A Brief Introduction of the Taiwan Aboriginal Ceremonial Songs and Dances Project


　　Digitalization of the Taiwan Aboriginal Ceremonial Songs and Dances Project, part of the Taiwan Ethnography Video and Audio Archive, was launched in 2007 and was completed in 2009 and was made available in its entirety on the Internet.

　　A total of 309 digital audio-video files, 54 audio tapes, 1992 photographs during the same period were digitized. The project’s research report was also digitized and made available for viewing and download.

　　These materials for digitalization were collected from 1986-1989, when the Department of Civil Affairs of the Taiwan Provincial Government commissioned the Institute of Ethnology of the Academia Sinica to research Taiwan aboriginal ceremonies and folk songs and dances. This project was directed by Institute of Ethnology Research Fellows Liu Pin-hsiung and Hu Tai-li, while several anthropologists (Huang Shiun-wey, Chen Wen-te, Wang Chang-hua, Zheng Yi-yi, Hsu Kung-ming, Wang Sung-shan, Hsu Shao-jen), ethnomusicologists (Lin Hsin-lai, Chien Shan-hua), and dance researcher (Ping Heng) were invited to participate in the gathering, analysis, and writing of materials.

　　Hu Tai-li, the research fellow of the Institute of Ethnology of Academia Sinica, directed the audio-video recording of ethnic groups, shooting footage of the ceremonial songs and dances of the Amis, Rukai, Saisiat, and Puyuma tribes from 1986-1987 and also recording the Paiwan, Bunun, and Tsou tribes from 1988-1989. Material was shot in three-quarter inch video format, the highest picture quality available at the time. Later, the museum transferred it to DV tapes for preservation. The song tapes were also recorded using professional digital equipment. These materials represent the earliest and most systematically-produced recordings of Taiwan aboriginal ceremonial songs and dances since the advent of modern digital recording technology.

　　The seven files most worth promoting are the following edited live recordings of Taiwan aboriginal ceremonial songs and dances：
The Amis new year festival in Iwan、 The Rukai millet harvest festival in Haocha、 The Saisiat Pasta’ay ceremony in Xiangtianhu、
The Puyuma new year festival in Nanwang、 The Bunun ear-shooting festival (Malaqtainga) in Wulu、 The Tsou war festival in Dabang and Tefuye、
The Paiwan five-year ceremony in Tuban and a Paiwan wedding in Dashe
One audio file： The Amis new year festival songs in Iwan A、 The Amis new year festival songs in Iwan B。

Two research reports have also been published（See「publication display」for details）：
Taiwan aboriginal ceremonies and folk songs and dances – Part1 (Amis, Rukai, Saisiat, Bunun)
Taiwan aboriginal ceremonies and folk songs and dances – Part 2 (Paiwan, Bunun, Tsou)

The project website features audio-video recordings from the field as well as research texts, sheet music, dance notation, and analysis of edited live recordings in order to help viewers learn more about the culture of Taiwan aboriginal ceremonial songs and dances.

When this project was completed, it was also set up for long-term display in the exhibition hall along with the museum’s Taiwan aboriginal culture exhibition.

Taiwan Aboriginal Ceremonial Songs and Dances Project Introduction Trailer