The Wandering Ghost 流浪的幽靈: Pintung County Visit

I spent an amazing day trip with Eliza down to the far South of Taiwan. Fast train to Kaohshing city, car with driver via Pintung city then up into the mountains to the village of Bei Yei. Here we spend time at the Indigenous Culture Park chatting and taking tea with representatives from the Council of Indigenous people's Executive Yuan including to Chief Secretary Pu, Chung-I. We watch an informative 15 min video that reveals some of the background and history of the 14 tribes of Taiwan. It is a very diverse history from what is the dominant Chinese cultural influence that pervades Taiwan today. There are significant efforts being made to preserve language and cultural traditions including the practice of traditional and contemporary arts by the traditional owners. There are parallel's and echos to Australia's own colonial Indigenous experience, while also aspects unique to this land and its peoples. Originally arriving many years ago from Madagascar, Easter Island & New Zealand, I found it interesting to see these influences in the architecture, art and other forms of cultural expression.
We head on to one of Taiwan's most recognised artists, sculpter Sakuliu Pavavalung's studio where we have a lunch of traditional Taiwanese food. We then take tea at brother Etan's studio in Rinari and visit a residency cottage before a flying stop visit to sculpter Daki's studio. We then dash back making it to the train station with minutes to spare. A rich, memorable and thoughtful experience.