Indigenous cultural park takes front-line role in safeguarding Taiwan’s tribal traditions

2018/08/20

Nestled at the foot the Central Mountain Range in southern Taiwan’s Pingtung County, the Taiwan Indigenous Peoples Cultural Park is a must-see on the itinerary of anyone interested in exploring Taiwan’s indigenous cultures. Covering 43 hectares, the site is a useful platform for exploring the tangible and intangible legacies of Taiwan’s earliest inhabitants.
 
 Managed by the Indigenous Peoples Cultural Development Center under the cabinet-level Council of Indigenous Peoples, the park is home to various special exhibitions of indigenous artworks and artifacts. This year, it has organized shows on exciting topics like the hand tattoos of the Paiwan tribe to the creative achievements of four members of the Pavavaljung family, notably Sakuliu Pavavaljung: one of seven winners of the National Awards for Arts in 2017—Taiwan’s most prestigious accolade for related accomplishments.

The park offers indoor performances staged twice a day based on the traditional songs, dances and rituals of Taiwan’s 16 officially recognized indigenous peoples. These range from he widely known harvest ritual of the Amis in eastern Taiwan to the more mysterious paSta’ay ritual of the Saisiyat: a ceremony of reconciliation between the tribe in northern Taiwan and a group called the Ta’ay.
 
“Whenever producing a traditional performance, tribal elders are extensively consulted so as to ensure the heritage is presented as accurately as possible,” IPCDC Deputy Director-General Pu Chung-I. said “We’re not running the park for a quick payday; remaining true to tradition is our guiding mission.”

In an effort to deliver bigger and more sophisticated performances, TCIP upped number of dancers from 31 to 45 earlier this year. At the same time, more new works are developed, with the most an innovative show about the Bunun people mainly from central Taiwan.  Incorporating modern dance steps and the tribe’s custom of Pasibutbut—an eight-part polyphonic song—the new performance  premieres Aug. 25 in the park. 
 
 This real-deal insistence also extends to displays like an outdoor museum and full-scale traditional indigenous houses. Visitors can see tribal structures for all the tribes except the Hla’alua and Kanakanavu from Kaohsiung City in southern Taiwan, the most recent additions to the CIP’s list of officially recognized peoples in 2014.
 
“By the end of the year, the architecture of these tribes will be displayed at the park, making it more representative and increasing its value as a cultural asset,” Pu said.

Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=19&post=139885)