Bunun warriors fire 25-gun salute to fallen ancestors on April 25

April 25, 2021April 26, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment aboriginal hunting rights, bunun, Hualien County, indigenous people

Members of the Bunun ethnic indigenous people in Zhuoxi Township, Hualien County fired a 25-gun salute at the opening of an annual ceremony, linking generations from the past, to the present, and into the future today, April 25. The 25 shots fired from the hunter’s guns represented 23 Bunun men who were executed in the Dafen Incident, in 1915, when Japanese authorities attempted to confiscate the hunting rifles that the tribe were dependent on to survive; and two men who

Culture

April 11, 2021April 11, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment matsu, religion

After last year’s postponement and reduced numbers due to fear of a novel coronavirus epidemic, the first day of this year’s annual Dajia Mazu pilgrimage saw an estimated crowd of more than 100,000 people packed into the streets of Changhua County. President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), Minister of the Interior Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇), and Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Yuan Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) went to Dajia Jenn Lann Temple in Taichung City Friday afternoon

flag ceremony for Austronesian athletes prior to National Indigenous Games, Taiwan, 2021

Culture Sport

March 18, 2021March 18, 2021 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Austronesian, indigenous people

Twenty-one people from nine Austronesian nations will compete in traditional sports events with local indigenous athletes at this year’s biennial National Indigenous Games, which kick off tomorrow, March 19, in Yilan County. It is the first time international athletes have participated in traditional Austronesian sports events that will run alongside the official national athletic competitions. Austronesian Youth United will hold three traditional sports competitions, including traditional archery, wood-sawing, and weight carrying. Countries represented in the games include the Marshall Islands,

Culture

May 27, 2020May 27, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment obituary, Pong Fong Wu, 吳朋奉

Pong-fong Wu (吳朋奉) , a veteran stage, television, and film actor was found dead in his home after suffering a stroke, Sunday, May 25. Wu was described as a veteran actor in English language reports, and a Film Emperor in the Chinese language press. Wu, who has 56 film and television credits on IMDb was a hard working actor who played many supporting roles until he came into the public spotlight with a best supporting actor award at the 2010

A smokey Longshan Temple before a ban on burning incense is put into place

Culture

February 28, 2020February 28, 2020 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment environmental protection bureau, incense, Longshan Temple, religion

The 281-year-old Longshan Temple in Taipei City’s Wanhua District will ban visitors from burning incense at the temple in a bid to reduce pollution generated by the thousands of pilgrims and tourist who visit the site daily. Temple authorities will cease providing incense to visitors and will forbid people from bringing incense sticks from outside starting March 13. While reducing, and eventually eliminating the burning of incense has been a long-term goal of temple authorities, the decision to implement the

Culture

May 26, 2019May 26, 2019 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment human migration, Japan, prehistory, Taitung

A team of Japanese researchers will attempt to row a dugout canoe from Taiwan’s east coast to Yonaguni Island, Japan, to try to understand how people migrated from Taiwan to Okinawa more than 30,000 years ago. This year’s attempt comes after previous experiments using boats made from reeds, and bamboo, failed. Japan’s National Museum of Science and nature launched the project in 2016, and attempted to sail a boat made of cattail reeds from Iriomote Island to Yonaguni Island. At

Tsai Ing-wen at a Buddhist blessing ceremony

Culture

February 5, 2019February 5, 2019 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Dharma Drum Mountain, Lunar New Year, ROC President, Taiwan President, Tsai Ing-wen

[Picture: Office of the President.] President Tsai Ing-wen attended the New Year’s eve bell-ringing and blessing ceremony at the Dharma Drum Mountain Fahua Bell Tower yesterday evening, February 4, noting that Dharma Drum Mountain’s theme for this year is “good wishes for the human world.” President Tsai prayed with the people for the country’s peace and prosperity, and said she would continue to strive for Taiwan’s progress and development. The Dharma Drum bell ringing ceremony was held at the Fuhua

Hu Tong-wen arrested for knife attack in Taipei City

Culture

December 11, 2018December 11, 2018 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment armed-robbery, knife-attack, recidivism, Taipei City

A man who slashed a woman with a utility knife in an attempted robbery in Taipei City last month had been released from prison only 7 days before, and had returned to the scene of his previous crime to carry out the offense. Prosecutors today ordered that Hu Tong-wen, 58, remain in detention, as he had no fixed abode, and in the light of his criminal history, had a high risk of absconding and re-offending. On November 25, Hu stole

Dutch academics at Academia Sinica with map of Zeelandia

Culture

October 23, 2018October 23, 2018 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Academia Sinica, Dutch Formosa, Tainan City, Zeelandia

Dutch scholars joined researchers from Academia Sinica at a press conference today to unveil a cadastral map of the township of Zeelandia dating back to the Dutch colonial period. Menno Leenstra, a researcher at the Dutch International Heritage Center said that he had stumbled across the map while doing research on the extinct dodo bird three years ago. The map was among documents belonging to the head of the Dutch East India Company, Nicasius de Hooghe. De Hoogue had been

workers demolish a store front in Xinhua old street

Culture

October 17, 2018 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment claw machine, cultural heritage, Tainan City

Cultural heritage workers in Tainan City rushed to save furniture and fittings dating back to the 1930s after workers moved in with jackhammers yesterday to turn the historical property into a claw machine shop. The clinic is located on the west side of the Xinhua Old Street, a section of Zhongzheng Road that was declared a historical precinct in July this year. Tainan City Sin-Hua District Community Association Secretary-General Hsu Ming-yang told reporters that the buildings on the west side

Culture

June 1, 2018June 1, 2018 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment indigenous people, Orchid-Island, Taitung, Yami

[Picture: T Di Genova, The Wild East Magazine] A Taitung County Councilor has requested the District Prosecutor allow procedures, required by law to determine the cause of accidental death, be carried out by the local health clinic, and local police on Orchid Island. The change would better accommodate the traditional Yami custom of burying the deceased before sunset on the day of death. Current procedures require that officials of the District Prosecutor’s Office have to travel to the island to

Culture

Bunun warriors fire 25-gun salute to fallen ancestors on April 25

Huge crowds join annual religious procession on first day of Mazu pilgrimage.

Austronesian youth from 9 nations will join Taiwanese indigenous people at this years National Indigenous Games

Taiwanese actor Wu Pong-fong dies at 55

Longshan Temple to ban incense burning by visitors in bid to reduce pollution

Researchers plan to row from Taiwan to Japan in dug-out canoe to prove migration theory

President rings in the New Year with a good wish for the world

Serial Slasher Slashes Woman 7 Days after Prison Release

Rediscovered Map Sheds Light on Taiwan’s first Town

Historical Clinic Gutted to make way for Claw Machines

Councilor Requests Changes to Accommodate Orchid Island Burial Customs