Taiwan 1

Taiwan 1
I visited Taiwan in March/April 2024

Amis singers at Hualien's night market.

Amis are a large community-based indigenous ethnic group with a large population manly distributed in the east covering Hualien and Taitung.

Traditionally, Amis people live in a community neighboring one another with the tribal assembly hall as the centre and farmlands, hunting grounds, or fishing areas around the community.

Songs are presented in responsorial singing, direct aria singing, and counterpoint in religious ceremonies, friendship-making occasions and recreation.

Faith Cheng shares her memories of Taiwan and South Africa.

An advocate for Taiwan independence.

Food in addition to rice obtained from farming, Amis people gather wild edible plants and catch animals and fish for food in the daily life.

The Amis believe that all things have their own spirits.

Cory Wong shares his three year impressions of Taiwan.

Growing Up Native

The Tao (Yami) people are an islandic indigenous group and boats are indispensable to fishing activities.

Bunun people are the ethnic group living at the highest elevation among all Taiwan's indigenous peoples.

The Tao people have boats called tatala for 1-3 passengers and ships called cinedkeran for 6-10 passengers.

The Bunun practice slash-and-burn agriculture, with major crops including foxtail millet, corn, and sweet potatoes.

Industry Agriculture and fishery are the traditional industries of the Amis, and technical industries have been added recently.

Amis people used wear-resistant linens and pelts for clothes and rattans to make head gear.

Kuba in Dabang

Life in Taiwan

Model boat

The Tao carve patterns on the surface and colour the boat simply red, black, and white colours. Common patterns include concentric circles, human sketches, ripples, and crosses.