The Taiwan News on Sunday had a very strange article about the tourism business in the Alishan Scenic Area Administration. Seems the boss, a Chinese Han man named Jason Chung, has decided the traditional Tsou tribal dances are not good enough to attract the tourists, so he has called in some dance teachers from other tribes to teach the Tsou people new dance, more entertaining and lively I guess, in order to attract the tourists to their area of the island.
You can see these dance imported dance at the Bean of Life Festival next October, called the Tsou Fona. Chung is quoted as saying “the Tsou tend to have less lively dances and ceremonies than the tribes along the coast, so I have asked them to make some changes.”
ASKED THEM TO MAKE SOME CHANGES? IN THEIR TRADITIONAL TRIBAL DANCES? Then they are no longer traditional tribal dances. What a racist he is!
He adds: “Tourism is about entertainment rather than deeply exploring a culture.” OH YEAH?
he says "So Traditional Tsou dance can do well as a cultureal event, but it does not attract tourists. Thus CHung has invited a Paiwan dance teacher to work with young Tsou people in Laiji village to develop new tourist oriented dances like the warrior dance. OMPH OMPJH OMPH!
This sounds like a dog and pony show. What is going on with these tourism bureau people? Create fake new dances for the tourists? Is that respectful of Tsou culture, coming from an outsider?
The article is not online, but it was written by a reporter named Cheryl Robbins, supplement writer, it says.
Actually this is a very interesting problem, thought it is by no means the first time that the government has informed Aboriginal communities that their culture isn’t interesting enough for camera-clickers. It’s been happening this way for at least fifty-five years
An expat who lives up that way writes re the posts above:
"The tribes’ actual dances are not shown to any tourists at all. The dances that are shown are created for the tourists. Some of the tribes’ rituals I can attend …but my wife cannot …as women are not allowed.
Tourists are also not allowed to view these rituals. The Taiwanese idiots want more sexy dancing for the bored tourists… so what’s new?
A lot of contempt up in the mountains for the Taiwanese who keep telling the Tsou tribe to change things to make it more ‘‘Chinese’’. Some Taiwanese decided that they needed a shrine to pray at … it was erected and quickly destroyed by the locals.
As for the Alishan Park area, no dancing is done there. Some of the locals are employed at the Park Hotel and other areas, so that the tourists can see what an Aboriginal looks like. …Many tourists keep asking for night time sex ‘‘services’’… The local women reply that they can get them a wild boar to screw if they want… Alishan Park as a tourist destination sucks…
Then again… none of the tribe people actually live in the park anyway… their villages are in different places."
Well, I’ve sent off an email to Mr. Chung and I eagerly await his reply. I have suggested that I should head up there and teach the Tsou Scottish country dancing, tossing the caber and suchlike. It works very well indeed in attracting tourists to Scotland. Of course, I did pont out that it doean’t have too much to do with Tsou culture, but then, neither does Paiwan I don’t suppose. And I’m sure 99% of the tourists won’t be able to tell the difference.
And then there is the CHina Post travel page story today that states:
“What makes Taitung so special is not only its natural beauty but also the happy human faces exemplified by the carefree aboriginal people…”
Written by a Filipino freelance writer named Diosdada Lopega. Hey Diosdada, the old days of the natives with happy human faces and carefree lives NEVER EXISTED.
Amazing the editors there let that go by. No, on second thought, par for the course.
Next week, a travel special on minstrel shows with whites in blackface…
How is this racist?? It may be a lot of things, but I fail to see how it is racist
[quote]What makes Taidong so special is not only its natural beauty but also the happy human faces exemplified by the carefree aboriginal people…"
Written by a Filipino freelance writer named Diosdada Lopega. Hey Diosdada, the old days of the natives with happy human faces and carefree lives NEVER EXISTED. [/quote]
WTF??? there are lots of happy and carefree aboriginal people in Taidong and other places. Are you saying that aboriginal people have NEVER been happy or lived carefree lives??? If that is what you are saying then it has got to be one of the stupidest things I have ever read.
How is this racist?? It may be a lot of things, but I fail to see how it is racist
[quote]What makes Taidong so special is not only its natural beauty but also the happy human faces exemplified by the carefree aboriginal people…"
Written by a Filipino freelance writer named Diosdada Lopega. Hey Diosdada, the old days of the natives with happy human faces and carefree lives NEVER EXISTED. [/quote]
WTF??? there are lots of happy and carefree aboriginal people in Taidong and other places. Are you saying that aboriginal people have NEVER been happy or lived carefree lives??? If that is what you are saying then it has got to be one of the stupidest things I have ever read.[/quote]
Maybe racist was the wrong word. What would you suggest in its stead?
As for “the happy and carefree natives” bit, with happy human faces and carefree lives – this about a people who have been oppressed and denigrated to “wild monkey savages” here on Han Island – if you don’t understand the jab there, forgetaboutit. You didn’t get it. No worry.
[quote=“Cola”]And then there is the China Post travel page story today that states:
“What makes Taidong so special is not only its natural beauty but also the happy human faces exemplified by the carefree aboriginal people…”
[/quote]
They’re pretty happy and carefree after a couple of bottles of mijiu.
As for the dancing issue, it’s too bad that Michael Jackson is in so much trouble. Otherwise, the Tourism Bureau people could bring him over and show the aboriginals how to really dance.
