|
WELCOME TO TAIWAN - A MELTING POT OF DIFFERENT
CULTURES
If this is your first visit to Taiwan, you will most
certainly be amazed at the diversity of things this beautiful island
has to offer, as a rich historical background has provided Taiwan with
a multifaceted culture. People from many different places and
backgrounds, such as Taiwan's indigenous people, the southern
Fujianese from early China, Hakka immigrants, the Dutch, Spanish, and
Japanese, and the recent immigrants from mainland China. have all
played a role in Taiwan's development.
While gradually developing a new culture indigenous to Taiwan,
they also held on to their respective customs and traditions; as a
result, you will be able to sample indigenous, Taiwanese, and Chinese
cultures and even find traces left by the Dutch and the Japanese when
traveling in Taiwan.
CHINESE CULTURE
Taiwan
forms the center of Chinese art and culture, which is not only obvious
from the exhaustive collection of cultural relics from past dynasties
exhibited in the famous National Palace Museum, but can also be
perfectly illustrated by the traditional architecture and folk art
found in Taiwan.
-
TEMPLES AND
ARCHITECTURE
Taiwan's traditional architecture is an aggregation of folk art.
Decorations are refined and while they form an important part of the
architecture, ranging from colored paintings to calligraphic
illustrations, wooden and stone carvings, clay sculptures and
ceramics, they tell the story of Taiwan's rich culture. Next to
traditional Chinese architecture brought to Taiwan by the southern
Fujianese from early China and the Hakka immigrants (such as can be
seen in Bangiao at the Lin Family Garden), architectural features used
in Chinese temples can also be found across Taiwan. Some of the most
famous temples in Taiwan that are not only of historical but also of
artistic value. are the Longshan (Dragon Mountain) Temple and the Mazu
Temple (Queen of Heaven Temple) in Lugang, and the Chaotian Temple in
Beigang.
-
FOLK ART AND
CULTRUE
Some of Taiwan's most important annual holidays and festivals include
the Chinese New Year, the Lantern Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival,
Lovers' Day, and the Hungry Ghosts Festival. But local Taiwanese folk
events, such as the Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage, the Goddess Mazu Making
Rounds of Inspection in Beigang, the City God Welcoming in Taipei, the
Burning of the Plague God Boat in Donggang, and aboriginal rituals,
are also regarded as important celebrations. Next to keeping
traditional Chinese opera alive, Taiwan has also developed its own
Taiwanese opera and the famous glove puppet theater. Taiwanese opera
combines local opera and music into one performing art, while the
puppet theater has undergone great modernization in recent years and
many special effects are added to performances today, making it
extremely popular among Taiwan's younger generation. Taiwan's movies
and performing groups are also gradually gaining ground on the
international stage, once again demonstrating the traditional and
creative value of Chinese and Taiwanese culture.
ABORIGINAL CULTURE
The mysterious customs and traditions of the aborigines, Taiwan's
indigenous people, such as the Harvest Festival (Smatto), the Worship
of Hunting (Mabuasu), spiritual rituals, totemism, and snake worship,
give an extra dimension to Taiwan's culture. The aboriginal tribes of
Taiwan form the most northern branch of the Austronesian language
group, and ethnically belong to the Malay race. Most aborigines have
retreated into the mountains; but although many are faced with
assimilation, still some 10 different tribes that have their own
languages, traditions, and tribal structure can be distinguished: the
Saisiyat, the Atayal, the Amis, the Bunun, the Puyuma, the Rukai, the
Paiwan, the Tao, the Sao and the Zou. Orchid Island's Yami(Tao) tribe
has been relatively isolated due to the island's geographical
location, and was the last to come in contact with the Han Chinese;
this tribe, therefore, has been able to preserve its aboriginal
culture the best.
COLONIAL CULTURE
Remnants of colonial periods can still be found in many parts of
Taiwan. Fort San Domingo in Danshui, for example, used to be home to
the Portuguese and the Dutch successively, while bustling places such
as Taipei's Dihua Street, Taoyuan's Daxi area, and Tainan's Xinhua
area have still been able to preserve the outstanding baroque
architecture left by the Japanese. Some historically significant
structures built during the Japanese occupation include the
Presidential Office Building, the Executive Yuan, and the old National
Taiwan University Hospital Building in Taipei. Recently, decorative
night lighting has been installed to display the graceful features of
these old structures while at the same time illuminating the night
skies of Taipei and creating an artistic and romantic atmosphere.
Taiwan incorporates all this, a true cultural banquet: whether you are
looking for something romantic, legendary, stately, or interesting,
it's all here for you to discover. |
