Taiwan

Chengi - Taiwan - 04.06.2010

Lanyu, Yami Boat

The Tao, originally recognized as Yami, are a Taiwanese aboriginal people, native to tiny outlying Orchid Island in Taiwan. The Tao are an Austronesian people linguistically and culturally closer to the Ivatan people of the Batanes islands in the Philippines than to other aboriginal peoples on the main island of Taiwan. The word "Tao" means "person" or "people" in both the Tao language and all Philippine languages. The Tao people are traditionally good at making balangays (native canoes), which is a symbol of their tribe.

In the year 2000 the Yami numbered 3,872. This was approximately 1% of Taiwan's total indigenous population.

The Balangay is the first wooden watercraft ever excavated in Southeast Asia.