Author：Marine National Park Headquarters
Price:：NT$ 250
Market:：MNPH（No.24, Demin Rd., Nanzih District, Kaohsiung City 811, Taiwan (R.O.C.) ）, Government Publications Songjiang Bookstore（ www.govbooks.com.tw） & Wu-Nan Book Co. Ltd.（www.wunanbooks.com.tw）
Category：Lanyu
ISBN：978-986-03-9546-4
Description：
Rows of Lanyu’s traditional canoes (tatalas) rest within the tribal coves. The respected ceremonial leaders (or capable fish catchers) of the Yami people guides the clan members dressed in full regalia, and proceeded to summon the flying fishes at the beach. With a dab of blood from sacrificial animals, the Tao people pray to the gods to bestow the flying fish back to the tribal waters, and grant them a good harvest.
Each February the tribes of the Lanyu Island adhere to the agreement set by the flying fish in their dreams and perform the summoning ceremonies, signaling the beginning of the “rayon flying fish festival.”
The waters surrounding Lanyu Island, owing to the passing Kuroshio Current, provide rich substances and resources to flourish an abundant and diverse marine ecosystem. During the Spring and Summer seasons of each year, the migrating fish arrive near the islands carried by the currents, and the abundant flying fish attract larger predatory fish such as tunas and dolphin fish. After the ceremony, the Yami people focused on harvesting the flying fish, and from it developed a unique flying fish culture. The relationship between the tribes, people and the ocean are tightly connected through various seasonal ceremonies, cultural taboos and traditional wisdoms of marine resource usage.
The publication of “Flying Fish Digital” was based on the 2013 interviews and image documentaries of the Yami People (Tao) Flying Fish Festival of the Lanyu area, where tribal residents and seniors in various parts of Lanyu were interviewed, with the hope of documenting and understanding the origin of the flying fish culture, ceremonies and activities, culture insights, and changes in current culture. It was found during the project that each tribe displays unique individuality and differences in cultures, which were captured in this book story forms. By reading this book, we hope readers will learn more about and appreciate Lanyu’s flying fish culture.