Recently, the 2019 Ethnic Minority United Harvest Festival in Hualien County, Taiwan was held lively for three consecutive days, attracting more than 60,000 people to watch it. Why is the Harvest Festival so popular among tourists?
Data map: Brothers and sisters from various tribes in Hualien, Taiwan dance to their heart’s content during the Harvest Festival. (Photo source: People's Daily Overseas Edition)
As grand as the Lunar New Year
The Harvest Festival is one of the most solemn traditional festivals of Taiwan's ethnic minorities. Its excitement and importance are comparable to the Lunar New Year. From July to September every year, tribes across Taiwan will hold festivals to celebrate the harvest with singing and dancing. In Hualien County, where ethnic minorities are relatively concentrated, the annual Harvest Festival is as lively as the Chinese New Year.
For more than ten years, Hualien County has organized various tribes to hold a joint harvest festival, turning this traditional festival into a tourist and cultural event that the public can participate in. Song and dance performances have always been the highlight of "igniting" the atmosphere of the Harvest Festival. At this year's United Harvest Festival, the Taiwanese ethnic minority song "Put on a Lover's Bag" made the audience dance along with it; thousands of people danced together in a grand and lively scene, and many song and dance performers or groups came to help, releasing enthusiasm and energy.
Data map: The Sakilayar people in Hualien, Taiwan celebrate the Harvest Festival. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Ren Zhenglai
Rich in ethnic minority characteristics
Hualien has Ami, Bunun, Kavalan, Taroko , Sakilaya, Seediq and other tribes. At the United Harvest Festival, people will wear colorful ethnic costumes and perform authentic songs and dances of various ethnic groups, full of tribal customs. Specialty snacks, handicrafts, agricultural specialties, etc. will be sold on site. Friends who are interested in ethnic minority culture will definitely be feasting their eyes and mouths at the Harvest Festival.
Different ethnic groups also have their own harvest festival ceremonies with their own characteristics. For example, the Ami people hold a millet festival, and the Kavalan people hold a sea festival, with different forms. It is worth noting that the harvest festivals of some ethnic groups and tribes retain certain traditional customs and taboos. Tourists must respect the traditional customs of the tribes if they visit. As for whether tourists can participate together and whether photography is restricted, etc., you must do your homework in advance before going to the Harvest Festival.
provides supporting tourism services
The Hualien Ethnic United Harvest Festival is popular among tourists. During this period, train tickets to Hualien are often hard to come by, and local transportation is also under pressure. In order to cope with the influx of people into Hualien, the local area has provided three free shuttle bus routes for the first time this year. They depart from train stations, hotels and other places, and provide services from evening to night. Tourists can "stop and take".
In addition, Hualien County has also launched some convenience and discount activities for Harvest Festival shopping this year. Hundreds of mobile stalls at the United Harvest Festival can provide mobile payment services. Visitors can also receive discount coupons when they spend a certain amount or collect a certain number of points.
Hualien’s United Harvest Festival has now become a cultural event attended by people and tourists from all over the world. Here, people can not only experience the rich and colorful cultural characteristics of Taiwan’s ethnic minorities, but also enjoy the integration of hearing, vision, smell and taste. Lively feast.
(Editor: Dong Yixiu, comprehensively compiled based on Xinhua News Agency, People's Daily Overseas Edition, China News Service, Taiwan's "China Times Electronic News", etc.)
