To celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day, National Tainan Living Art Center launched a special exhibition to showcase the traditional clothing of indigenous peoples in Taiwan. Not limited to the 16 officially recognized indigenous tribes in Taiwan, the traditional clothing, accessories, textiles, and patterns of 17 indigenous groups will be displayed from now until Oct. 30.
Mayor of Tainan Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) stated that ethnic clothing expresses the culture, symbol, and spirit of one's identity. Many contemporary designers even search for inspiration from ethnic wear. Although Tainan is not designated as an "indigenous peoples' region," the city will preserve and carry forward the culture and languages of indigenous peoples.
The exhibition is divided into three sections: clothing and weavings, head accessories and ornaments, and cultural artifacts. The exhibit displays collections from the Indigenous Culture Relic Museum of Tainan and cultural museums. To allow the public to learn more about the culture of indigenous peoples, documentaries on the field studies will be screened at the venue, along with an introduction as well as easy-to-understand drawings of the indigenous groups.
Tainan City Government said that the indigenous peoples have been actively promoting the revitalization of their culture since 2001. The revitalization of their traditional costumes has become an important symbol of cultural identity. The costumes are not just clothes but also a sign of self-identity and cultural cohesion.
The clothing of each indigenous group is developed according to climates, terrains, history, and sociocultural factors. For more information, please visit the
website of the National Tainan Living Art Center.
(Photo Courtesy of Cahamu Culture Museum)