Wang Ching-hua Desperately in love with Kaohsiung / 王慶華愛戀高雄無可救藥
This year, the Lantern Festival made Kaohsiung City a focus of islandwide attention. The Department of Information (DOI) invited Wang Ching-hua, a renowned photographer who specializes in taking pictures of natural environment, to capture this grand event.
Taking pictures of the Lantern Festival, especially the fireworks display at the opening ceremony, posed a great challenge for Wang. He could not predict where in the sky the fireworks would appear, so he had to find out when and where to press the shutter and turn an instant into eternity.
Going all out in order to take good pictures
Wang went to many places to find perfect spots where he could take nice pictures, including some places other people could not reach, such as the top of the T&C Tower (about 87-story high), where the wind is blowing madly, and the top of a new 25-story building opposite to the Main Lantern Area. Only Wang was allowed to enter that new building because he once worked with the proprietor.
Capturing the beauty of the harbor city with all his might
During the month before the Lantern Festival, Wang went out every day to capture Kaohsiung's sunrises, sunsets and night scenes. He would not call it a day until all the films were developed, and he could hardly get any sleep because he was so occupied with the work. Soon after the festival, he began to think he should invite Yu Kuang-chung and Chung Ling to write verses on this photo album, and Shen Kai to translate the depiction into English.
Wang was once deeply moved by a scene in Czechoslovakia:young people were gathering on a stone bridge and singing and playing instruments, while the setting sun added a golden hue to the river. He hopes one day such a scene can reappear along the Love River. The Kaohsiung Lantern Festival has made many people feel attached to the city again, said Wang, who has lived in Kaohsiung for 35 years and been desperately in love with her.
今年元宵燈會，高雄市盡展風情，為紀錄這場難得的盛會，市府新聞處特別請來王慶華掌鏡，希望為這場嘉年華留下美麗的回憶。
王慶華是國內著名攝影家，他真正專業的領域是自然生態，一系列受國家公園委託拍攝的櫻花鉤吻鮭以及墾丁海域珊瑚礁生態照片，令他聲名大噪。
這次燈會拍攝任務，對王慶華來講真是一大挑戰，特別是燈會開幕式的煙火，事前無法預知會出現在天空哪個角落，如何在最適當的時間、最好的位置按下快門，把剎那化為永恆，就成攝影師最大的挑戰。
王慶華決定採團體作戰方式。由他指揮一個工作小組，成員包括他的二兒子王信成（屏東縣文化中心特約攝影），以及其他六、七位攝影師。為打好這場仗，他事前跑遍燈會各個活動位置「探點」。有些大家已經「拍爛」的點，他不要，他冒著被強風吹落的危險，堅持爬上全市最高的東帝士85大樓鐵塔頂端（87樓高），而別人只能在75樓開放的觀景台上透過玻璃拍攝。
愛河主燈區對岸，有一棟百利建設新蓋的25層大樓，因為王慶華曾與業主合作辦過活動，才獲准登樓拍攝。但他太大意了，上得頂樓後，把鋁窗打開，嫌有遮擋，遂更上一層樓，向上推開平台鐵門，人爬出來後輕輕把鐵門放下，沒想到「叩」一聲，鐵門反鎖了，將他隔離在外。平時攝影就不帶大哥大以避免干擾的他，這下可真的是「呼天不應、叫地不靈」。
王慶華考慮了很久，看著那扇向外開啟、凸出牆面的鋁窗，狠下心，小心翼翼地沿著牆面往下溜，腳踏鋁窗，隔著25層樓高的虛空，把身體縮回了建築物裡面。等安全了，才驚覺已冒出一身冷汗。