top of page

​

Tradition & Customs

Austronesian Tapa Cloth

The main difference of Homo sapiens from other animals is the lack of dense hairs on their skin.  So they are also called by another name, “the naked ape”.  Then how do Homo sapiens resist the extreme weather?  In order to have something with which ..........

Teh, Tea, Cha and Chai

Tea comes from the plant Camellia sinensis,which originates in an area between North Myanmar and South-Western China, an area famous for the high mountains, deep valleys and .........

Gang or Hé, the Eastern Asian ways to call river that reveal history

Before the Ice Age ended 11,700 years ago, Japan and Korea were connected; Okinawa Islands were on the verge of the Asian Continent; Taiwan and Hainan Islands were also included in the Asian Continent. There was no Taiwan Strait. The Austronesian people, or their ancestors,..........  

From Saviah to Hawaiki

Mt. Morrison with its altitude of 3,952 meter is the highest peak in Taiwan and eastern Asia. It's also the sacred mountain of both Bunun ......

​

Chopsticks: Its Mysterious Name Change in China

Chopsticks are eating utensils used for thousand of years by the people of the Orient.  From ancient time up to the present, “tu” or “chu” were the only words used for  chopsticks by the people of Taiwan, ............

Hui (meeting), A Cognate 
from Taiwan to Oceania

The cognate “Hui” is used among Taiwanese, Hawaiian and New Zealand Maori. Its meaning is meeting or gathering. The meeting houses...........

Comparison of the Number “ 8 “ in Austronesian Languages

As we can see from the above tables, the word used for the number “8” in most of the Austronesian languages are almost the same. . .........

From Bangka to Wa’a, how the word for “boat” evolved in Oceania

The theory of “Out of Taiwan” is proven by the evidences of linguistics, archaeology, genetics and ethnology.  Around 5,000 years ago, before people had made the decision to depart Taiwan.........

Findings in Vanuatu Reveal Their Origin

Such arguments are like a missing piece of a puzzle game. After the Vanuatu discovery, the missing piece has been found and the game will be over eventually..........

Wheat Field

Nose flute, an Austronesian artifact

The nose flute refers to a wind instrument that is played with the nose. It may be one of the most ancient musical instruments of human beings, and it is also apart of the unique culture of the Austronesians.........

Fish Swimming

Fishing basket trap, an Austronesian custom

The fishing basket trap is an apparatus used to trap fish with a funnel-like entrance that allows fish easy passage to get inside but difficult to get out. ........

Two Dried Leaves

String Game, an Austronesian custom

String game, or called string figure, is an easy to play game and also a quite ancient art, belonging to all races of people. ........

Chicken

The distribution of chicken in Pacific

  It is this chicken who makes the Austronesian adventure great. In the real world, chickens also play a role as companion to the Austronesian during their expansion.........

Green Rooster Puzzle

The Evolving Etymology of Chicken in Eurasia

 How to call chicken in Taiwan and adjacent places is an interesting linguistic issue.  Chicken in Taiwanese is “ge”, in Thai is “gai”, and in Vietnamese is “gà”..........

bottom of page