Makatao villages in Pingtung County concluded their annual Night Festival yesterday, as local government officials joined the Makatao Aboriginal community to review cultural revitalization policies and other government programs outlined for the community over the coming years.
The festival, which took place this weekend at Laopi Village (老埤) in Pingtung County’s Neipu Township (內埔), is one of the three main annual cultural events of the county’s Makatao people, who are one of 10 Pingpu, or lowlands, Aboriginal groups in Taiwan still not officially recognized by the government.
“We had over 300 Pingpu clan relatives and friends, mostly from southern Taiwan, coming in to attend this festival,” Laopi Village Elder Pan An-chuan (潘安全) said. “It is an important occasion for us to get together, to thank the deities who provided guidance, protection and a good harvest this year, and also to celebrate our cultural heritage.”
Photo: CNA
Pan said the traditional worship rituals and activities were centered on the village’s Laotsu Temple, where gatherers pay respects to Makatao deities through offerings of pork, grains, rice wine, betel nuts and fruits, as well as by performing a special dance known as Tioh-hi.
The dance is performed by women from the Makatao community and led by female shamans.
A key supporter of the revitalization of Makatao traditional festivals is Pingtung County Cultural Affairs Department Director Wu Chin-fa (吳錦發), who has pushed for financial backing for such programs.
“Household registration data from 1909, during the Japanese colonial era, show that Laopi Village had 1,186 residents listed as ‘plains Aborigines,’” Wu said in a speech at the festival.
“This was a vibrant Makatao community and a cultural center in the county,” he said. “It has remained so up to this day, but work is needed to preserve and pass on the heritage of the community by Makatao elders, community leaders and cultural researchers.”
Wu said that since Pingtung County Commissioner Pan Men-an (潘孟安) took office in 2014, programs for Makatao cultural revitalization have been among the county’s priorities, along with funding for local schools to teach students about the history and heritage of Makatao people.
Pan Yen-pao (潘燕寶), who heads local Makatao culture working groups, said that this year’s event included an exhibition of old photographs and documents about the Makatao community that showed people’s activities through the generations, along with a presentation of traditional local arts and crafts.
“The event is a good way to educate young people about the traditions and customs of the Makatao community. It is important for people to recognize their own cultural heritage and identify themselves as Makatao people,” he said.
Wu and community elders at the event also invited people to participate in two other upcoming Makatao festivals in Pingtung, the Ganabo Night Festival in Gaoshu Township (高樹), which will be held overnight from Jan. 1 to Jan. 2, and the Gabulong Night Festival in Wanluan Township (萬巒), which is scheduled for March 2.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
Speeding and badly maintained roads were the main causes of a school bus accident on a rainy day in Taipei last year that severely injured two people and left 22 with minor injuries, the Taiwan Transportation and Safety Board said. On March 11 last year, a Kang Chiao International School bus overturned inside the Wenshan Tunnel (文山隧道) on the northbound lane of the Xinyi Expressway. The tour bus, owned by Long Lai Co, exceeded the speed limit after entering the tunnel, the board’s investigation found. Sensing that the rear of the vehicle was swaying, the driver attempted to use the service and exhaust
RSS