Taiwan's unique betel-nut beauties have long been the subject of debates on the issues of the objectification of women's bodies and females' freedom to develop their own self-image.
Years after those scantily-clad girls became a distinctive phenomenon in the country -- even drawing attention from international media including CNN and the BBC -- an installation art show has put aside the disputes and attempted to display the social and cultural effects of betel-nut beauties through art.
"Betel-nut beauties are a reflection of the local culture in Taiwan, and also a common experience shared by all Taiwanese. My work is about documenting these women, without any judgment of morality," said artist Wu Chung-hua (吳瓊華), general director of Taiwan Women's Art Association, who has spent 10 years studying the lives of betel-nut beauties.
PHOTO: HSIEH FUNG-CHIU, TAIPEI TIMES
With dummies dressed up with bras and boots, and colorful paintings of sexy girls with huge breasts, the "Made in Taiwan Betel-nut Beauties" installation art exhibition, which opened last Sunday at the Taipei 101 Mall, demonstrates the image of betel-nut beauties of different generations, from working-class middle-aged women to the sexy girls who wear almost nothing in order to attract more business.
After a two-year field study of betel-nut stands in which she conducted interviews with more than 100 betel-nut beauties, Wu said that despite criticism from conservatives and strict regulations by local governments, the industry continues to thrive. And the image of betel-nut beauties has undergone a transformation.
"Male control over female bodies as a commodity definitely exists in the industry. But with more girls choosing to dress sexily in exchange for more earnings, I think the industry has transformed into one with more female awareness of the power of their bodies," she said.
While Wu stressed that the show focused on the artistry of the betel-nut beauties' images, the issues hidden behind the art remain open to debate.
Defending the autonomy of betel-nut beauties, Josephine Ho (何春蕤) shrugged off criticism that these women damage the nation's moral climate.
"The betel-nut beauties have every right to dress freely, and deserve to have the chance to actively strive for economic gain. They affirm the attractiveness of their own bodies and make an honest living, and what's wrong with that?" said Ho, coordinator of the Center for the Study of Sexuality at National Central University.
According to Ho, who has studied the betel-nut beauty phenomena for years, betel-nut girls are mostly from working class backgrounds and their outfits are merely a way of earning more money. Society should stop judging them from a patriarchal point of view.
Some women's rights advocates, however, have a less sympathetic view of the beauties.
"Those women are being exploited. They aren't revealing their bodies out of a sense of autonomy or freedom. Instead, they are catering to patriarchal notions of beauty. They strive to please men and finally become products to be consumed," said Chi Hui-jung (紀惠容), chief executive officer at the Garden of Hope Foundation.
According to industry estimates, there are roughly 100,000 kiosks selling betel nuts across the nation.
To attract more customers, vendors started hiring scantily clad young women in 1996. When a few cases of prostitution associated with betel-nut vending became known, critics said the women were damaging the nation's moral climate and that the government should take measures to crack down on the trade.
The "Made in Taiwan Betel-nut Beauties" exhibition runs through May 29 at Page One Bookstore of the Taipei 101 Mall. Call the bookstore at 02-8101-8282 ext. 6677 or 6699 for more information.
VIGILANCE: The military is paying close attention to actions that might damage peace and stability in the region, the deputy minister of national defense said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) might consider initiating a hack on Taiwanese networks on May 20, the day of the inauguration ceremony of president-elect William Lai (賴清德), sources familiar with cross-strait issues said. While US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s statement of the US expectation “that all sides will conduct themselves with restraint and prudence in the period ahead” would prevent military actions by China, Beijing could still try to sabotage Taiwan’s inauguration ceremony, the source said. China might gain access to the video screens outside of the Presidential Office Building and display embarrassing messages from Beijing, such as congratulating Lai
Four China Coast Guard ships briefly sailed through prohibited waters near Kinmen County, Taipei said, urging Beijing to stop actions that endanger navigation safety. The Chinese ships entered waters south of Kinmen, 5km from the Chinese city of Xiamen, at about 3:30pm on Monday, the Coast Guard Administration said in a statement later the same day. The ships “sailed out of our prohibited and restricted waters” about an hour later, the agency said, urging Beijing to immediately stop “behavior that endangers navigation safety.” Ministry of National Defense spokesman Sun Li-fang (孫立方) yesterday told reporters that Taiwan would boost support to the Coast Guard
GLOBAL: The slogan would be advertised in popular tourist destinations in North America and Europe, such as Champs-Elysees and Times Square, the agency said “Taiwan: Waves of Wonder” is to be the country’s new tourism slogan for the next 10 years, the Tourism Administration said yesterday, adding that it would be showcased in commercials at the Olympic Games in Paris and other major cities and travel fairs around the world. The new slogan, logo and theme song, which were unveiled at a news conference in Taipei, marked the agency’s latest effort to attract 10 million international visitors to Taiwan this year, a goal that it readjusted earlier this year, as China has yet to lift its travel ban to Taiwan. The administration created the “Taiwan: Touch
BOOST TO SPORTS? The Executive Yuan said that the amendment was introduced to attract professionals to Taiwan, and increase the incentives for naturalization The Legislative Yuan yesterday passed on third reading an amendment to the Nationality Act (國籍法) that would reduce the minimum residency period required for highly skilled professionals to apply for naturalization from three to two continuous years, with a minimum of 183 days in Taiwan each year. The 183-day requirement does not apply if an eligible applicant has lived legally in the territory of the Republic of China for more than five continuous years. Taiwan’s professional basketball leagues are expected to benefit from the amendments, which would allow them to recruit more players from overseas. Prior to the passage of the amendment, the