Forty-eight Paiwan artifacts owned by Sweden's National Museums of World Culture (NMWC) are to be featured in a special exhibition at the Shizi Township Heritage Museum in Pingtung County in October, the township office said yesterday.
According to the township, the pieces include carvings, head ornaments, clothing and household items once used by Indigenous Paiwan people in the Shizi area (獅子), known as the "Southern Paiwan tribe."
The items were collected from the tribe in the early 20th century and eventually became part of NMWC, which currently owns and maintains them, the township said.
Photo courtesy of the Shizi Township Office via CNA
"Welcome home," said Shizi Township chief Paljaljim Matuljitulj (朱宏恩), as the artifacts that once belonged to their "vuvu" — ancestors in the Paiwan language — arrived in the township yesterday afternoon after an 8,950-kilometer journey.
He said it was "very touching" to see the pieces return to Shizi and expressed hope that the exhibition would remind young tribe members of their roots and inspire pride in local residents.
The Shizi Township Heritage Museum began working with the National Taiwan Museum in 2022 to help the NMWC verify whether certain items were Paiwan artifacts, the township office said.
After a year of investigation, the three museums confirmed the artifacts' tribal origin and signed a memorandum of understanding in 2023 that led to the October exhibition.
Members of the Shizi Township office visited the Swedish museum last year to discuss the condition, maintenance and exhibition of the items, the township said.
The exhibition is scheduled to run until the end of this year, the township office said.
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association has cautioned Japanese travelers to be vigilant against pickpockets at several popular tourist spots in Taiwan, including Taipei’s night markets, the Yongkang Street area, Zhongshan MRT Station, and Jiufen (九份) in New Taipei City. The advisory, titled “Recent Development of Concerns,” was posted on the association’s Web site under its safety and emergency report section. It urges travelers to keep backpacks fully zipped and carried in front, with valuables placed at the bottom of the bag. Visitors are advised to be especially mindful of their belongings when taking photos or speaking on the phone, avoid storing wallets and
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
RSS