Global Indigenous Peoples Performing Arts Festival 2014 Taoyuan

Taiwan has flourishing indigenous cultures. Currently, there are 14 (16?) indigenous tribes (recognized by the Council of Indigenous Peoples CIP) in Taiwan, and each of them has its own society, language, lifestyle, dance formations and musical culture. 14 of the recognized groups are:
Amis 阿美族, Atayal 泰雅族, Bunun 布農族, Kavalan 噶瑪蘭族, Paiwan 排灣族, Puyuma 卑南族, Rukai 魯凱族, Saisiyat 賽夏族, Sakizaya 撒奇萊雅族, Seediq 賽德克族, Tao 達悟族, Thao 邵族, Tsou 鄒族 and Truku 太魯閣族.


Seediq-tribe girl 賽德克族

Taoyuan City - Hutoushan park - Sansheng Temple (三聖宮)

There are three important temples in the Hutoushan Park, or close to it. They are Sansheng Temple (明倫三聖宮), Confucius Temple and Former Shinto temple that serves now as Taoyuan Martyr's Shrine (桃園忠烈祠). This article will tell about Sansheng Temple. In fact the two others are more interesting, but we will come back to them later.

Taoyuan City - Hutoushan park - people

Hutoushan park is an excellent place to meet people. One Sunday afternoon, as I was taking photos by the river, an old gentleman came to me leaning on his walking stick. "Where are you from?" he asked. Later on he told me that "I was born in Nanjing in 1911." It means that at that moment he was 103 years young. Maybe he meant the year 11 in Taiwanese calendar. Then he would be only 92 years young. I was moved by his joy and peace.

Taoyuan City - Hutoushan - on top of the hill

Now we go up to the Hutoushan hill. The highest point is 251 meters above the sea level. Usually people go up early in the morning, but I prefer going a bit later, because I enjoy walking and taking photos in peace, without adapting too much to other hikers pace. August is very hot in Taiwan, and especially afternoon it can be unbearably hot. Up in the hills it is always a bit cooler.

The stairs up