If Bali is one of your bucket list destinations, then chances are you’ve seen pictures of its famous “Gates of Heaven”, located in the island’s famous Lempuyang Temple.
It’s one of the most famous tourist spots in Bali, mainly due to the stunning photos people take there and upload to Instagram. Tourists who take photos at this spot typically engage in dynamic poses while positioned in between two large pillars, with what appears to be water from a lake casting a perfect reflection.
However, it was recently revealed that there actually isn’t a lake of any sorts creating the reflection. In fact, it’s a camera trick involving a small piece of glass placed in front of the camera lens! What?!
The trick was exposed by a Twitter user named Polina Marinova, who shared a behind-the-scenes photo at the Gates of Heaven.
Proof that Instagram influencers have ruined everything?
My hopes & dreams were shattered when I found out the “water” at the Gates of Heaven is actually just a piece of glass under an iPhone ? pic.twitter.com/oiahI5VCIo
— Polina Marinova (@polina_marinova) July 4, 2019
What’s even more mind-boggling is that there isn’t any body of water at this spot, just a field!
There is a tiny water puddle ? pic.twitter.com/V4augnBvOP
— Ashwin kumar (@ashwinvx) July 4, 2019
This revelation received a lot of stunned responses from netizens, some of whom were local. They also pointed out how the culture of getting perfect, Instagram-worthy shots created a market for these stunning photos — something locals may have taken advantage of in order to earn money from tourists.
Source: Twitter
Source: Twitter
However, others commended whoever started this trend for seizing a business opportunity.
Source: Twitter
Did any of you guys know about this? What do you think? Let us know in the comments section!
Also read: Bali Says Begpackers Who Are Caught Will Now Be Sent Back to Their Embassies
