With AI mapping, a prevalent pastime nowadays, you can get your dreamy landscape photo just by inputting a command. However, Hong Kong landscape photographer Kelvin Yuen Chun-yip still insists on using the most traditional method to go up the mountains, venture into uninhabited areas, exploring areas that even local tour guides believe are paths to nowhere.
On Jan. 12, 2024, Mr. Yuen received a generous gift from God during his vacation. He accidentally photographed the fairy tale scene of his dreams - the snowy full-frontal view of Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany. This hard-earned photo is the result of a wish he made eight years ago.
Neuschwanstein Castle, the prototype of Disney Castle, is one of Germany’s most popular tourist attractions. People have taken countless photos of it, and the dreamy scenes of surrounding lakes, pine forests, and snow-capped mountains are just mesmerizing. However, the best shooting locations for a panoramic view introduced in the travel guides are always the side of Neuschwanstein Castle, taken from the direction of Marienbrück. The front photos are “mission impossible,” in the words of local German travel guides.
There is no proper climbing guide on the cliff facing Neuschwanstein Castle on the Internet. Mr. Yuen, a landscape photographer full of adventurous spirit, has tried many times to take frontal pictures of Neuschwanstein Castle but has been disappointed at every attempt. In all cases, either the castle is under maintenance, or there is no ice and snow for the occasion.
Until recently, his perseverance finally paid off. It was early 2024, his fourth attempt going through all the hardship, and he hiked past thick ice and snow to reach the cliff directly opposite the castle. There, a phenomenal scene that he had been looking for ages, appeared in front of him: Neuschwanstein Castle covered in white snow, it was like entering a scene described in fairy tales. To take this one photo, and the hard work behind it is just too difficult for most people to imagine.
First Encounter on the Cable Car
In 2016, 20-year-old Mr. Yuen was invited by the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) to visit Germany for filming. One of the most eminent features of Germany is that it has the most castles in the world, totaling more than 20,000. The three most beautiful castles in Mr. Yuen’s mind are Schloss Neuschwanstein, Burg Hohenzollern, and Burg Eltz.
During the filming in Germany in July 2016, Mr. Yuen was deeply impressed by the formidable appearance and history of Neuschwanstein Castle. The birth of the castle is itself a fairy tale. It was King Ludwig II, who grew up in Hohenschwangau and had long dreamed of building a new castle, started the design and construction of it. When he inherited the throne in 1864 at the age of 18, he devoted his life to building his dream castle. The foundation stone of the castle was laid in 1869. As the chief architect, Ludwig II named the castle after his favorite Wagnerian opera character, the Swan Knight, hoping to create a grand stage for the Germanic mythology in the opera.
The castle complex has a construction area of 2,557 square meters. The exterior design combines Gothic, Baroque, and Byzantine architectural features. The entire castle is also filled with vivid swan artifacts. It is a pity that this artistic king did not have the opportunity to enjoy this beautiful castle. He died at the age of 41 and only lived in Neuschwanstein Castle, which was one-third completed, for only a few dozen days during his lifetime. Ludwig II’s short life, his persistence in art, his longing for the castle dream, and his tragic story have been passed down to this day, adding a strong, dreamy color to this castle.
Mr. Yuen was visiting Germany and taking the cable car to Branderschrofen. When he passed by Neuschwanstein Castle, he clicked the shutter and left a precious panoramic view of it. At that time, he asked the tour guide if he could go to the cliff opposite Neuschwanstein Castle to take pictures, but the tour guide just poured cold water on his wish. He was told that no one knew the way up the mountain, so no frontal photos could be taken. Mr. Yuen, himself also a dream chaser, has the same passion deep in his heart as Ludwig II. Undeterred by the foreseeable danger, he still decided to go along it. The impetus comes primarily from his obsession with this real-life version of Disney’s fairy tale world.
Ventured Uphill but Disappointed to Find the Castle Undergoing Repairs
After returning to Hong Kong, Mr. Yuen carefully studied the route up the mountain. Through 3D maps, satellite photos, and terrain assessment, he finally found a path up the mountain. “I was fully prepared in advance, but I couldn’t find any introduction to the mountaineering route on the Internet, so I could only study it on the map for several months. I found the most ideal mountaineering route and learned about the destination. It will be a straight cliff, and I was worried about it for a long time before setting off.” Even if it is full of unknowns, at least there is a feasible path up, breaking the “mission impossible” jinx as told by the tour guide.
In December 2016, Mr. Yuen went to Germany again with his friends. He described the feeling at that time as “the most dangerous mountain he has ever set foot on in his life.” At that time, his mountaineering experience was not as rich as it is now. There are no ready-made hiking trails for going up there. The soil was loose en route, with rocks sliding down now and then, and there were rivers to entertain, too. The success or failure depends entirely on personal strength. On that trip, it was three’s company: himself, a primary schoolmate studying in Europe, and his friend nicknamed “Iron Feet” as a companion. The three of us assisted each other and worked together to climb the mountain. We finally reached an ideal shooting location in less than an hour of uphill battle.
The three young lads looked across at Neuschwanstein Castle with excitement, only to find that the front of the castle was surrounded by scaffolding, and the classic red brick house at the main entrance of the castle was wrapped in gauze. Mr. Yuen stared at the castle under repair. It did not resemble the perfect “real Disneyland” as he imagined, and the weather conditions were not ideal, but at least he had found a way up the mountain.
Entrance to the Fairy Tale World to be Continued
Mr. Yuen has since been keeping an eye on the progress of the maintenance work on the castle from time to time. It was originally scheduled for completion in the autumn of 2017, but contrary to all expectations, it was delayed year after year until January 2020. After confirming that its maintenance was completed, he immediately added Germany to his European shooting schedule, and made thorough preparations for this trip. Three years later, his shooting experience became more mature than before. By now, all was ready, awaiting the chance to come.
On his third trip to shoot, when Mr. Yuen and his companions climbed hard to the hill opposite the castle, the magnificent restored Neuschwanstein Castle appeared in front of them. They could see its true outlook, but it was still not perfect for him. “This time, I waited for half a month in Europe, but the ideal heavy snow didn’t come. What I wanted was the snow scene of Neuschwanstein Castle. So, I can only say that this remains an unfinished job.”
Risking His Life Reaching His Dreamy White Fairy Tale Castle After a Snowstorm
After climbing the hill opposite Neuschwanstein Castle for the third time, Mr. Yuen no longer set the goal of photographing Neuschwanstein Castle in the snow. Unexpectedly, in January this year, this “small gadget,” which looks more like a toy castle model in a children’s gimmick set, broke into his life once again.Mr. Yuen said that because he had been shooting at high altitudes for a long time in the past two years, he felt a little tired, so he decided to go to the European mountains for a month’s vacation without any shooting plans, and just met and exchanged ideas with other European photographers. Unexpectedly, when he was enjoying the scenery of the snow-capped mountains in Italy, a severe snowstorm swept across Europe, the temperature plummeted, and ice and snow covered many mountainous areas.
For many people, a blizzard brings bad weather, but for Mr. Yuen, it is an excellent opportunity to shoot snow scenes. The long-awaited shooting conditions unexpectedly came about, which is indeed a blessed opportunity. The snow-season mountaineering equipment he brought with him came in handy, and he set off immediately, driving from Italy to Germany and deciding to try to photograph Neuschwanstein Castle again. He reviewed the uphill route carefully once again at his residence and set out only when he thought it was feasible.
He described the actual situation as more complicated than imagined. After the blizzard, the entire mountain cliff was covered with snow, which was on a different level than the uncovered road conditions in the early years. The trip was also full of challenges. Driving alone late at night, he passed a place like a “scary forest.” After reaching the foot of the mountain and then climbing up, although he had much more experience climbing snowy mountains than before, there were still two places where the snow cover was just too thick, which may cause safety problems, and he twice thought of turning back. But in the end, he did not give up. After repeated attempts and taking twice as long as originally planned, he finally set foot on the same shooting spot that he had used previously.
All this did not disappoint him. The dreamy white castle in Disney’s fairy tales was displayed in front of him. At this moment, his heart did not calm down, on the contrary, he said to himself, “It took me eight years to complete this “small gadget ⋯⋯.”
After capturing his ideal scene, he described the castle as a “small gadget” and felt relief from “achieving something without any initial intention of doing that in the first place.” By now, Mr. Yuen realized the miracle that could happen on the road of photography. It is a fact that you do not need to be too obsessed with the kind of work you aim to accomplish. When you are well equipped and repeatedly put in your best effort, there will be a day with the right weather, and the right people present themselves; coupled with the fact that you are at the right place at the right time, you can often end up with pleasant surprises.
