Taiwan Indigenous News
Friday, 20 February 2009
TB Treatment Delays In Taiwan
It should also be noted that the mortality rate and incidence of TB are much greater in aboriginal communities in Taiwan than in non-aboriginal areas. ...
Taiwan's indigenous population up 2.05 percent
MOI officials said the increase was about six times that of the 0.34 percent rate of growth of Taiwan's overall population. Taiwan's indigenous people were ...
Not the same old song and dance
He aims to present a more authentic picture of Aboriginal performing arts and culture. “I want our customers to see the performances in their most original ...
President pushes to boost tourism in Taiwan's indigenous areas
8 (CNA) Concerned over the development of tourism in Taiwan's indigenous areas, President Ma Ying-jeou asked government agencies Sunday to work with travel ...
The clothes worn by the Paiwan are clear indicators of social status. Coloring and decorative embroidery in particular set the nobility apart from commoners. This is nowhere more obvious than in the festive attire of the different classes: for special occasions, the chief and the nobles wear embroidered tops, shawls and long trousers. Additional trappings, often applied to the bibs, backs, and wrists, include lazurite beads and pearls, shells, animal fur (such as a leopard’s hide), bird feathers (such as eagle feathers), and teeth of wild animals, such as the leopard or bear. It is no exaggeration to say that the Paiwan nobility’s dress is among the most magnificent and flamboyant of all the indigenous peoples in Taiwan.
It comes as no surprise, then, that the making of all these garments and accessories is quite time and labor consuming. To complete a full ceremonial dress with all its elaborate trappings and embellishments can take up to a year and a half. Even though most of these lavish outfits share the same decorative patterns and totemic designs, every piece of clothing is unique because of differences in the maker’s skill, experience and artistic creativity. These can best be appreciated in the execution of pearl embroidery and needlework.