This book will help you plan a trip to the Far East if you are looking for ideas. It features stunning photos that show the most beautiful spots in the Far East.
Far Far East – A Tribute To Faraway Asia, published by teNeues, showcases the work of Berlin-based photographer Patrick Pichler, who documented the towering beauty of Nepal’s mountains, serene national parks in China, and the metropolitan landscapes of Taiwan and South Korea.
Pichler co-authored this book with Alexa Schels. It features more than 200 photographs. Pichler and Alexa Schels spent nearly a year traveling through eight different countries to complete the book, which was completed in December 2019.
In the introduction to the book, the authors write: ‘This is our own personal love letter to Asia. This continent is, for us, the best travel destination. Nowhere else offers so many contrasts and diversity – nowhere else is there so much to discover beyond the conventional travel destinations.’
Publisher TeNeues adds: ‘Cosmopolitan and networked, genuine experiences instead of all-inclusive trips, adventure instead of predictability: this volume promises inspiration for a new generation of travellers who need freedom, adventure, and authenticity.’
Scroll down to see a handful of breathtaking images from the new photo book…
These are Sri Lankan stilt fishermen at work on a bay in the south of Sri Lanka. They are using a Ritipanna traditional fishing method, developed after World War II. The method involves mounting stakes of wood into the reef to fish for mackerel, herring and sardines. According to the book, “Evenings are their time since the tides decide success.” Fish bite best before sunset. Unfortunately, this tradition may be in peril. According to the book, those who want to catch a large fish must take a boat out to sea.
LEFT: Taroko National Park is an extensive hiking area in east Taiwan that spans Taroko Gorge, part of Central Mountain Range and the Taroko Gorge. According to the book, ‘Numerous waterfalls cascade into the deeps of the Taroko National Park in eastern Taiwan, including the Baiyang Waterfall, and the Water Curtain Cave where water enters the cave via a rock fissure. RIGHT: This striking photograph, titled ‘Symbols and Superstitions’, shows a street scene in the city of Kunming in China. Discussing Chinese superstitions, Pichler and Schels write: ‘Chinese superstitions stand in stark contrast to the country’s scientific and technological advances. The significance of animals, symbols and colours is ascribed by many people to numbers.
Above photograph taken on Inle Lake in Shan Hills, Myanmar. According to the book the Inthas who live near the lake “spend most of life on the water”. Far Far East revealed that fishermen working in Far Far East are called “one-legged rowers” because they can stand with one leg on their canoes, while using the other for rowing. They can use their other leg for rowing, but this balancing feat leaves them free to fish.
LEFT: Minquan West Road is located in Taipei’s Datong District. It is known for its famous’moped waterfall,’ which witnesses the highway exit crowded with mopeds in rush hour. Schels and Pichler say that more than three quarters of all vehicles in the city use scooters or motorcycles. This allows for fast and easy travel and no parking hassles. It is revealed that Taiwan has the largest number of mopeds in the world. RIGHT: Taken in the early morning, the above image depicts the start of the workday for a street vendor in Busan, South Korea. According to the book the dry fruit vendor was “waiting for customers” when the photo was taken. The book states that almost all his dried fruits will have been sold by the end of the night.
Look up and you will see the Black Dragon Pool in Jade Spring Park Lijiang, Yunnan Province. It is described as a ‘popular place of tranquility’ by the book.
LEFT: This street is in Shangri-La (formerly Zhongdian in Yunnan Province), a lofty Himalayan town. James Hilton (English author) described Shangri-La in his 1933 novel Lost Horizon as a fictional place that people could live hundreds of years ago. Far Far East says: “Before his passing, he believed that the mysterious city surrounding it really existed.” After years of speculation Zhongdian was changed to Shangri-La in 2001. This was done to increase the region’s economy. Schels and Pichler wrote: “The mysterious Shangri-La was the Chinese El Dorado, the golden city that would hopefully replenish the provincial coffers.” Hilton wrote that it is the same city. Right: This is Machapuchare, a sacred mountain in Nepal that lies amongst the majestic Annapurna mountains. It measures 22,943 feet (6,993m) high. According to the book, the mountain is “one of the most beautiful peaks in the world”. It adds: ‘Translated, the mountain’s name means something like a fishtail. The distinctive double peak, which can be seen from the west looks almost like a fin on a huge fish. It extends seven thousand metres in the air and dives in as it reaches the surface.
This is Busan, South Korea. According to the book, Busan is a true mega-city. The book states that visitors to this’megapolis’ will find concrete facades, apartments blocks and shopping centers as far as the eye can see. Bridges connect the coastline sections.
Far Far East: A Tribute to Faraway Asia has been published by TeNeues (www.teneues.com). This cover photo was taken at Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, China’s Hunan Province.