City of Sadness?

Ruins, JiuFen, Taiwan

JiuFen (九份), a mountain town near Keelung that became famous due to director Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s movie, A City of Sadness.  The nostalgic charm of the old town as seen in the film was the reason why many Taiwanese city folks flocked to JiuFen back in the 90s.

Today Jiufen remains  a bustling tourist destination… tea houses, eateries and souvenir stores are her main attractions… nonetheless,  if you look hard enough, traces of its past are still evident.

九份因为侯孝贤的＜悲情城市＞而改变了命运。商业化的侵 扰才是她的悲情所在。仅存的一些残旧楼房让我不禁幻想起已流逝的纯朴风情。

Ink and Copic markers on 4×6″ card

En route to Tarako

Rice field, HuaLien, Taiwan

Rural charm, as seen on board the Tarako train to HuaLien County, the getaway town to Tarako Gorge.

Ink and Copic markers on 4×6″ card.

Rocky shore

Geological Park, YeLiu, Taiwan

A view from YeLiu, northern Taiwan. YeLiu is famous for its bizarre rock formations in the Geological Park. I was more attracted to the pounding waves from the Pacific…

Ink and Copic markers on 4×6″ card.