A woman from the Atayal tribe in the east has had an elaborate tattoo ingrained on her face, marking the first time an Aboriginal woman in Taiwan has had her face tattooed in nearly a century.
The 33-year-old woman, Shayun Foudu, had the shape of a large "V" tattooed on her face during the weekend at a tourist resort in Taroko National Park in Hualien County.
"Facial tattooing is an old cultural tradition of the Atayal tribe. I feel very proud to have a tattoo on my face," Shayun Foudu told reporters.
PHOTO: CNA
Japanese colonial rulers banned the traditional custom 95 years ago, but the government does not outlaw the practice today. The custom of tattooing faces is believed to date back about 1,400 years and was practiced by several of the nation's Aboriginal tribes.
Foudu said that traditionally, Atayal women would have their faces tattooed after their first period. When a young Atayal man was marrying his young bride, the man would also have his face tattooed as a propitious sign of the couple's wish to have a long-lasting marriage, she said.
Foudu, a native of Fuhsing Township (
The tattoo artist used modern tattooing techniques to put the pigments on Foudu's face. The process took two hours. In old days, tattooing was done with needles, with ashes applied to the wounds, in a painful process.
Facial tattooing had also been a tradition of other indigenous groups, including the Amis, but Atayal tattoos are especially well-known, partly because it was widely practiced and the tattoos covered practically the entire face.
Specialists say the practice was used for several purposes, including as a way for Atayal ancestors to identify and protect later generations. Tattoos also served as marks of honor for men who were skilled in headhunting, while in women they represented the attainment of skills such as weaving.
The tradition is rapidly disappearing, however, and some Atayals are trying to record the history of face tattooing before the older generation dies.
Foudu said she hopes her and her husband's actions will help society adopt an open mind about facial tattoos.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS