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A performance by an indigenous Ainu crew from Hokkaido Japan
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The Art and Heritage of Paiwan Tattoos
The Paiwan are an Indigenous Austronesian group of peoples that calls southern Taiwan their home. Paiwan communities are most common in the foothills and mountains and are most concentrated in Taitung County and the nearby Pingtung County. There are just over 100,000 people with Paiwan ancestry living in Taiwan today.
Tattoos are an important part of Paiwan culture; the designs tell specific stories about lineage, social status, and community achievements. There exist an intricate set of rules tying some of the motifs with specific noble families and cultural milestones.
The practice of tattooing somebody who's non-Paiwan with Paiwan style tattoos can be controversial, but is seen as generally acceptable if non-sacred designs are used and the tattoo is created or approved by a Paiwan tattoo practictioner. Taking the time to understand the design of the tattoo and its cultural meaning is also a part of the experience. Paiwan tattoo practictioners will usually have non-sacred designs on hand that they can properly offer to non-Paiwan customers. There are also certain body parts that are seen as sacred with respect to tattoo placement (face, upper chest, hands); if you are non-Paiwan, a certified Paiwan tattoo artist will avoid these parts of your body and insist you get your tattoo somewhere else.
Before you ask - no, I did not get at tatoo here. It was interesting to learn about the Paiwan people and their culture though.
The Paiwan are an Indigenous Austronesian group of peoples that calls southern Taiwan their home. Paiwan communities are most common in the foothills and mountains and are most concentrated in Taitung County and the nearby Pingtung County. There are just over 100,000 people with Paiwan ancestry living in Taiwan today.
Tattoos are an important part of Paiwan culture; the designs tell specific stories about lineage, social status, and community achievements. There exist an intricate set of rules tying some of the motifs with specific noble families and cultural milestones.
The practice of tattooing somebody who's non-Paiwan with Paiwan style tattoos can be controversial, but is seen as generally acceptable if non-sacred designs are used and the tattoo is created or approved by a Paiwan tattoo practictioner. Taking the time to understand the design of the tattoo and its cultural meaning is also a part of the experience. Paiwan tattoo practictioners will usually have non-sacred designs on hand that they can properly offer to non-Paiwan customers. There are also certain body parts that are seen as sacred with respect to tattoo placement (face, upper chest, hands); if you are non-Paiwan, a certified Paiwan tattoo artist will avoid these parts of your body and insist you get your tattoo somewhere else.
Before you ask - no, I did not get at tatoo here. It was interesting to learn about the Paiwan people and their culture though.
warpus
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Indigenous Rukai tribe performs a traditional Lily dance
The Rukai are one of Taiwan's official Austronesian indigenous groups, today numbering about 14,000 people. Traditionally the Rukai people also built their communities in the foothills or mountains of southern and south-eastern Taiwan, centered in Taitung County and Pingtung County. The Rukai are most known for their weaving cultural traditions.
I was lucky enough to get front row seats to a traditional Rukai Lily dance, performed by what must have been over a hundred total indigenous performers. This dance is traditionally performed at around harvest time.
I somehow ended up right at the front by a fence, somewhere where I was instructed to stand and not sit. This gave me a perfect view of the action.
On Taiwan's west coast I came across indirect indigenous influences here and there, but here it was right in my face! I stuck around for the whole performance, I was eager to take in this aspect of Taiwanese culture and heritage.
The Rukai are one of Taiwan's official Austronesian indigenous groups, today numbering about 14,000 people. Traditionally the Rukai people also built their communities in the foothills or mountains of southern and south-eastern Taiwan, centered in Taitung County and Pingtung County. The Rukai are most known for their weaving cultural traditions.
I was lucky enough to get front row seats to a traditional Rukai Lily dance, performed by what must have been over a hundred total indigenous performers. This dance is traditionally performed at around harvest time.
I somehow ended up right at the front by a fence, somewhere where I was instructed to stand and not sit. This gave me a perfect view of the action.
On Taiwan's west coast I came across indirect indigenous influences here and there, but here it was right in my face! I stuck around for the whole performance, I was eager to take in this aspect of Taiwanese culture and heritage.
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warpus
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Running into this festival was certainly a nice surprise.. When I first started exploring the Taitung waterfront I did not imagine that I'd end up here.
After the lily dance performance I checked out some of the indigenous artisan vendor booths, took part in a couple games during which I won a can of iced coffee, and bought myself a fried pork street food style sub sandwich. Overall a successful day at the local indigenous festival.
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Taiwanese Style Custard Donut (卡士達甜甜圈)
After exiting the festival grounds I went for a stroll around Taitung and came across a food truck selling freshly made doughnuts. The pasteries were prepared onsite from freshly made dough & custard and deepfried while you wait.
This was messy but so good I am putting it in my top 3 donut experiences of all time. The donut was flaky and crispy on the outside and the custard was creamy and everywhere. Everything tasted really fresh. A perfect pastry creation.
After exiting the festival grounds I went for a stroll around Taitung and came across a food truck selling freshly made doughnuts. The pasteries were prepared onsite from freshly made dough & custard and deepfried while you wait.
This was messy but so good I am putting it in my top 3 donut experiences of all time. The donut was flaky and crispy on the outside and the custard was creamy and everywhere. Everything tasted really fresh. A perfect pastry creation.
warpus
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Taitung Snapshots
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That's no moon..
This temporary installation must have been a part of the Taitung Light Festival, which you'll see pictures of later.
This temporary installation must have been a part of the Taitung Light Festival, which you'll see pictures of later.
warpus
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Liyu Pavilion Observation Deck (鯉魚亭觀景台)
at Liyu Mountain Park (鯉魚山公園)
Right in the heart of Taitung is Liyu Mountain Park, where you'll find hiking trails and observation platforms with sweeping views of the city.
This is a fairly small park - it took me about an hour to casually explore the extent of the trails and visit all the observation platforms.
In the first photo you are facing a bit north-east, with the Pacific Ocean slightly visible in the distance on the right. The mountains you see on the left are from the Central Mountain Range.
In the second photo you are facing south-east. The Taitung County Stadium is the most prominent object of note, other than the ocean.
at Liyu Mountain Park (鯉魚山公園)
Right in the heart of Taitung is Liyu Mountain Park, where you'll find hiking trails and observation platforms with sweeping views of the city.
This is a fairly small park - it took me about an hour to casually explore the extent of the trails and visit all the observation platforms.
In the first photo you are facing a bit north-east, with the Pacific Ocean slightly visible in the distance on the right. The mountains you see on the left are from the Central Mountain Range.
In the second photo you are facing south-east. The Taitung County Stadium is the most prominent object of note, other than the ocean.
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At one of the lookout points I ran into an incredibly cute and well behaved dog out on a walk with its owner. I of course asked permission to pet the dog and proceeded to do so
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Some more shots from the Liyu Mountain Park
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Taitung County Gymnasium (臺東縣立體育館)
I had earlier misidentified this building as the Taitung County Stadium, which is actually an adjacent set of stands and running track. This is the Taitung County Gymnasium, a multi-use indoor sports arena with seating for several thousand. It hosts basketball & volleyball games, martial art competitions, regional & school tournaments, community workshops, exhibitions, and occasional fairs. As the largest such arena on the east coast it is the regional hub for youth sports and community athletics, acting as the region's primary indoor arena and venue for important events. In 2011 The Taitung County Gymnasium hosted the 100th National Indigenous Games, held somewhere in Taiwan once every two years.
The door was open but I did not peek inside. I was eager to get back to my hotel so I could finally check in.
I had earlier misidentified this building as the Taitung County Stadium, which is actually an adjacent set of stands and running track. This is the Taitung County Gymnasium, a multi-use indoor sports arena with seating for several thousand. It hosts basketball & volleyball games, martial art competitions, regional & school tournaments, community workshops, exhibitions, and occasional fairs. As the largest such arena on the east coast it is the regional hub for youth sports and community athletics, acting as the region's primary indoor arena and venue for important events. In 2011 The Taitung County Gymnasium hosted the 100th National Indigenous Games, held somewhere in Taiwan once every two years.
The door was open but I did not peek inside. I was eager to get back to my hotel so I could finally check in.
warpus
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Railway Art Village (鐵道藝術村)
Before 1991 southern Taiwan did not have a rail link connecting the east and west coasts. During the colonial Japanese period, when a lot of the rail infrastructure in Taiwan was built, such a link was considered too expensive and too risky, since it would have to run through geologically questionable parts of the Central Mountain Range. Taitung had a train station, but the line ran north, along the east coast, eventually reaching northern Taiwan and the capital Taipei. You could get to Kaohsiung on a train, but you'd have to go all the way around the island.
When the South-Link Line was built in 1991 it turned Taiwan's rail network into a coastal loop for the first time. The problem is that a new Taitung Rail station had to be built about 6km north of the old one in order to properly align with the needs of the new line. The rail corridor through the city to the old station would have been much too expensive to upgrade, and in some cases completely new approach lines would have been needed anyway. So the new station had to be built on Taitung city outskirts, and the old central station had to be decommissioned.
For 10 years or so both stations were actually in use at the same time; The old central station was officially decommissioned in 2001.
The city decided to turn the old rail routes and the old central station into green space. The area immediately surrounding the old central station became a railway themed cultural park, and most of the decommissioned rail route into the city became a pedestrian walkway. A lot of the historic infrastructure was preserved in some way and integrated into the new vision for the area.
This is all very close to Liyu Mountain Park, which can be seen in the background of the following picture. On the left you can see the Taitung County Gymnasium.
The Railway Art Village is used for festivals, markets, exhibits, and other community events, but a lot of people just come here to enjoy the green space.
If you're wondering about the new train station - it's on the city outskirts, reachable from the city centre by bus in about 25 minutes, probably under 20 via car. It's too bad the central location couldn't be used, but it's not really that bad and the Railway Art Village is now a unique part of central Taitung.
Before 1991 southern Taiwan did not have a rail link connecting the east and west coasts. During the colonial Japanese period, when a lot of the rail infrastructure in Taiwan was built, such a link was considered too expensive and too risky, since it would have to run through geologically questionable parts of the Central Mountain Range. Taitung had a train station, but the line ran north, along the east coast, eventually reaching northern Taiwan and the capital Taipei. You could get to Kaohsiung on a train, but you'd have to go all the way around the island.
When the South-Link Line was built in 1991 it turned Taiwan's rail network into a coastal loop for the first time. The problem is that a new Taitung Rail station had to be built about 6km north of the old one in order to properly align with the needs of the new line. The rail corridor through the city to the old station would have been much too expensive to upgrade, and in some cases completely new approach lines would have been needed anyway. So the new station had to be built on Taitung city outskirts, and the old central station had to be decommissioned.
For 10 years or so both stations were actually in use at the same time; The old central station was officially decommissioned in 2001.
The city decided to turn the old rail routes and the old central station into green space. The area immediately surrounding the old central station became a railway themed cultural park, and most of the decommissioned rail route into the city became a pedestrian walkway. A lot of the historic infrastructure was preserved in some way and integrated into the new vision for the area.
This is all very close to Liyu Mountain Park, which can be seen in the background of the following picture. On the left you can see the Taitung County Gymnasium.
The Railway Art Village is used for festivals, markets, exhibits, and other community events, but a lot of people just come here to enjoy the green space.
If you're wondering about the new train station - it's on the city outskirts, reachable from the city centre by bus in about 25 minutes, probably under 20 via car. It's too bad the central location couldn't be used, but it's not really that bad and the Railway Art Village is now a unique part of central Taitung.
warpus
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Siwei Night Market (四維夜市)
From what I remember I stumbled upon this night market by pure chance. It only operates on Sunday evenings; at 6pm 350m of the street shuts down and is limited to pedestrians and market vendors.
From what I remember I stumbled upon this night market by pure chance. It only operates on Sunday evenings; at 6pm 350m of the street shuts down and is limited to pedestrians and market vendors.
warpus
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Tie Hua Light Festival (鐵花燈之祭)
This light festival is very conveniently located at the Tie Hua Music Village, a pedestrian friendly part of town adjacent to the Railway Art Village, not too far away from my hotel.
I initially confused this festival with the Taitung Light Festival, which is actually held at a popular hot spring area about a half an hour away by car (or an hour or so by public transit). Pictures from the Tie Hua Light Festival show up when you google Taitung Light Festival, which was a part of the problem, and it seems a point of confusion for others as well. It doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things, but I'm trying to be as accurate as possible.
Tie Hua literally translates to "Iron Flower", in part a reference to the nearby Railway Art Village. The Music Village area takes up about 2-3 standard city blocks in size and is built on former railway dormitories and cargo warehouse structures. There are live music performances here 5 days a week, usually in the evenings.
This light festival is very conveniently located at the Tie Hua Music Village, a pedestrian friendly part of town adjacent to the Railway Art Village, not too far away from my hotel.
I initially confused this festival with the Taitung Light Festival, which is actually held at a popular hot spring area about a half an hour away by car (or an hour or so by public transit). Pictures from the Tie Hua Light Festival show up when you google Taitung Light Festival, which was a part of the problem, and it seems a point of confusion for others as well. It doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things, but I'm trying to be as accurate as possible.
Tie Hua literally translates to "Iron Flower", in part a reference to the nearby Railway Art Village. The Music Village area takes up about 2-3 standard city blocks in size and is built on former railway dormitories and cargo warehouse structures. There are live music performances here 5 days a week, usually in the evenings.
warpus
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Day Nineteen Reflections
Sunday, November 24, 2024
Total Distance Walked This Day - 15.9 km
A busy day made for an incredible introduction to Taitung and to the east coast! The highlight of the day has got to be the Pasiwali festival. To this day some of those Lily dance songs still occasionally pop into my head. I felt privileged to have been able to witness the performance from up close.. When I first arrived in Taitung I had no idea that something like that would be awaiting me.
Seeing the city from the elevated observation decks at Liyu Mountain Park was also quite memorable. I was happy I was able to make it there before sundown.
At the end of the night I was able to secure a seat at a popular Japanese tonkatsu restaurant. I had actually visited this establishment right after arriving in Taitung, but was unable to get a seat at the time.. The pictures don't really need to be posted, as it was fairly standard looking cheese filled tonkatsu with Japanese curry sauce and rice.. but I'll mention it nevertheless, as it was a high quality meal.
The availability of fairly authentic Japanese cuisine in every major Taiwanese city is something I welcomed with open arms. It added yet another dimension to the culinary scene here. I was however surprised that it was hard to find authentic tasting Vietnamese pho, even though 250,000 or so Vietnamese nationals live in Taiwan. It seems that when it comes to Vietnamese food, restaurants in Taiwan tend to modify the flavour profiles to better appeal to Taiwanese sensibilities.. It was almost as if the pho was cooked and prepared a bit more like Taiwanese beef noodle soup.. This is not surprising, but my experience with Japanese restaurants in Taiwan was the exact opposite - authenticity of Japanese flavours, textures, and trends seemed to be held in a high regard. This made it fairly easy to seek out restaurants that made you feel like you were right in Tokyo, in terms of the food and the ambiance.
Sunday, November 24, 2024
Total Distance Walked This Day - 15.9 km
A busy day made for an incredible introduction to Taitung and to the east coast! The highlight of the day has got to be the Pasiwali festival. To this day some of those Lily dance songs still occasionally pop into my head. I felt privileged to have been able to witness the performance from up close.. When I first arrived in Taitung I had no idea that something like that would be awaiting me.
Seeing the city from the elevated observation decks at Liyu Mountain Park was also quite memorable. I was happy I was able to make it there before sundown.
At the end of the night I was able to secure a seat at a popular Japanese tonkatsu restaurant. I had actually visited this establishment right after arriving in Taitung, but was unable to get a seat at the time.. The pictures don't really need to be posted, as it was fairly standard looking cheese filled tonkatsu with Japanese curry sauce and rice.. but I'll mention it nevertheless, as it was a high quality meal.
The availability of fairly authentic Japanese cuisine in every major Taiwanese city is something I welcomed with open arms. It added yet another dimension to the culinary scene here. I was however surprised that it was hard to find authentic tasting Vietnamese pho, even though 250,000 or so Vietnamese nationals live in Taiwan. It seems that when it comes to Vietnamese food, restaurants in Taiwan tend to modify the flavour profiles to better appeal to Taiwanese sensibilities.. It was almost as if the pho was cooked and prepared a bit more like Taiwanese beef noodle soup.. This is not surprising, but my experience with Japanese restaurants in Taiwan was the exact opposite - authenticity of Japanese flavours, textures, and trends seemed to be held in a high regard. This made it fairly easy to seek out restaurants that made you feel like you were right in Tokyo, in terms of the food and the ambiance.
warpus
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Day 20
Amis eats at Yunzhan Tribal Music Restaurant (雲棧部落音樂餐廳)
Monday, November 25, 2024
The Amis are Taiwan's largest indigenous group, with a population of 225,000 or so officially registered tribal members. Taitung is the heartland of Amis country, which is why indigenous restaurants here mainly feature Amis food.
I had day trip plans this day that included a train ride to a nearby town, but the next train wasn't due for another hour or so.. Luckily I was able to find a nearby indigenous restaurant that got great reviews! I was eager to try out some indigenous dishes, but at first wasn't really sure what to order..
If you guessed that the first picture is ostrich stir-fry, you are correct! The main difference between this stir-fry and a traditional Taiwanese method of preparing something like this is of course the choice of meat - Ostrich meat is fairly lean, in contrast to the fatty pork, marbled beef, or chicken thighs Taiwanese generally prefer in their stir-fry.
The spices also differ. An Amis style stir-fry generally uses less salt and more mountain herbs and spices like maqaw. A thick glossy sauce is also never used; the dish is light on the sauce and often dry fried. There is overall more of a focus on texture and earthy flavours. Amis dishes also tend to be more fragrant, but less salty, less sweet, and less oily.
Amis cooking methods also do not lean too much into that wok hei method of Cantonese stir-fry that's popular in Taiwan. This also affects the texture and flavour of the cooked ingredients.
The second dish/picture was a tofu dish that I unfortunately couldn't tell you much about. Tofu is popular in Amis cuisine, but in a slightly different way than what you'd see in Han Chinese culinary traditions. It is almost never the centrepiece of the dish, although in this case I swear it definitely was.
Both dishes were delicious and really hit the spot. I was energized and ready for my day trip train ride.
Amis eats at Yunzhan Tribal Music Restaurant (雲棧部落音樂餐廳)
Monday, November 25, 2024
The Amis are Taiwan's largest indigenous group, with a population of 225,000 or so officially registered tribal members. Taitung is the heartland of Amis country, which is why indigenous restaurants here mainly feature Amis food.
I had day trip plans this day that included a train ride to a nearby town, but the next train wasn't due for another hour or so.. Luckily I was able to find a nearby indigenous restaurant that got great reviews! I was eager to try out some indigenous dishes, but at first wasn't really sure what to order..
If you guessed that the first picture is ostrich stir-fry, you are correct! The main difference between this stir-fry and a traditional Taiwanese method of preparing something like this is of course the choice of meat - Ostrich meat is fairly lean, in contrast to the fatty pork, marbled beef, or chicken thighs Taiwanese generally prefer in their stir-fry.
The spices also differ. An Amis style stir-fry generally uses less salt and more mountain herbs and spices like maqaw. A thick glossy sauce is also never used; the dish is light on the sauce and often dry fried. There is overall more of a focus on texture and earthy flavours. Amis dishes also tend to be more fragrant, but less salty, less sweet, and less oily.
Amis cooking methods also do not lean too much into that wok hei method of Cantonese stir-fry that's popular in Taiwan. This also affects the texture and flavour of the cooked ingredients.
The second dish/picture was a tofu dish that I unfortunately couldn't tell you much about. Tofu is popular in Amis cuisine, but in a slightly different way than what you'd see in Han Chinese culinary traditions. It is almost never the centrepiece of the dish, although in this case I swear it definitely was.
Both dishes were delicious and really hit the spot. I was energized and ready for my day trip train ride.
warpus
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Day Trip to Chishang (池上)
Chishang is a rural township with a population of just under 8,000 that's well known for its expansive picturesque rice fields. There are popular bike paths here that take you from one notable sight to the next, although many of the routes take you down rural roads you have to share with cars and other traffic. There aren't many cars on the roads though, making it a very pleasant experience.
The train from Taitung takes just under an hour, or about a half an hour if you get one of the express trains. I woke up to amazing weather, so I knew I had to get out here.
Chishang is located in the East Rift Valley, right in between the Central Mountain Range and the Coastal Mountain Range. You more or less cycle through flat terrain, but the mountains don't look that far away.
Chishang is a rural township with a population of just under 8,000 that's well known for its expansive picturesque rice fields. There are popular bike paths here that take you from one notable sight to the next, although many of the routes take you down rural roads you have to share with cars and other traffic. There aren't many cars on the roads though, making it a very pleasant experience.
The train from Taitung takes just under an hour, or about a half an hour if you get one of the express trains. I woke up to amazing weather, so I knew I had to get out here.
Chishang is located in the East Rift Valley, right in between the Central Mountain Range and the Coastal Mountain Range. You more or less cycle through flat terrain, but the mountains don't look that far away.
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Yanshi
by Olga Ziemska
at Dapo Pond (大坡池)
I didn't know it at the time, but the first thing worth photographing that I came across is a sculpture by Polish-American artist Olga Ziemska. It is named Yanshi, which translates to Traces or Residue. I looked up the artist and there is a theme in her work of humans being a part of or arising from nature. Perhaps worth mentioning is the fact that the statue's hair was made using locally sourced straw.
This statue is a part of the artist's ONA collection of pieces, ona being a Polish word translating to her. This collection explores female identity, environmental harmony, and the poetic tension between permanence and ephemerality. (her words, not mine). The other items from this collection can be found in various cities in the U.S.
What's interesting about this particular location and pond is that it is a fault pond, also known as a sag pond. Fault ponds are created when movements along a fault line create a depression which later fills with water. In this case Dapo Pond was created right on top of the Longitudinal Valley Fault in Taiwan’s East Rift Valley, which marks the boundary between the Eurasian and Philippine Sea plates. It is one of Taiwan's most active tectonic zones. Scientists estimate that Dapo Pond likely came into being at some point 4,000 - 10,000 years ago.
by Olga Ziemska
at Dapo Pond (大坡池)
I didn't know it at the time, but the first thing worth photographing that I came across is a sculpture by Polish-American artist Olga Ziemska. It is named Yanshi, which translates to Traces or Residue. I looked up the artist and there is a theme in her work of humans being a part of or arising from nature. Perhaps worth mentioning is the fact that the statue's hair was made using locally sourced straw.
This statue is a part of the artist's ONA collection of pieces, ona being a Polish word translating to her. This collection explores female identity, environmental harmony, and the poetic tension between permanence and ephemerality. (her words, not mine). The other items from this collection can be found in various cities in the U.S.
What's interesting about this particular location and pond is that it is a fault pond, also known as a sag pond. Fault ponds are created when movements along a fault line create a depression which later fills with water. In this case Dapo Pond was created right on top of the Longitudinal Valley Fault in Taiwan’s East Rift Valley, which marks the boundary between the Eurasian and Philippine Sea plates. It is one of Taiwan's most active tectonic zones. Scientists estimate that Dapo Pond likely came into being at some point 4,000 - 10,000 years ago.
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Some more pictures of Dapo Pond (大坡池)
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Grandma’s Advice
by Quan De‑Fu (全得富)
As I cycled around Dapo Pond I next came across a sculpture by indigenous Taiwanese artist Quan De-Fu, who has Bunun heritage, one of the 16 officially recognized indigenous peoples of Taiwan. The Bunun have a rich oral tradition and folklore, and that is where the sculpture's inspiration comes from.
A Bunun oral tradition is elders warning children to not harm frogs. This is something that has been passed down through the generations in the form of stories and elders literally telling children that killing frogs will bring heavy rain or floods. The frogs have a deeper symbolism of ecological balance; the exercise is meant to instill respect for nature and serve as a warning against careless harm. These days there is less superstition involved and the stories are used to teach Bunun children about nature and ecology.
Originally the tradition seems to have started in relation to a Bunun legend involving a frog indirectly helping saving a village from a flood. What's interesting is that in the story the frog is somewhat clumsy and inept and actually fails along the way, and the village is in the end actually saved by a bird. However, the frog's courage is one of the lessons of the story, as well as the fact that every courageous act matters in the context of collective survival.
Frogs are to this day treated with reverence and caution by the Bunun, although they are not seen as any sort of deity or something you worship. Instead they are seen as a messenger of balance, a reminder of the fragility of nature - something you treat with care and respect.
At the time I didn't know anything about the Bunun or their oral traditions, but the message of the statue seemed clear enough.
by Quan De‑Fu (全得富)
As I cycled around Dapo Pond I next came across a sculpture by indigenous Taiwanese artist Quan De-Fu, who has Bunun heritage, one of the 16 officially recognized indigenous peoples of Taiwan. The Bunun have a rich oral tradition and folklore, and that is where the sculpture's inspiration comes from.
A Bunun oral tradition is elders warning children to not harm frogs. This is something that has been passed down through the generations in the form of stories and elders literally telling children that killing frogs will bring heavy rain or floods. The frogs have a deeper symbolism of ecological balance; the exercise is meant to instill respect for nature and serve as a warning against careless harm. These days there is less superstition involved and the stories are used to teach Bunun children about nature and ecology.
Originally the tradition seems to have started in relation to a Bunun legend involving a frog indirectly helping saving a village from a flood. What's interesting is that in the story the frog is somewhat clumsy and inept and actually fails along the way, and the village is in the end actually saved by a bird. However, the frog's courage is one of the lessons of the story, as well as the fact that every courageous act matters in the context of collective survival.
Frogs are to this day treated with reverence and caution by the Bunun, although they are not seen as any sort of deity or something you worship. Instead they are seen as a messenger of balance, a reminder of the fragility of nature - something you treat with care and respect.
At the time I didn't know anything about the Bunun or their oral traditions, but the message of the statue seemed clear enough.
