2022 Taitung Blue Ocean Daily— Reinvigorating the 4 major sea leisure destinations to create oceanic life amidst our slow economy

TAITUNG COUNTY, TAIWAN - Media OutReach - 21 September 2022 - This year, the Taitung County Government has launched a new sea leisure brand—Blue Ocean Daily. On September 17, an opening ceremony was held on Shan Yuan Beach which was graced by elders from the Fulafulangan Amis tribe and Kimokeo Foundation of Hawaii—the international Austronesian maritime culture organization was invited to Taiwan for the first time.

The tribesmen brought their unique tribal rituals and blessed the commencement of the event. Sand sculptors were also invited to take Taitung's four major marine recreational sites and projects like "Shanyuan Bay: South Island", "Cultural Outrigger Canoe", "Jinzun SUP", "Fluvial Lake Canoe", "Green Island Deep Diving" as the theme to carve sand sculptures onsite. The attendants of the ceremony, with their oars, held an oar sticking ceremony which officially announced the beginning of the 2022 Taitung Blue Ocean Daily.

April Yao, mayor of Taitung County, expressed that Taitung has the longest coastline in Taiwan with two pearls on the ocean: Green Island and Orchid Island, Jinzun Fishing Port, an international class surfing sanctuary, and a living lake connecting with the sea. With a spectacular environment, the Taitung County Government endeavors to develop a natural and real economy model to continuously invigorate the sea leisure bases destinations and also develop and promote water activities. The Blue Ocean Daily helps to promote and deepen the prolific leisure experiences in Taitung. As the Blue Ocean Daily goes international, it focuses on three core values: the promotion of ocean culture, regional revitalization and cultural exchange, as well as connecting Taitung with the world.

The four-week Blue Ocean Daily has 16 water leisure events to be experienced. The county government not only invited Kimokeo Kapahulehua (Unkle K), a world-class performer from Hawaii, but also introduced an Austronesian outrigger canoe to allow visitors to experience the daily ocean life in Taitung. The Blue Ocean Daily has also launched tour packages with local tour groups, these packages include 7 outrigger canoe trips, 4 SUP experience events, 4 canoe trips, and 1 minibike tour. During the gala, the tour begins at the sea floor, with exciting guided-tours during the day and star watching trips at night to present the charm of sea-land-air tours on the Green Island to visitors. In this event, exchanges between local academic groups and international organizations will be held. An international Austronesian maritime culture organization is also invited to lecture students at local schools about the core of indigenous culture and natural ecology. The event also promotes in-depth cultural exchanges between Hawaiian groups with local tribes/communities. As part of connecting Taitung to the world, the county government is eager to make experiencing daily life in the sea more diverse and profound.

Yu Ming-Hsun, Director of the Taitung County Tourism Department, emphasized how September 22 is a special day with historic significance: September 22 will be the day the legacy is continued and on the same day the Taitung County Government will hold the Oceanic Austronesian Culture Featuring Indigenous Tribal Experience in collaboration with the Kimokeo Foundation of Hawaii and local tribes. Participants will challenge long-distance sailing across the sea on outrigger canoes in Taiwan. The canoes will depart from Shan Yuan Beach and sail for about 30 km to the traditional waters of the Dulik tribe to recreate the traditional saluo: a visitation done with canoes. The tribes on the shore will respond with horns and receive the visitors from the sea in accordance with the Amis tradition, leaving all with good memories in this Blue Ocean Daily. The history of the Austronesian tribes visiting each other and maintaining friendship on outrigger canoes has exceeded three thousand years, with Taiwan as their home.

The Blue Ocean Daily will restore the art of celestial navigation in ancient times and continue to promote the unique charm of outrigger canoes and the magnificent seas well into the future.

For more information, please visit Taitung Blue Ocean Daily's FB page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083162535238

Please sign up for the Ocean Fun Experience at the Taitung Fun Card website: https://www.ttfuncard.tw/zh-TW?tag=971644c7-72da-4505-a17b-51c4dacadc27

Hashtag: #TaitungCountyGovernment