pingxi Line day pass — The Pingxi Line day pass used for the day's journey.

The scenery along the line was lovely, though photographs taken through the window inevitably caught a little glare.

Countryside along the Pingxi Line photographed through a train window — Scenery slipped past the window along the Pingxi Line.

Pingxi Line scenery with reflections in the train window — The view came with a faint reflection from the train window.

We had arrived—Shifen Station.

The platform or station sign at Shifen Station — The train arrived at Shifen Station.

Shifen Waterfall lies roughly between Dahua and Shifen stations. People used to get off at Dahua and walk along the tracks for about twenty minutes, but even with relatively few trains on the branch line, walking on the railway was far too dangerous. A day out should still put safety first.

The walking route from the Shifen area toward Shifen Waterfall — Leaving Shifen Station on the safer walking route to the waterfall.

Walking back from Shifen Old Street toward the waterfall was interesting in its own right. Without stops, the route also took about twenty minutes—and it was much safer ^.^

A street scene along the route from Shifen Old Street to Shifen Waterfall — The walk from Shifen Old Street toward the waterfall had plenty to see.

Everyday scenery along the safe walking route through Shifen — Staying off the tracks offered a slower look at everyday Shifen.

A view in Shifen near Jing'an Suspension Bridge — The walk gradually approached Jing'an Suspension Bridge.

Before long I reached Jing'an Suspension Bridge. Residents lived on both sides of the bridge, and the elderly woman in the photograph looked as though she had finished buying groceries and was heading home.

While I stood by the bridge taking pictures, I heard her chatting with another elderly woman about what everyone in their families had been doing lately. It felt distant from city life, yet strangely warm and familiar ^.^ Scenes in which an entire village knows one another and stops to exchange greetings had already become rare in the city.

Jing'an Suspension Bridge crossing through the local community — Jing'an Suspension Bridge linked the two sides of the community.

A resident walking across Jing'an Suspension Bridge — For local residents, crossing the bridge was part of the familiar walk home.

Local residents meeting and talking near Jing'an Suspension Bridge — A conversation by the bridge captured the warmth of village life.

I turned around for another photograph of Shifen Station.

A view back toward Shifen Station from near Jing'an Suspension Bridge — Looking back toward Shifen Station from the bridge area.

After leaving the more commercial shopping street, I entered the narrow lanes where people actually lived. For a moment I wondered whether I had taken a wrong turn @.@'"