Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Kuomintang (KMT) came to power and attempted to introduce Chinese language and
culture to the Tao.
Boatloads of mainland Chinese were shipped to the island in the hope that interracial
marriages would Sinicise the Tao population. The Tao resisted this encroachment and
years of fighting with the mainlanders ensued. In the late 1960s Soong Mei Ling (wife of
Chiang Kai-shek) declared that the traditional underground homes of the Tao were not fit
for humans and ordered they be torn down and new cement structures built in their place.
The houses were poorly made and couldn't hold up to the typhoons that lashed the island
every year. At about the same time the island was opened up to tourism and Taiwanese
tourists began to arrive in droves. Christian missionaries soon followed, converting a
large percentage of the population who are, to this day, primarily Christian.
The relationship between the Taiwanese government and the Tao took a turn for the
worse when the government unilaterally decided that the island would be a good place to
dump nuclear waste. Long Men (Dragon Gate), at the southern tip of the island, was se-
lected as a temporary storage facility for mid- and low-level nuclear waste. The site,
which government representatives told locals was 'a fish cannery', became a depository
for up to 100,000 barrels of nuclear waste in 1982. When islanders discovered the truth
from news reports, they raised a furious outcry, protesting both on Lanyu and in front of
the various government buildings in Taipei.
Despite government promises that the dump would be removed, the barrels remain and
there is evidence that approximately 20% of the original barrels are beginning to leak and
the concrete trenches they are buried in are cracking. Soil samples from the south end of
the island show higher than normal levels of radioactivity and the possibility of health
problems resulting from long-term contamination is of great concern to Tao people.
The Tao are doing their best to preserve their culture in the face of various social is-
sues not uncommon in aboriginal communities. Alcoholism is a problem on the island, as
is the overall brain drain caused by so many young people leaving to find greater eco-
nomic prosperity in Taiwan. Even so, Tao traditions on Lanyu remain alive and one of
the benefits that tourism has brought to the island has been to encourage the younger
generation to learn more about their heritage before heading off to Taiwan to seek their
fortunes.
Activities
Swimming, Diving & Snorkelling
Because of heavy currents and an overall dearth of sandy beaches, most of Lanyu's
shores are best suited for strong swimmers, or left alone entirely. Locals recommend
