Scooter vision

In Taipei, Xu met an elderly man who runs a scooter repair shop. He has been a craftsman working on scooter repair and restoration for five decades, yet his passion and pride in his work have not dimmed with time. Many of his customers spend a lot of money to transport their old scooters to his workshop for renovation, showing that people in Taiwan cherish their scooters not only as a vehicle that can be easily navigated through congested streets, but also an embodiment of memories of the good old days.[Photo provided to Shanghai Star]

Scooters are everywhere in Taiwan, and they can be great subjects for photos. Wu Ni chats to a photographer about the best way to capture the two-wheeled wonders.

With his Nikon D810 on hand, Xu Ming cycled for about 700 kilometers around east Taiwan last December. The photographer from Shanghai was deeply impressed by the ubiquitous motor scooters on the island. "I came across numerous scooters every day on my way from Taipei to Kenting. I found scooters are not only an integral part of local life but an interesting cultural phenomenon," Xu says.

"I think scooters epitomize a street culture that evolved from Taiwan's distinctive characteristics, such as the hot and humid climate, local people's free and open attitude toward life, and a post-industrial society," he adds. He shares some of his favorite photos of scooters taken during his trip.