Taiwan—Indigenous Art and Crafts
摘要
Taiwan used to be referred as ‘FormosaFormosa’, a beautiful islandIsland located at the west rim of Pacific OceanPacific Ocean away from China’s south-eastern coast, Taiwan is a multiculturalMulticultural society. With linguistic and archaeologicalArchaeological evidence supports, AustronesianAustronesian IndigenousIndigenous tribalTribal peoples have lived in this islandIsland as the earliest inhabitants for at least 6,000 years since the Taiwan NeolithicNeolithic. Ancient IndigenousIndigenous inhabitants distributed over much of the central mountain range and the east coast area of the islandIsland . With heritageHeritage-rich cultures, diverse folkFolk traditionsTradition and oralOral language systems, at least 16 IndigenousIndigenous tribes have been officially recognised by the government of the Republic of China. The handmadeHandmade traditionTradition of craft makingsMaking(s), transmitted for centuries from generation to generation, has been identified not only as IndigenousIndigenous artefacts but also cultural heritagesCultural heritage. By practising craftsCraft(s), IndigenousIndigenous peoples share values and aestheticsAesthetic of symmetry and balance of nature, in a combination of ceremoniesCeremonies and ritual experiences, the philosophy of identityIdentity, and connectionsConnections between all social levels.