By KHT Staff. Image via KH City Govt.
KAOHSIUNG — The 12th Taivoan, or Dawulong, Song and Dance Festival (大武壠歌舞文化節) will be held on May 1 and 2 in the Sunlight Xiaolin Community (日光小林社區) in Shanlin District (杉林區), with this year’s program focused on recovery, identity, and cultural revival after Typhoon Morakot.
This year’s theme, “Holding the land, returning to our roots” (握土．返原), reflects the community’s efforts to rebuild after the 2009 disaster while reconnecting with Taivoan traditions. Organizers say the event will include reenactments of traditional rituals, an environmental theater performance based on residents’ own life stories, concerts, and a local market.
The main stage production, also titled “Holding the soil, returning to the origin,” will be performed by the Daman Dance Troupe (大滿舞團), which organizers say has previously appeared at National Day events and toured in Japan. Kaohsiung’s Cultural Affairs Bureau describes the festival as an important platform for Indigenous cultural revival. A market with about 50 stalls is also planned, offering local food, crafts, and hands-on activities.
