Tag Archives | Taiwan

Hong Kong and Taiwan and China, oh my!

All Around This World map of East Asia featuring Taiwan
This week in our online class we told two different stories of two traditionally Chinese territories that have two very different relationships with China. Hong Kong was a British colony for over 150 years but is now formally part of China. Taiwan was first part of China, then Japan, and, the government on the mainland would say, it’s part of China again…though that depends very much not only on who you ask, but how you ask and why. Telling these two tricky tales is exactly the kind of challenge we here at “All Around This World” enjoy, so let’s get to it.

Reviving the Culture of Formosa

Travel with us to Formosa, a.k.a. Taiwan.


The indigenous (“aboriginal”) peoples of Taiwan fall into two main groups — those who dwelled on the plains and mainly assimilated into Han Chinese culture, while others, based mainly in the mountains, continue to live in many ways as they have for centuries. Taiwanese indigenous music ensembles have risen to revive Taiwanese cultural arts. In this video we see the Formosa Aboriginal Dance Troupe doing just that.

 

 

 

Oh Oh Beh Loh Oh…!

We sing “Oh Oh Beh Loh Oh” as we enjoy this Hokkien folk song from Taiwan.
“Ti Oh Oh” is a playful folk song from Taiwan, in the Taiwanese language of Hokkien, about a grandpa and grandma who fight over how to cook a fish and end up breaking the fish pot. “The sky is dark,” the song beings “It’s about to rain. Grandpa picks up his hoe and goes digging for taro. Dig and dig. Dig and dig. Digs up a loach. He finds it very amusing.” Grandpa brings the fish home to Grandma. “Grandpa wants to cook it salty. Grandma wants to cook it plain. The two of them argue and fight, and end up breaking the pot. They wind up with clinks and clanks. Ha ha ha!” In this video you can watch “grandpa” and “grandma” in action.